Thursday, March 09, 2006
FG TD slams 7-day break for Patrick's Day
Fair play to Fine Gael TD Michael Ring for berating the Government's move to cancel Dáil sittings for a week so ministers can celebrate St Patrick's Day.That's right. You read that correctly. A week - to celebrate St Patrick's Day.
The Dáil and Seanad are both due to go into recess from today until next Wednesday so ministers can attend St Patrick's Day events across the world.
The move prompted uproar in the Dáil today, with Mr Ring the most vociferous critic.
He said the Government had promised when ending the dual mandate that TDs would be spending more time in the Dáil, but the opposite had happened due to lengthy recesses being foisted on TDs by the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats coalition.
This is an absolute joke. How the hell can they justify this? When I was in school we got a maximum of two days off for St Patrick's Day. I'm pretty sure it's the same nowadays. St Patrick's Day is on a Friday this year so I imagine most schools will consider giving kids Thursday and Friday off, or else Friday and Monday, but a week? Not a chance.
I have spoken about the disgraceful breaks here on UI before. In January I posted about how Fine Gael and Labour TDs wanted an increase in the number of sitting days.
If you think a week off for Paddy's Day is a bit much though, bear in mind that these TDs get five weeks off for Christmas and that they returned from their Christmas break this year on the 25th of January!
Of course this year the Easter Rising parade makes a return. I suppose they will give themselves a month off for that. You know, to attend various events across the world and all that.
And they wonder why Irish people are so apathetic towards politics!
# posted by United Irelander @ 2:09 PM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
