Alan Kelly has demanded the Dáil be recalled immediately to deal with the fallout from the Government’s latest lockdown moves.
The Labour leader was speaking as the country was still reeling from the shock announcements on Tuesday night.
Mr Kelly said the national parliament must sit to help ease the “utter confusion” the public feels.
The returning restrictions sees the over 70s told to stay at home more and cancel any hotel staycations, any gatherings of over six indoors and 15 outdoors banned and the order to play all sports fixtures behind closed doors.
These and many others will involve further policing from An Garda Síochána and Mr Kelly believes the Dáil should be recalled for any proposals on policing to be scrutinised.
He said: “There was commentary from the Government that they intend to change the powers given to An Garda Síochána, but they’re not actually devolving what they’re going to do.
“We in the Labour party now believe that it is time for Dáil Eireann to be called back immediately.
“There is utter confusion across the country now in relation to the announcement yesterday.
“All politicians, all public representatives, their offices are inundated, their phones are hopping.”
However, Mr Kelly is wary of powers that could be too strong being handed over to the gardaí, as he fears this could be a slippery slope to a Police State.
He told the Mirror: “I am very suspect about it to be honest with you.
“We don’t want to be moving inch by inch to a Police State.”
“But we’re totally confused, the Government has made a number of statements relating to increasing police powers, but that’s it, there’s no detail.”
Meanwhile, the party’s spokesman on education, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, has slammed the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, for disappearing at a time of historic crisis for the education sector.
Mr Ó Ríordáin accused the minister of “hiding behind press releases.”
And he also wants the Dáil recalled to deal with the looming education crises.
Bar a few short appearances on broadcast media, Ms Foley has not been seen by the rest of the media or opposition politicians in weeks.
Mr Ó Ríordáin said: “It’s now gone past the point where we can allow the situation to continue without some political oversight or some political conversation in the Oireachtas.
“The Minister does not appear to want to come in front of the Covid committee, there is no education committee set up yet, so the Dáil is going to have to be recalled so we can discuss the very serious issues.”
He added: “You would have thought that the Minister would be everywhere, everywhere, listening and talking and showing leadership every single hour of the day.
“And unfortunately, it’s come to the point now, where because she has been absent, and because of that absence of leadership from herself and other ministerial colleagues in the educational sphere, and her junior ministers, that now we’re at the point where we have to ask the Dáil to come back so we can get some very simple answers to very simple questions.”
