Labour deputy leader Joan Burton criticised the number of junior Ministers appointed, and Oireachtas committees established, under the current Government.
"We have 20 Ministers of State, which is an extraordinary number. If we ever have a pub quiz in Dáil Éireann, the tie-breaker for members of the Government should be to name the Ministers of State and, for the absolute clincher, to also state what they are supposed to do.
"Not even members of the Government, who work with them, know what they do, apart from seven or eight important jobs."
She said that the Government proposed to increase the number of committees by three to 21, which did not include the Oireachtas commission.
"We will have an extraordinary structure whereby each of the 21 committees will have at least three remunerated appointments. In some cases, the number is more but for the most part it is three.
"The chairman, vice-chairman and convenor of each committee receive a stipend, and the total cost is approximately €30,000 per committee."
Speaking during a debate on the Oireachtas committee structure, Ms Burton said that extra staff would have to be employed. Unlike the HSE, an embargo probably did not apply to the Houses of the Oireachtas, she added.
"The new committee structure will mean 63 paid jobs, the lion's share of which will go to the Government, with a smaller share going to Fine Gael and a tiny share going to the Labour Party.
"This is called a 'payroll vote' and one wonders what it is for.
"Is it to make the Government deputies, who receive the stipends, work harder?
"I work with people in government all the time on committees and I know how hard many of them work.
"This is not about them. It is about the designs of the Government, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance."
Government Chief Whip Tom Kitt said he was a firm believer in the value of the committee system.
"I believe it is an excellent committee system, of which all members can be proud. However, we need to build on and strengthen our system, a view shared in this House."
Seán Barrett (FG, Dún Laoghaire) called for a review of the terms of references of Oireachtas committees.
"This will depend on whether the executive is prepared to release control over committees and leave it to the Dáil and Seanad to act in a responsible fashion to assist the executive in the formation of legislation."
Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin welcomed the proposal to established a "substantive" committee on children.
"Children are a very important part of our society and the House must address issues concerning them. The case for this is self-standing."
