Speaking rights row set to come to a head in Dáil showdown

A walkout is not the preferred choice to protest the Government pushing its proposal through during Tuesday afternoon's session. If the Opposition stages a walk-out, the Government will still be able to reach a quorum and pass the vote in their absence.

Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger has suggested a standing protest as a more effective option, saying the Dáil cannot continue if TDs refuse to take their seats.

Labour also indicated it would not be in favour of leaving the chamber, with Duncan Smith saying: "Ultimately, if you walk out, you are going to have to walk back in at some stage."

Mr Smith did say TDs would be putting forward a visible expression of opposition to the proposal which would see Taoiseach's questions taking place once a week instead of twice and the time allowed for opposition TDs to object to Dáil business would be halved.

He said the fact the Government whip would not engage with the Opposition had "absolutely poisoned" the atmosphere and would have long-term consequences.

"I won't be sanctioning any pairs for the foreseeable future, likely for the duration of this Dáil," Mr Smith said.

The atmosphere is so poisonous, has been so toxified by how the Government has acted over the last couple of months that I'm not minded to give them any kind of accommodations that are within my small gift to do so.

Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said what happens on Tuesday afternoon would impact the integrity of the Dáil and it was important the public saw the Opposition fight back.

"The public will hear our voice. We have been making that clear for months now at all stages and all media engagements," he said.

"We are absolutely willing to talk, to discuss, to bring some sort of conclusion to this."

Opposition parties would rather carry on with the business of the Dáil instead of disrupting it, Mr Gannon said, telling the Government "it doesn't need to be this way".

"Will [the disruption] go to the level of what happened in January? I hope not because I hope that the Government pull back before we get in there, but that is on them."

Mr Gannon said he believed the Opposition had the backing of the public on this issue despite the fact it had been dragging on for two months and had resulted in no committees being formed.

However, he said the Social Democrats and other Opposition parties believed this was something worth fighting for and accused the Government of being dismissive and behaving arrogantly.

Leader of Independent Ireland Michael Collins said the Government had not been engaging with the Opposition in good faith.

"We have tried to solve this issue. There was effectively only one honest to God meeting on this issue since this Dáil began," Mr Collins said.

The Cork South-West TD said he had been to every Dáil Reform committee meeting and every business meeting that has been held but said the only meeting where there was any real engagement from the Government was on the first day of the Dáil.

"On February 26, when we returned [to talks], the chief whip was waving a document and saying this is going through one way or the other," he said.

Mr Collins said the public deserved to know the details of the deal that was made between the Government and the Regional Independent Group led by Michael Lowry.

"We do know it is going to cost over €5m in extra super junior ministers and junior ministers and extra pay," he said, adding the total cost to the taxpayer was currently unknown.

"I can certainly tell you today, it has cost us a lot of money but surely be to God it is not going to cost us our democracy."

Meanwhile, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said there should be a mediation between the Government and the Opposition in order to reach an agreeable solution.

He said the public wanted to see the Dáil working on the challenges people were facing each day and "less theatre and less people shouting at each other".