In time honoured fashion, the last day of the summer for Dáil Eireann saw angry exchanges from the opposition benches about taking such a long break. The Oireachtas committees will continue to sit up until August, at which stage the Dáil goes into full recess.
Local deputies, Peter Kelly (FF) and James Bannon (FG) reflected the mood at national level.
When asked what his plans were for the summer, Deputy Kelly listed off, from his diary, a series of engagements, cumann meetings, functions and sporting events (GAA and tennis) that he intends to attend. In amongst that, however, he says he intends to take a week's holiday in Portugal.
"I'll be working as normal. The only difference will be that I won't be in Dáil Eireann as often. I'll be in it maybe once or twice a week up to August for committee meetings," said Deputy Kelly.
He added that he believes in the long break. "I agree with it, believe it, or believe it not. It gives me a chance to catch-up on my every day sort of work, as regards roads, water, housing, sewerage, communications and general constituency work," he said.
On the opposite side of the house, Deputy James Bannon said he too will continue with his Dáil committee meetings up until August. "It will be business as usual for me," he said.
When asked if he'll take a break at all, Deputy Bannon said it was difficult to find time. "There are just so many things on. My diary would be full up until September and then there are different things on in September that I feel that I am duty bound to attend, but I hope to take a week off," he said, adding that he will be in his Richmond Street office on a regular basis during the summer.
Deputy Bannon said he strongly opposed the long break. "The Labour party and Fine Gael had a motion to sit for three weeks longer, but I feel that we should sit for at least one week every month during the summer recess to keep abreast of happenings going on. I think it's a way out for a government to deliver bad news and introduce stealth taxes. We should meet to hold them accountable to the electorate. We're the only parliament that takes such a long break," said Deputy Bannon.