The Dáil and the Seanad have taken diametrically opposing views on an issue of critical importance to the members of both houses of the Oireachtas.
They are split, not on an issue of fundamental constitutional significance but on a much more mundane, though electorally significant, matter - the use of freepost envelopes.
After years of complaints about the abuse by politicians of their free-envelope allowance, TDs have decided that it is time to introduce a system of traceability, designed to ensure that the precious objects do not get into the wrong hands.
However, senators are seething at the initiative and have, so far, resisted a similar change. Free envelopes are a precious commodity for senators who dole them out selectively to favoured county councillors - the electorate for the majority of Seanad seats - or to voluntary groups or charities who are close to individual senators.
The Dáil Ceann Comhairle, Rory O'Hanlon, has decided to press ahead with a new traceable system for the distribution of TDs' envelopes, despite the objections of senators who will continue for the moment with the existing system which some claim is widely abused.
Each member of the Oireachtas is entitled to 1,750 freepost standard envelopes per month. At a standard postage stamp cost of 48cent per letter, this perk is worth €10,080 a year to each member of the Oireachtas. With the 166 members of the Dáil and the 60 member of the Seanad entitled to use the facility, the subsidy from the taxpayer saves the politicians €2.3 million a year.
The problem is that a practice has developed over many years whereby TDs and senators routinely allocated some of their free envelopes to councillors, party branches, supporters, interest groups and voluntary organisations.
White envelopes with the legend Oireachtas stamped in big green letters across the bottom right hand corner, containing material that has no connection with the activities of a TD or senator, have become commonplace around the country.
In response to complaints from members of the public, the Dáil Members Interest Committee, chaired by South Tipperary TD Noel Davern, decided that the system needed to be reformed. The committee, which has a legal responsibility to deal with complaints against TDs, decided reform of the system was essential.
The Members Interest Committee strongly recommended to the Dáil Committee of Procedure and Privileges, under the chairmanship of Dr Rory O'Hanlon, that a system of bar coding should be introduced so that all envelopes could be traced, thus putting an end to abuses of the system. However, the Seanad Committee of Procedure and Privileges took a different position and opposed bar coding.
The matter was raised at the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party by senators who pleaded with their Dáil colleagues not to change the system.
There were some expressions of understanding for the stance being adopted by the senators, but it cut no ice with Mr Davern and Dr O'Hanlon. The Oireachtas Commission, which runs both Houses, decided to sanction the purchase of the equipment necessary to introduce bar coding for TDs. The Senators were left to their own devices.
