A total of 17 Labour Party deputies asked for the suspension of the house to discuss separate issues, which the party Whip, Emmet Stagg, said was part of their campaign against the FoI Bill.
The Ceann Comhairle ruled out all of the requests.
On the proposal to have the House sit late tonight, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny claimed it did not allow all members on his side to have their say.
Labour's Pat Rabbitte claimed that the 'last coalition of the willing between Fianna Fáil and the PDs must have made some shameful decisions that they do not want probed under Freedom of Information'.
Both the Green Party and Sinn Féin also called for delay in bringing in the changes.
However, the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said the Opposition's only constructive proposal was to vote against a late sitting being held to give extra time for the debate.
