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THE DÁIL USUALLY rises for the summer in mid-July, but this year will be different.
There will be no honeymoon period for the new government, with the Dáil expected to sit for most of July in order to continue dealing with the public health emergency as well as producing the government’s jobs stimulus plan.
The Dáil Business Committee met last week to discuss arrangements, and there was consensus that the House would have to meet throughout July. Politicians will get August off, but should be back at their desks after the first week of September.
The cutting short of the summer break was first floated in May by former Taoiseach, now Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar.
He told TheJournal.ie:
“I think everyone in the country is going to want to take their annual leave at some point, including politicians, notwithstanding the very strange political scenario we have seen for the last four months.”
“I can guarantee you that TDs and senators from government and opposition have been working very hard.
“I certainly don’t think it would be possible to have the summer recess in mid-July which would be the norm. If we can form a new government by the end of June that new government will have some work to do in July, not least dealing with Covid, but also some legislation that needs to be passed,” he said.
Not only will politicians be working through the summer, but the working week is set to be extended for some.
The Dáil is set to meet on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Meanwhile the Dáil Special Covid-19 Committee is set to meet every Tuesday morning and all-day Friday for all of July.
If the schedule fills up, it has been suggested that the Dáil may have to also sit on Mondays.
It is understood that while there has been suggestions that the majority of committees will not be up and running until September, moves are afoot to get the Public Accounts Committee and the Committee on Budget Scrutiny up and running before August.
This week is the first sitting in which Leaders Questions will be held, so expect some barbs between Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald and Taoiseach Micheál Martin who will be going up against each other for the first time.
The Dáil is due to sit on Leinster House on Tuesday, with sittings to be held in the Convention Centre on Wednesday and Thursday so that social distancing rules can be adhered to when votes are held.
Such sittings in the Convention Centre cost €25,000 each day, though the initial fit out cost over €100,000.
There will be no questions for ministers this week, but they will take place the following week.
Legislation to support SMEs is before the Dáil this week, as are more supplementary estimates for a number of departments. Sinn Féin has private members’ time where they will raise the issue of affordable housing.
The Special Covid-19 Committee has a busy schedule, and is set to hear from the Central Bank, the NTMA, as well as continuing its work on the reopening of schools by hearing from school principals.
On Friday, the committee will focus on the meat industry and the outbreaks of the virus at processing plants.
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This is the issue when another business gets involved ie a union, that feels it has to do something to keep its members. They could be on the best terms and conditions and payment in the planet and you would still have issues with union involvement … I think Ryanair were wrong to recognize them …
@Shane Zerbe: They recognised the unions because pilots were already striking. There’s a number of large European low-cost airlines (Norwegian, Easy Jet, Wizz Air, some traditional / flag-carrier airlines) that now provide better pay & benefits than Ryanair for pilots and crew.
If they were willing work with their staff to bring in better pay / conditions then the unions wouldn’t be needed or asked for. They last thing they want is all their pilots to start moving over to other airlines. Emirates is a good example of an airline that is struggling with big pilot shortages over bad pay / conditions and is now badly suffering and having to cancel many flights/routes because of it.
@Shane Corry: yeah that’s the free market working the way it should. There’s no need for union involvement. They’ll end up destroying the airline by going too far. The lunatics always end up running the asylum.
From what I read there is a shortage of pilots worldwide. Why don’t the Ryanair pilots just leave and take a job elsewhere. Surely if there demands are reasonable the other airlines will have no problem in paying up.
@Dave Doyle:
Lots of them did, which is precisely why those that remained were in a strong enough position to demand union recognition from Ryanair.
@Dave Doyle:
“Why don’t the Ryanair pilots just leave and take a job elsewhere?”
They do. Norwegian for example (The biggest european low-cost airline operating the same aircraft type as Ryanair) has been actively poaching many pilots which has partly led to the situation they are in now.
@Shane Corry: Norwegian has failed to return a profit in the last ten years, great to work for though. Long may it continue.
I love Ryanair. I get cheap flights, they arrive on time. During the ash cloud crisis, went to Alicante for 4 nights ended up staying for 12. They paid for my accommodation and food for the extra 8 days we stayed there. Also, Knock airport didn’t charge me for parking my car for the extra days I was away. One of the best holidays, I ever had.
@Maggie O’Sullivan: my flights weren’t cheep, over 1380.00 for 4 of us. If they strike Thursday I hope they treat us like they did you. Here’s hoping.
@Maggie O’Sullivan: I agree completley. People have short memories. Before Ryanair, Aer Lingus had a monopoly in Ireland and were charging extortionate airfares. I remember paying £250 for a flight to London on a cold October day over 30 years ago. The reason the likes of Aer Lingus and BA now have half reasonable airfares is because of Ryanair putting pressure on them. Before Ryanair, only the rich could fly and it seems like many people want to go back to thoes days. I’ve been able to travel all over Europe because of their low fares but some media outlets are even trying to blame Ryanair for cancelling flights because of the french air traffic controllers going on strike. Some people just love complaining.
@Lily: I hope they do!! I’ve never had any faults with them.
@Tom O’Brien: thanks Tom. It’s not even the cheap flights, the passengers bring alot of revenue to other countries which is badly needed. Long live Ryanair, I say!!!!
@Maggie O’Sullivan:
They were legally obliged to pay for your accommodation and food. They fought it every step of the way though.
Hopefully the unions will destroy Ryanair, the company has simply gotten too big for its boots in our socialist republic.
Oh no how will them poor Spanish and Portuguese holiday makers get to costa del Bunmahon now
@liam mc laughlin: bitter much?
@EvieXVI: Get humour much?
I hope Ryanair go bust because they treated me and my family very badly a few years ago.
I am trying to bundle with eir last month or so emailing calling they meant to send me sim card to switch. Every time they to call me back nada. One rep even pretended he d a bereavement to avoid me switching. 180 a month between the 2 bills versus 106 to include mobile in bundle. Any recommendations re leaving eir comreg options etc.
Oh no, how will them poor spani
@liam mc laughlin: Well done Liam
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