A lot of empty seats before this morning's business. Oireachtas / Screengrab Oireachtas / Screengrab / Screengrab

DÁIL BUSINESS WAS briefly delayed this morning when not enough members were present for it to begin.

The Dáil requires at least 20 of the 166 members to be in the chamber for a meeting to start, but only eight were present before the first item of the day this morning.

The first item on the agenda was questions to Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald but calls had to be made for more members to show up before it could begin.

When the quorum was met, Leas Ceann Comhairle Micheál Kitt was able to begin the business of the day by reading aloud the procedural prayer.

However, as soon as the prayer was completed, the benches were depleted again as a host of deputies including Tánaiste Joan Burton left the chamber once more.

Oireachtas.ie Oireachtas.ie

Fitzgerald then faced questions from Niall Collins TD, Padraig MacLochlainn TD and Mick Wallace TD about the Gsoc phone monitoring controversy.

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