GOVERNMENT TDs had a five-vote majority yesterday in a row over the adjournment of the Dáil for 19 days until Tuesday, April 20th.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore rejected the proposal that the House adjourn for two sitting weeks, because it was “not acceptable or credible” given the state of the economy.

Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said the Dáil break was “excessive”, and that one week was sufficient.

But the House voted by 69 to 64 in favour of the adjournment until April 20th. Independent TD Finian McGrath, who said “the Independents will be here next week”, abstained in the vote. The dates have been listed in the Dáil diary since September 2009.

Mr Gilmore said “it has been the tradition that the Dáil adjourns for a fortnight for Easter. Whatever argument there may have been in the past about whether that is a good or bad idea or good or bad practice, it is certainly not acceptable for the times in which we are living.”

He said “the idea that, at a time like this with so many issues which require attention, the Dáil should be closed down for over a fortnight for Easter is not acceptable and credible.”

He also noted the “Live Register figures which would normally receive much more attention than they got. It is a mark of the sign of the times that 435,000 people are on the Live Register, the tenth successive month which it has been over 400,000.”

Mr Ó Caoláin said “a single week for Easter is more than adequate, appropriate and justifiable but to go into a second week, even though that has been the precedent heretofore is in the current circumstances, as has been well outlined, not in any way sustainable, no matter what explanation can be offered.”