Madam, - Kieran Phillips (January 29th) correctly draws attention to the dismally few days on which the Dáil sits each year, but he fails to understand that it is the Government parties alone which determine the duration of Dáil sessions.
The Labour Party has been pressing for additional days and in our manifesto we proposed a series of measures that would bring about a 50 per cent more sitting days.
Fianna Fáil has always opposed longer Dáil sessions, but the Green Party manifesto contained a commitment that in Government it would "more than double Dáil sitting time with Dáil sittings running 45 weeks per year, Monday afternoons to Friday lunchtimes, from 9.30am to 7.00pm".
Under the Green promise, the Dáil should be sitting for 180 days in the coming year, while in fact it will sit for about half that number.
This government seems to consider Dáil sittings to be an irritant, because they give the Opposition some opportunity to call it to account.
Mr Phillips is correct to draw attention to the problem, but he should acknowledge where the blame lies. - Yours, etc,
EMMET STAGG TD,
Labour Party Chief Whip,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2.