The Government is to propose that the Dail meet on September 10th and 11th to consider the report of the Dunnes payments tribunal, which will be published on Monday. The Government and Opposition whips will meet late next week to try to agree the dates and format for the Dail's consideration of Mr Justice McCracken's report. Should no agreement be reached, the Government has the right to set the dates and the debate's format.
Such Dail debates are traditionally formal affairs, with the main party leaders reading out statements, following which other TDs also make set-piece speeches. The Government is likely to resist any Opposition demands for a question-and-answer session, just as previous governments rejected such demands after the publication of the reports of the tribunal on the beef industry and the hepatitis C tribunal.
Question-and-answer sessions are traditionally rejected by governments on the grounds that tribunals report to the Houses of the Oireachtas, and not to the government, and therefore no government minister is accountable to the Dail in connection with these reports.
The special Dail session is also likely to hear demands for the establishment of a further tribunal. Opposition politicians have demanded a tribunal to inquire into the sources of the wealth of a former Taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey, but Government sources say that, should a new tribunal be warranted, its terms of reference should be broader.
The Government Chief Whip, Mr Seamus Brennan, said yesterday any proposal for a new tribunal should be considered after the McCracken report is published. "Whatever is recommended in the report will be implemented by the Government," he said.
The Dail is expected to adjourn again after its two-day consideration of the report, and reconvene for the autumn session on September 30th.
See also page 7