LABOUR LEADER Eamon Gilmore has warned of a major confrontation with the Government if it continues with long Dáil recesses.
He was speaking during yesterday's Order of Business when the House agreed to adjourn until Wednesday, April 2nd.
Mr Gilmore said that St Patrick's Day and Easter fell together as a rather unusual calendar coincidence.
"My main concern about recesses is not so much the forthcoming recess, but the unreasonable recesses the House takes, at the Government's insistence, at Christmas and during the summer," he said.
"While I do not propose to make a fuss about the manner in which the Easter recess falls this year, I give notice that if the Government has in mind that the House will rise at the beginning of July, and not sit again until the end of September, the Labour Party will create one hell of a fuss." The Opposition renewed its criticism of the extent of ministerial travel for St Patrick's Day events throughout the world.
Mr Gilmore said there had been much comment in the past couple of days about the number of Ministers going abroad.
He added: "My view is that St Patrick's Day events are of enormous value to this country."
"That the country is the focus of attention on a worldwide basis for a day or two is of value, and it is of value that the Government is represented at such events.
"However, there is evidence that some members have been tearing the rear end out of it. Attention needs to be given to that issue."
Fine Gael deputy leader Richard Bruton said Ministers were leaving their Dáil duties for three weeks at a stretch.
"This is not the way business should be done here. We all accept that people need to attend important events," he said.
"The taxpayer may look on and ask whether it is make any difference to have all these Ministers absent, but the trouble is they will have some carbon offset headache to pay for when they come back." The situation was getting out of hand, he said, adding that the House always sat in Holy Week.
"The Government is continually fraying the edges and not respecting the House in the way it should," said Mr Bruton.
"We have had no legislation for much of the period of this Dáil term and now Ministers skive off at the first opportunity."
Michael Ring (FG, Mayo) said it was a disgrace. "We were told years ago that without the dual mandate there would be more sittings. We should be sitting in America because that is where Ministers are."
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (SF, Cavan-Monaghan) said that Ministers played an important and valuable role in attracting international attention and focus on the island's global role and potential.
"My concern is that not all Ministers may be participating in legitimate representative roles internationally," he said.
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Séamus Brennan, who was taking the Order of Business, said that many of his colleagues had already left for their destinations because many events were held before St Patrick's Day.
St Patrick's Day, he said, presented an ideal opportunity to tell Ireland's investment and tourism stories.
