Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I raise the case of a five-year-old autistic boy with additional needs in my constituency who is attending junior infants. His mother Grainne contacted me recently and their story is revealing of a system that is badly failing children with additional needs. After months of school distress, hours of work with the school, mediation and facilitation, Grainne explained that …
TDs / Rory Hearne
Rory Hearne
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
487
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
142,007
words spoken in the chamber
Across 575 contributions
398
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
112
topics asked about
Across 17 departments
From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
What they ask about
The subject headings the Oireachtas filed their questions under.
Who they ask
The departments their questions were addressed to.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Questions asked 487 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 575 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 1 |
| January 2025 | 6 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 21 | 16 |
| March 2025 | 24 | 21 |
| April 2025 | 20 | 27 |
| May 2025 | 22 | 28 |
| June 2025 | 23 | 28 |
| July 2025 | 126 | 46 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 25 | 7 |
| October 2025 | 24 | 40 |
| November 2025 | 12 | 17 |
| December 2025 | 10 | 28 |
| January 2026 | 38 | 53 |
| February 2026 | 5 | 53 |
| March 2026 | 40 | 28 |
| April 2026 | 27 | 19 |
| May 2026 | 12 | 65 |
| June 2026 | 26 | 26 |
| July 2026 | 11 | 26 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 11 | 22 |
| October 2026 | 4 | 24 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 359 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Asked about similar topics
Worked out by computer from the subject headings of each TD's questions, giving more weight to headings few TDs use. It shows shared subjects, not shared views.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Dublin North-West 29 November 2024 to now
- party Social Democrats 29 November 2024 to now
It is SNA, and ANA as well. The school is saying it does not have-----
I thank the Minister and my colleagues for the opportunity to speak on this issue. As an educator who worked as an associate professor in the area of social science in Maynooth University, I emphasise the importance of social policy and social sciences in education. I worked at Maynooth University, but there is also a university in my constituency, namely, DCU. It provides high-quality education. However, our educati…
I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion. We will be supporting it and opposing the Government's amendment. This is a vital discussion. Unfortunately, it feels as if every week, we are discussing a new blockage to providing housing. The incredible thing is that each week, this new barrier is responded to by the Government and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage as if it was a complete s…
The housing crisis is a social and economic disaster. Solving it requires an emergency response that is unprecedented in scale and a radical reset in policy. Yet, what we have seen so far from this Government is disarray, half-baked ideas, kite-flying and a complete lack of a joined-up approach. The proposed appointment of Mr. Brendan McDonagh, NAMA CEO, now appears to have been another ill-thought-out solo run by Fi…
According to the Simon Community, the number of people aged 18 to 24 experiencing homelessness is approaching 1,800. This represents an 8% increase over the past year. Some of the most vulnerable and those most at risk of experiencing homelessness are young people leaving State care. This cohort of young people often leave care without a support network. They have also experienced trauma in their lives and we know ho…
I am aware from consultation with the Simon Community that young people leaving the care system are often not aware of the supports the Minister has outlined which are available to them. I ask the Minister to ensure information about housing and homelessness services, and social protection supports are made available in schools, local communities and youth services.
Another issue I would like to raise is the collect…
Those are the main issues we wanted to raise today. I thank the Minister.
I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach and say hello to my kids in the Public Gallery.
I want to talk about Beaumont hospital. It is a core provider of healthcare for the half a million people in its catchment area across north Dublin, which includes my constituency areas of Finglas, Ballymun, Whitehall, Santry and many others. Beaumont hospital is a key public service, a key provider of healthcare and provides many pe…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit for the response. I appreciate the work being done in our health services across the country. We have to accept that the care being provided, even though doctors, nurses and administrative staff are doing their best, is not up to what is needed in all cases. Too many people in this country are left waiting on trolleys, including in Beaumont, and left waiting for appointments. What …
This planning framework is important but, unfortunately, it is insufficient and inadequate in a number of areas, which I will talk about presently.
I wish to discuss the housing emergency because it is linked to this. It is linked to what is absent from the planning objectives. I refer to the absence of an objective to deliver affordable housing and any assessment of what scale of affordable housing is required or h…
Somebody got a grant for €1.5 million home.
How is that affordable?
11. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [17124/25]
The housing crisis is an absolute disaster. The Taoiseach spoke about homelessness earlier. I want to raise this issue. It is very clear from the data that the main cause of homelessness is evictions from the private rental sector. There is no lack of clarity in the figures on that. Some 30,000 households have been evicted since the Government lifted the eviction ban in 2023. However, one of the key measures in respo…
Do not tell me to get out of it.
Yes, we can. He was a CEO who oversaw the eviction of thousands of people from NAMA receiver properties. He contributed to the housing crisis. The Government will now appoint him as a housing fixer. The only doors that will be battered down, as the Minister said, will be the doors of people who are facing eviction. It is absolutely inappropriate. The Taoiseach can shake his head. He should shake his head in shame at …
There were one and a half-----
I am not shouting. I am just-----
It is not-----
That is not true, actually. The Taoiseach can take that back.
The Taoiseach just said I was nothing of the sort. I was an academic in Maynooth. That is-----
This is the same nonsense. The Taoiseach is trying to take me down. My academic-----
I am, but I was also an academic in Maynooth. The Taoiseach said I am nothing of the sort of a housing expert.
The Taoiseach did. He said I was nothing of the sort.