Ba mhaith liom caint inniu faoi rud éigin atá i mbéal an phobail faoi láthair, an issue that is really crucial to Ireland's climate ambitions and something I have really championed, that is, private wire legislation. It is stated in the programme for Government that such legislation will be expedited. We all support that programme for Government but this is not being done fast enough. Countries like Denmark and the U…
TDs / Barry Heneghan
Barry Heneghan
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
2,229
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
120,522
words spoken in the chamber
Across 483 contributions. Plus 42 contributions from the chair, not counted
368
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
366
topics asked about
Across 20 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 2,229 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 483 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 95 | 9 |
| March 2025 | 61 | 14 |
| April 2025 | 140 | 21 |
| May 2025 | 163 | 35 |
| June 2025 | 89 | 23 |
| July 2025 | 175 | 23 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 43 | 4 |
| October 2025 | 56 | 16 |
| November 2025 | 214 | 36 |
| December 2025 | 123 | 35 |
| January 2026 | 141 | 37 |
| February 2026 | 186 | 26 |
| March 2026 | 125 | 22 |
| April 2026 | 128 | 42 |
| May 2026 | 176 | 46 |
| June 2026 | 111 | 33 |
| July 2026 | 101 | 17 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 49 | 16 |
| October 2026 | 53 | 28 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 326 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 Bay North 29 November 2024 to now
- party Independent 29 November 2024 to now
I agree 100%, especially if you look at how the public view any other government waste. We now have a chance at the start of this Government term to bring this in as fast as possible and save us hundreds of millions. I refer especially to projects like the North-South interconnector. We may be hit with EU fines. The recent Spanish grid failure should be a wake-up call for us. We need resilience. The North-South trans…
Sorry. I am only new.
102. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an update on the roll-out of contactless fare payments across public transport services, including buses and trains; the expected timeline for full implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34183/25]
91. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on the progress made by his Department in exploring the introduction of a targeted second-tier child benefit payment for low-income families in light of recent reports highlighting a significant rise in child poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33150/25]
Will the Minister provide an update on the Department's consideration of a second-tier child benefit scheme? Research by the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, and Social Justice Ireland shows that a growing number of families are experiencing real deprivation despite being just above the income thresholds for most supports. A targeted measure like this could be transformative. Is it being actively conside…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. Aontaím leis.
Child benefit already plays a vital role, but recent estimates are that between 150,000 to 230,000 children are experiencing poverty and we now have clear evidence that a large number of families are still being left behind by this threshold. There is a major impact on these families. They are still working hard, but they are struggling with the cost of living.
Will the …
I welcome the fact that the Department is looking at that. Budget 2026 should be focused on that but a second tier payment should not replace what we already have. We need to build on it. It would target families facing higher costs while protecting the certainty and simplicity of universal child benefit. There is an opportunity to act on this evidence. The system works well for many but the people whose doors I am k…
I welcome the Government decision not to oppose the motion. Continued investment in public transport is essential if we are to deliver on our climate obligations. We need to acknowledge, as others did recently, that there are now 1 million daily users as well as the expansion of the Local Link network. We need to make it easier for people to use public transport. Everyone here has travelled to European cities and bee…
8. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy will next meet. [32403/25]
I heard a Member of this House say that this Government is anti-climate change measures. I ask her to look at the programme for Government. I am a recently qualified mechanical engineer who helped to contribute to the programme for Government. Another Member spoken about the private wires Bill. Yes, 50% of Dublin's electricity is used by data centres, but what do the Members propose we do? Are they just going to whin…
I am sorry, but I did not interrupt the Deputy. Maybe the data centres develop their own on-site energy and help us reach our climate goals.
Regarding the task force, I welcome what Deputies McAuliffe and Brabazon said about north Dublin. What steps are being taken to make development of residential space above shops in Dublin's inner city easier? There are major issues with licences for fire safety.
Is there any update on the proposed late-night licensing reforms and the Give Us The Night campaign? Young people in Ireland feel they are not welcome in Du…
Yes, 6 a.m. We should bring it up. In Berlin it is 24-7.
They boost the economy.
I rith an toghcháin, agus mé ag caint le daoine ag na doirse, bhí go leor daoine ag cuir ceist orm faoi seo. An cheist a bhí acu ná, “cá bhfuil an t-airgead ag dul?”. Caithfimid bheith níos soiléire faoi na háiteanna ina bhfuil an t-airgead don LPT ag dul. Is rud é sin gur gá dúinn díriú isteach air.
For most households, the message is pretty straightforward. Property values have gone up. In Dublin especially, local…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as an gcúirt a thug sé ar Ghaelcholáiste Reachrann. Bhí gach duine an-sásta é a fheiceáil ansin. I thank Deputy Ó Muirí and the other TDs in Dublin Bay North for asking the Minister. It was good to see her there and the school was delighted that she visited.
Has the Department been speaking to the planning authorities and trying to expedite the building of this school? The Ministe…
I welcome the fact the Minister stated she is committed. I thank all the TDs in Dublin Bay North for a unified push towards this. It is very important. The school has been waiting 25 years. It cannot wait 35 or 45 years. The students who are there now do not trust the system. I welcome the fact the Minister has committed to that and that it will go to tender by September. With all the pressure we can apply, is the Mi…
Tá sé deas é sin a chloisteáil. Tá mé thar a bheith sásta leis sin. It is important the children know that education through the medium of Irish is being taken seriously by the Government. In the previous Government, we saw a decrease in the number of children learning through the medium of Irish. It is something the Government needs to turn around. In the programme for Government, there are clear commitments to educ…
What everyone has said today is completely true. We are witnessing one of the darkest moments in modern history. In Gaza, the population is being bombed, starved, displaced and deprived of the most basic human rights.
When I met a young man who lives in my constituency whose parents are still in Gaza, I could not look him in the eye and say I am not doing everything I can to help him and his family. Ireland cannot b…
I have a question for the Taoiseach that is especially personal to me as my sister and her wife are expecting their child. Real fear and frustration is being felt by the LGBTQ+ parents who are still not legally recognised as their children's parents. As it stands, the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 risks leaving families behind, especially those born through surrogacy or donor conception outside Irelan…
5. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide an update on the review of the help to buy scheme; if consideration is being given to adjusting the eligibility criteria or value thresholds in response to recent changes in house prices and inflation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28246/25]
My question concerns the help to buy scheme and its future direction. The programme for Government commits to both retaining and revising the scheme. Given the significant rise in house prices, particularly in north Dublin, has consideration been given to adjusting the eligibility criteria or value threshold to ensure the scheme remains relevant and accessible to first-time buyers of my generation?
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I welcome the Minister said that. I have met developers in north Dublin and across the country and they told me that the Housing Finance Agency was meeting just once a month. Completed buildings are sitting empty in the middle of a housing crisis, yet there does not seem to be a sense of urgency in the Department. Housing is not the Minister's Department, but as Minister for Finance, wi…
I thank the Minister for his answer. It is exactly that - the board is meeting once a month. Developers and investors are seeing this. It is holding developers up and adding many costs for them, which they do not like and discourages the building of homes.
The scheme is valuable and it is right that it is being retained. I look forward to the budget and seeing what this Government will do. Revision is needed to ensu…