The Minister of State for Labour Affairs, Mr Tom Kitt, has created a new first by opposing his own Bill, TDs were told.
Democratic Left's employment spokesman, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said the Minister was a "double dealing" deputy because he introduced a Sunday trading Bill when in opposition in March this year which the then government accepted. Six months later as Minister he was rejecting the same Bill.
"There is nothing you can do for Minister Kitt. He is too far gone. You can't advocate a Bill in the month of March and oppose the same Bill in the month of November and maintain any credibility."
On the second day of a two-day debate, Mr Rabbitte added that the "Kitt Bill is to commit suicide before the eyes of its authors". The main function of the Protection of Workers (Shop) Bill is to make Sunday working a voluntary activity.
Mr Emmet Stagg (Lab, Kildare North) believed, however, that Mr Kitt was an "honourable man" and his Bill represented a genuine attempt to improve the quality of life of shop workers. "However, he has been set up," and left "at the mercy of the Tanaiste, whose views about even the most minimal of labour market regulation are well known".
The Minister spoke on the first day of the debate and said the way forward was through consensus and dialogue and not through legislation.
His party colleague Mr Conor Lenihan (FF, Dublin South West) said that Mr Tommy Broughan (Lab, Dublin North East) who reintroduced the Bill, had managed "to wrong-side us slightly and embarrass the Minister because of his actions in opposition a few months ago". Mr Kitt had been perhaps "over enthusiastic in opposition" and Mr Broughan by reintroducing the same Bill was "replicating the same mistake".
Mr Lenihan stressed, however, that competition was the life blood of trade and industry and "we cannot fly in the face of economic reality". He was "in no way saying that Sunday shopping should be at the expense of the worker. We must be very careful that Sunday shopping does not become an exploitative tool in the hands of greedy traders".
Ms Roisin Shortall (Lab, Dublin North West) said there was a social argument for banning Sunday trading. Consumers could choose not to shop on Sunday "but shop workers have no choice".
Mr Sean Fleming (FF, Laois-Offaly) said that small shops would have to extend their hours and work through the weekend to compete with the bigger stores. Sunday shopping should not be banned or restricted, he said. "Otherwise we will have the same farcical situation that exists with pub licensing laws."
A move to read the Bill a second time was defeated by 74 votes to 67 and the Bill was lost.