THE GOVERNMENT was compared unfavourably to a tiddlywinks club over its failure to be able to set dates for the return of the Dáil after the summer, the budget, the Dublin mayoral election or the three byelections.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore made the comparison when he asked Tánaiste Mary Coughlan the dates for these occasions.

Ms Coughlan had told Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny that Minister for the Environment John Gormley was “dealing with that matter and he will bring forward proposals in due course”.

Mr Gilmore said media reports suggested the Minister had said the mayoral election would be in October and asked the Tánaiste to clarify.

Ms Coughlan said the Government had not yet decided when the House would be recalled, nor the date for the budget; that no decision had been made on byelection dates and that legislation on the mayoralty would be brought to the House in due course.

Mr Gilmore said “there isn’t a tiddlywinks club in the country that wouldn’t have some idea of the key dates for committee meetings and events”.