Emergency meeting over Dáil sittings during strike action

The Dáil business committee will hold an emergency meeting this afternoon to discuss whether to cancel the Dáil sitting on Wednesday or move it to a different day because of the imminent public sector strike picket lines.

RTÉ News understands that members of the cross-party committee, which decides on the Oireachtas schedule each week, were informed late on Friday evening that the meeting will take place at 2pm today.

It had until now been due to only discuss the situation on Monday afternoon.

Among the measures understood to be on the table are potentially moving Dáil votes planned for Wednesday to Tuesday night instead.

An option to cancel Wednesday's Dáil sitting and move it to Friday next week is likely to be raised.

There is also expected to be further discussion over Taoiseach Micheál Martin's suggestion yesterday morning that a "derogation" could be agreed to allow Leinster House to be excluded from any public sector workers strikes in the same way as a small number of emergency public services.

However, senior Oireachtas officials have already strongly suggested a derogation is not a viable option.

In a statement to RTÉ News, a spokesperson for Government chief whip and Fianna Fáil TD Mary Butler said: "As the Taoiseach said earlier today, sittings of Dáil Éireann are an expression of the democratic will of the people.

"TDs are elected directly by the people, to represent the people, to legislate for the people.

"As the Government chief whip [Mary Butler] told the business committee yesterday [Thursday], the Dáil should be sitting Tuesday to Thursday next week, and she proposed a schedule over three days.

"The operation of the House is a matter for the Houses of the Oireachtas Service and we await formal confirmation of the service to operate next week.

"The Government chief whip may propose that votable business takes place on Tuesday and it remains to be determined what other two days next week the Dáil will sit."