The D�il and Seanad are policed by a special force headed by a Superintendent of the Houses of the Commission and a Captain of the Guard. In the event of total chaos breaking out, they are backed up by ushers who sit in on D�il and Seanad sessions.

This small force of D�il police is paid and recruited through open competition by the Oireachtas commission.

Though it is not part of the defence forces, an Oireachtas spokesman said that normally the superintendent and the captain of the guard would have a "military background". The current Superintendent is Commandant Paul Conway and the Captain of the Guard is Commandant John Flaherty.

"If a member refuses to leave, the ceann comhairle would normally suspend the sitting to allow the member to leave the chamber, " said an Oireachtas spokesman.

"If the member persists in remaining in the chamber, it is a matter for the captain of the guard to escort the member from the chamber."

The spokesman confirmed that forced removal had never happened in the 85-year history of the D�il. But it came close in 1999 when Labour TD R�is�n Shortall was asked three times to leave the house after a heated exchange with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern over the juvenile justice bill. Then leas ceann comhairle Rory O'Hanlon, first suspended Shortall when the TD refused to accept that she couldn't question Ahern on the bill. When Shortall refused to go, O'Hanlon had to get his superior, ceann comhairle S�amus Pattison of Labour, who asked her to leave again. When Shortall again refused to go, the ceann comhairle adjourned the sitting for the day.

Then there was the 'B�in�n Jacket crisis' in the Seanad in 1992 when Senator P�l � Foighil was suspended for a week after repeatedly wearing a traditional b�in�n jacket which was ruled as unsuitable attire for a senator to wear in the house. � Foighil refused to leave the Seanad when so ordered by the cathaoirleach, Se�n Fallon.

This prompted the arrival of the then captain of the guard, Commandant Cathal O'Laoghaire, who first took the unusual step of clearing the press gallery before asking � Foighil to accompany him to the anteroom.

Last week's embarrassing stand-off was resolved when government chief whip Tom Kitt and FG whip Paul Kehoe brokered a solution that led to O'Donoghue returning to the chamber and Ring leaving.