Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Three weeks ago, the Labour Party proposed a motion that the Dáil should continue in session until the end of July and return in early September. We argued in favour of that on the grounds that the country is facing serious economic and political difficulties. The Government needs to be accountable to the House in a way that it has not been before. I acknowledge that as a result of that motion we are sitting this week and it appears that we will be back a bit earlier in September than is normally the case. However, given the circumstances in which the country now finds itself, the Government proposal to close down the Dáil from today until 24 September is simply unacceptable.

It is particularly unacceptable today because as we sit here, passengers in Dublin Airport do not know when their flights will take off. It is the second day of chaos at the airport. The country is becoming a disgrace. We have a bad economic situation and the Government does not know what to do about it. It now wants to run away, get back in the bunker and introduce slashing cuts of one kind or another over the next couple of months. In addition, people cannot get into or out of the country. It is an absolute disgrace, yet in those circumstances the Government wants to close down the Dáil until the end of September. It is not acceptable. The Labour Party does not agree to this proposal.

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