A TD has described Friday's Dáil sitting to discuss the Criminal Justice Bill as "half-arsed".
Sinn Féin's justice spokesman Aengus Ó Snodaigh made the comment yesterday after his call for a quorum last week led to the collapse of the session because the Government benches could not provide the required 20 TDs.
He called another quorum yesterday as Minister for Justice Michael McDowell replied to the initial debate on the controversial Bill, which is largely aimed at tackling gangland crime.
This part of the debate had to be taken yesterday following Friday's collapse. Mr McDowell, who said he did not engage in tactics which did "not add to the dignity of the House", said that Mr Ó Snodaigh's interruptions "show the shallowness of all the posturing on the debate".
The Opposition had repeatedly accused the Minister of failing to take the Dáil seriously and attempting to use it as a "rubber stamp" to introduce legislation without full and proper debate. Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny asked the Taoiseach to do a "quick puzzle - number five across, six letters, begins with the letter A and ends with the letter T. The answer is 'absent'." He was referring to reports that the Minister for Justice did the crossword while Opposition TDs debated the legislation.
Mr Kenny asked why the Minister was not present on Friday evening nor any Progressive Democrats TD. "Why was the Government which wanted to bring forward the Criminal Justice Bill, supposedly the most important legislation since the sting of the dying wasp, unable to muster a quorum on Friday evening?"
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said the Minister had seven pages of amendments and it was "shocking" that "Government members had left for home when a quorum was called".
The Taoiseach said everyone who wanted to had been given a chance to speak on Friday. The committee stage of the Bill will be taken tomorrow.
