Even though we have disagreed on quite a bit and despite the way he is guillotining this whole debate, the Minister has conducted himself in a fair way but his previous response smacked of a different tone. He let himself down. I do not know; maybe he was going back to his barrister days. It almost came across like a challenge to us. Who cares whether it is perfectly prescribed, as the Minister sees it, in this Bill.…
TDs / Alan Kelly
Alan Kelly
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
1,036
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
81,639
words spoken in the chamber
Across 329 contributions
340
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
191
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 1,036 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 329 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 49 | 5 |
| February 2025 | 129 | 24 |
| March 2025 | 146 | 38 |
| April 2025 | 116 | 5 |
| May 2025 | 37 | 16 |
| June 2025 | 82 | 27 |
| July 2025 | 57 | 13 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 40 | 7 |
| October 2025 | 42 | 13 |
| November 2025 | 51 | 8 |
| December 2025 | 58 | 21 |
| January 2026 | 29 | 28 |
| February 2026 | 54 | 58 |
| March 2026 | 48 | 10 |
| April 2026 | 25 | 10 |
| May 2026 | 18 | 6 |
| June 2026 | 14 | 16 |
| July 2026 | 2 | 10 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 4 | 10 |
| October 2026 | 35 | 4 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 158 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 Tipperary North 29 November 2024 to now
- party Labour Party 29 November 2024 to now
It is okay.
Today in Nenagh, I had the privilege of announcing 307 new homes being built, on top of over 300 announced previously by Whitebox and Quantum homes. A total of more than 600 houses will be built. Why is that so important? Nenagh is effectively in the centre of the country and is one of the best towns in Ireland. Many of the people who are going into these homes are local people or people who desire to live there but …
Hear, hear.
The speaking order should go this way.
Deputy Ward can go ahead. We have loads of time.
If my colleague calls a vote on section 1, we will definitely support it. I think I am the longest serving Member in the Chamber at the moment, and it is on that basis that I say this is not the way to do legislation. That is no criticism of the officials who are here, who get directions on the basis of the timelines given to them by the Ministers. This is crazy stuff, as everyone has said. That we are going to debat…
Come on Tipp.
We could also do with consistency with regard to the Chair. There are a lot of changes and there are multiple Members making Second Stage speeches.
We need some consistency.
It is not grouped.
I cannot see why this amendment was ruled out compared to the other one.
The Minister is too proud. The Minister started down the road here in relation to "legal counselling", which should be thrown out. When we looked at this, it took up hours. We still do not bloody well know what it is. We genuinely do not. Nobody here has a clue. Nobody who is working in law has a clue. Why is it in the Bill? It is ridiculous. I…
It is relevant because now the Minister is bringing in a term that he does not even believe in. We need a bit of levity here. We are going to be here too long.
The Minister let out a little nugget out earlier when he said that more amendments will be brought through the Seanad. Why are they being brought through the Seanad? We have eight hours here today, another day here next week and - God knows - maybe even longe…
Take it from me, so.
That is a common thing in here.
That is a bit condescending now.
I do not.
You might explain amendment No. 9 then as well.
Have we finally found a use for Grok? This is where we are going with this - seriously. As I look around the room, the Minister is probably the most qualified legal person in here, I would suspect. How did we get to this point on Committee Stage, after pre-legislative scrutiny and Second Stage, where we have not defined this? I am looking forward to seeing why my amendment was ruled out of order, but I basically just…
The committee meeting this week makes a mockery of what the Minister is proposing. Civil legal aid is basically about to collapse. I accept some of the pressures are brought about by changes internationally over recent years. The Minister is patting himself on the back because of the increase he got from Government but it needs to be multiples of that. In the long run, it will save the State. It is also just the righ…
Why not bring it forward now, so?
I move amendment No. 8:
In page 23, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following:
"(2) A reference in this Act to a ‘measure of last resort’ means, in relation to an adult or a child, a measure that is taken only after all non-custodial alternatives to detention have been duly considered, in accordance with Recital 33 and Article 10(2) of the Reception Conditions Directive.".
This amendment defines "measure of…
Hear, hear.
We need a definition. We in the Labour Party included this amendment because we felt we are now crossing into a new level we have never before dealt with in the State in respect of holding people, including children, who are vulnerable. This is going down a road which is unacceptable to many. I listened to what the Minister said. Some of what he said I genuinely accept, when he includes the three provisos. The third …
I am sorry, a Cheann Comhairle-----