Opposition TDs have lashed out at the government after it decided the Dail should take a break of over four hours this afternoon.
The Dáil will be adjourned between 3:20 and 7:30 today after it got through its earlier business quicker than expected.
But opposition TDs say the time should be spent dealing with some of the 190 other items on the Dáil's agenda which aren't being debated today.
The government's scheduling means around half of the Dáil's 12-hour day will be marked by the chamber sitting idle.
Around five-and-a-half hours had been assigned for the Dáil to get through two non-contentious bills on workplace relations and customs - but, with Fianna Fáil declining to send any TDs to contribute, the debate was wrapped up within 40 minutes.
That meant the house was adjourned from around 11:20am until noon, will break for lunch between 1:30pm and 2:30pm, and then adjourn from around 3:15pm until 7:30pm.
But TDs will not end their day until almost 9:30pm, when they'll be needed to vote on a motion from Sinn Féin about overhauls to the planning process.
The house was also suspended for 20 minutes this lunchtime, after a lengthy row over allegedly 'disrespectful' comments made by Enda Kenny to the socialist TD Paul Murphy.
Deputy Murphy had asked about payment rates at Irish Water - but the Taoiseach said he would not "spoon-feed" him the information, and told him to "toddle along" to an Irish Water briefing instead.
That drew criticism from Micheal Martin and Roisin Shortall, leading to a row that saw the house suspended for ten minutes, and then another ten when the row resumed later.
