Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The Ceann Comhairle knows that I already made this point to the Business Committee, but I want to formally put it on the record. I am not at all happy that the Dáil is only sitting one day this week or that there is a similar plan for it to sit only one day next week. I do not see the reason or justification for scaling back a Dáil that is already significantly scaled back. It has sat far less recently, when so many pressing issues are facing our country. It seems that the only reason we are not having a Dáil sitting tomorrow or next week is because the two major parties and their prospective coalition partners in the Green Party do not want to be scrutinised on the programme for Government document, a document which, frankly, is a deeply disappointing failure to give effect to the demands for change expressed by the electorate on 8 February. I simply do not see the justification.

There are many things to debate. We are facing the possibility of mass unemployment as a result of the pandemic. We have serious issues in terms of capacity in our health system. We could go through the list of pressing issues that could be debated, yet we are having no sittings other than, it seems, for the convenience of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party. I do not believe it is justified. I want to formally put my protest on the record.

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