It has been confirmed that Mary Lou McDonald will be suspended from the Dáil next Tuesday after a four hour sit-in in the Dáil chamber yesterday.

An Oireachtas spokesman has confirmed that Ms McDonald must serve a two-day suspension after TDs voted to expel her from the chamber.

Her refusal to leave after yesterday's vote led to a four-hour stand-off which saw all Dáil business abandoned for the day.

Ms McDonald says she has not decided whether she will try to enter the chamber next Tuesday when the stand-off could resume.

The Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin said earlier he believed the move was designed to distract attention from serious issues:

Yesterday, Tánaiste Joan Burton told Sinn Féin she could not answer a question on Revenue involvement in water charges as no decision has been made.

Amidst furious scenes, Ms McDonald was asked to leave the chamber by Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett. She refused and the House was suspended.

In a statement yesterday, the Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams gave his support to Ms McDonald.

"I support Mary Lou McDonald in her actions this afternoon. Yet again, the Tánaiste would not answer a question put to her. These questions are voicing the concerns of countless thousands of citizens. Yet time and time again, the Minister refuses to answer them," Mr Adams said.

"The Ceann Comhairle continually allows ministers to get away with this practice of not answering questions. The central tenet of parliamentary democracy is for the opposition to hold the executive to account. This does not happen in the Dáil. This certainly didn't happen today."

"The Ceann Comhairle is continually deferential to ministers. It is for this reason Mary Lou McDonald, in her refusal to leave the Dáil chamber today, has the full support of Sinn Féin."

"The opposition is mandated to hold the government to account. The Ceann Comhairle's responsibility is to facilitate this in a fair way. Given his treatment of the opposition parties and independents and particularly Sinn Féin I have no confidence in the Ceann Comhairle," he added.