Parliamentary chairwoman Anouchka van Miltenburg has apologised to MPs after describing Tuesday night’s debate on the Groningen gas problems as ‘much ado about nothing’.

The comment came after a lengthy debate following which the pro-animal PvdD submitted a motion of no confidence in economic affairs minister Henk Kamp, website nu.nl reports.

It is not the first time Van Miltenburg has been under fire. She once walked out of parliament after becoming ’emotional’ when Christian Democrat leader Sybrand Buma accused her of being partisan.

Last year, eight party leaders told the Volkskrant they were highly critical of her performance as chairwoman.

During the gas debate, MPs unanimously called on Kamp to accept all the recommendations made in a recent report about the extraction of gas from under Groningen province.

The report concluded ministers and the gas extraction companies had put profit over public safety.