Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton has accused Sinn Féin of being "anti-democratic" and she said the party has left the Dáil in a "shameful position".
The row centred in part on Independent TD's who will support the government being able to access opposition speaking time in the Dáil.
Speaking outside Government Buildings, the Fine Gael TD explained that over the course of four meetings lasting five-and-a-half hours, it was agreed to give Sinn Féin extra speaking time, as well as a commitment to set up a Dáil Reform Committee tonight.
"It was so disingenuous today when we walked back into the Dáil and saw Mary Lou McDonald walk over to the clerk of the Dáil and said something to him and realised all bets were off.
"We gave them extra speaking time, we said we would set up the Dáil Reform Committee tonight with the first meeting tomorrow, we would resolve the issue of the technical group speaking time which we know is really important for democracy.
"We understand democracy, but I don't think Sinn Féin and others in opposition do - it's absolutely anti-democratic and we're in a shameful position here tonight."
Ms Naughton also said the Dáil Reform Committee would have found a solution to the speaking time issue in time for the Dáil returning on 5 February.
'Utterly farcical' - Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said opposition leaders met this evening and they were united in their position that the government cannot contrive to have government TDs designated as members of the opposition. She said the government had demonstrated incredible arrogance and believed they could ride roughshod over the collective opposition.
Ms McDonald said the opposition shared the values of democracy and needed the Dáil to work, but she said there needed to be a clear understanding of the roles of government and opposition respectively. She said members who were party to the Programme for Government, led by Michael Lowry, to have them designated as members of opposition was unacceptable and "frankly farcical".
She said the matter could be resolved easily with honesty and integrity from government, making clear that those who support the government are not opposition TDs.
She said the role of opposition was to hold government to account and had to be respected.
"What transpired today was utterly farcical, and it was a mess created by government."
Ms McDonald also said a collective position had been reached to write to the leaders of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Ceann Comhairle. She said they wished to have a leaders meeting, as had been wished for this evening.
She added that the joint request had been refused and needed to be sorted out and she said it was important to respect democracy and the role of opposition also.
'A chaotic situation' - Labour
Labour party Leader Ivana Bacik has said opposition parties stand united in "their fervent belief" to uphold democracy.
She said they "simply cannot stand over a situation where those TDs who are actively engaged in supporting and constructing a Programme for Government can somehow also be designated as opposition TDs".
"It is simply not tenable, it is a chaotic situation."
Ms Bacik said the chaos today has dismayed everyone and it is the chaos of the government's own making and it is a farce that the government has within their power to fix.
She said the opposition have come together, agreed on a text that will go to the two leaders of the two biggest government parties and the Ceann Comhairle and believes that this can be resolved.
'It should never have come to this' - Social Democrats
Social Democrats TD Cian O' Callaghan said what happened in the Dáil should never have happened. "It should never have come to this."
He also said the issue can be easily resolved if the government recognises that "what is clear to everybody on the street" that TDs supporting the government are government TDs and should be facilitated in government speaking time.
He said it is unfortunate that leaders of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael did not take them up on an offer of a meeting of party leaders "to resolve this" this afternoon.
'It makes a mockery of the government' - PBP
People Before Profit-Solidarity leader Richard Boyd Barrett said the government and Michael Lowry and the Healy Raes were trying to subvert and sabotage democracy by undermining the role of the opposition to hold the government to account.
"it is simply preposterous for Michael Lowry who is the chief negotiator for the Regional Group to install a government, to write a Programme for Government, to endorse that Programme for Government to pretend he's in the opposition."
He said it was remarkable that Simon Harris and Micheál Martin would allow Mr Lowry and the Healy Raes to sabotage the democratic process and were willing to "die in a ditch" in order for them to have a foot in both camps.
"It doesn't only undermine the opposition, it makes a mockery of the government themselves."
He said it was a joke and everyone could see it.
He added that the debacle could be resolved very quickly and he called on those involved to desist.
