Dail staff are up in arms claiming they are overworked in Leinster House.
Oireachtas authorities are being accused of being in breach of the European Working Time Directive during Covid.
Union representatives say their members are “exhausted and at their wits’ end” and that overworking is now having “adverse effects on health, safety and welfare”.
They have sent a stinging letter to the bosses of the Dail, pointing out the alleged breaches of the EWTD and demanding immediate action.
Extra sessions and late sittings have become the norm in recent weeks and months because of the Covid crisis.
One night last week, voting did not finish in the Dail until after 12.30am, with debates beginning again at 8.30am the next morning, and an extra day on Friday.
The Houses of the Oireachtas must be adequately staffed during all these times and the union representing ordinary workers in Leinster House, Forsa, say the staff are not being treated fairly and have had enough.
In a letter to the Assistant Secretary of the House of the Oireachtas seen by the Irish Mirror the national secretary of the civil service division of Forsa, Derek Mullen, stated: “Our members are exhausted and at their wits’ end with the current schedule.
“It is impossible for them to structure or manage any form of family life because of the unpredictable and unsocial aspects of their work.
“The relentless extension of sittings/meetings is having an adverse effect on their health, safety and welfare. This is unacceptable and, in my view, the political side should know better.
“The current schedule and repeated extension of business at very short notice is putting an enormous strain on everybody. It would be difficult in the best of times and is beyond acceptable during this ongoing pandemic.
“The staff involved have little or no predictability thereby causing severe personal and domestic challenges that no group of workers should have to endure.
“It is unacceptable that members of the legislature would, on an ongoing basis, display such scant regard for such basic principles as the legislative entitlement to daily rest and weekly rest as provided under the European Working Time Directive and Organisation of Working Time Act.”
A spokeswoman for the Houses of the Oireachtas last night said: “We don’t discuss matters.”
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