The Seanad will sit today after a 26-day Easter holiday.

Senators return to work this afternoon, nearly an entire month after their last plenary sitting.

The only Seanad business in the intervening period has been its special sub-committee on Brexit, which has sat twice in the meantime.

However senior members of the Seanad have defended their workrate - pointing out that there are very few bills for the Seanad to debate and discuss.

An analysis of the current legislative pipeline shows that the Seanad only currently has six bills to dispose of, only one of which is still awaiting its first debate. That Bill is being scrutinised today.

The remaining five are all at stages where amendments are being proposed - a situation which requires a Government minister to be present.

Separately, however, the Seanad has passed six bills of its own which are now languishing on the Dáil agenda.

The Dáil meanwhile has 81 bills awaiting a debate, 41 which have been referred to committee but not yet completed there, and a further seven opposition bills which are in limbo awaiting a committee referral.

The Bills awaiting a committee stage are also effectively parked until a minister can be available to attend for debate - but their limited availability, and the limited times in which committees can meet, mean a growing backlog of legislation which seems likely to get worse. 

Our political correspondent Gavan Reilly reports: