Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

The idea that we would break for more than one month and not even discuss the issues when people are going to sleep in emergency accommodation over Christmas and when there are not enough food parcels to go around is not acceptable. We should put pressure to say we have the date of 15 January and that is when we are reconvening. That focuses the minds in terms of the various parties that are engaged in coalition discussions. If they have a coalition and a nomination for Taoiseach to bring at that stage then that is fine, we vote on it. If they do not, we take the time to debate the issues of the day that are pressing. We have been elected here to be messengers of the people, and we need to have a chance to have our voices heard. Vincent Browne tweeted just after the election: "There is no reason why we can’t have a new government next Tuesday. FF/FG need to lock in 8 Independents, which should take an hour and a half." Maybe it will take a little bit longer than an hour and a half, but the idea that we go away for a month is not acceptable.

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