Protocol 21 works case by case. Each measure needs to be opted in in its own right and approved by both Houses under Article 29.4.7°. Each motion is a specific EU measure. We will support these but as I have said in front of this House many times before, the way in which these are brought forward leaves a lot to be desired. The amount of time given to them, the haphazard way in which they are brought forward, the lev…
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
Hear, hear.
I thank Sinn Féin for tabling this motion. It was very timely and important that a motion was put down. I am glad because across politics we all need to come together, particularly in light of what has happened.
We need to come together, particularly in light of what has happened. Everyone has said this is going to be a watershed moment. I have heard that about many things down through the years. It has happened at …
The Minister is pretty famous at the moment - "infamous" might be a better word. Standing at a picket line yesterday with people from across Tipperary, I was very taken with a young woman, a single mother with two kids, who was on the picket line beside me. She told the story of how, if this goes on another week, it will financially affect her, but she has to do it because she has to stand up for the fact her wages a…
This is the second time in seven months the Oireachtas has been asked to legislate against SLAPPs in defamation cases. The Defamation Act 2026 was signed into law on 19 February. Part 7 of that Act inserted anti-SLAPP provisions for defamation cases. On 25 February the Minister signed an order bringing most of the Act into force from 1 March. He did not bring Part 7 into force. The Department said Part 7 would be com…
We will look into that. I want to be associated with the Minister's comments about Deputy Michael Healy-Rae. I am thinking of him, his family and his supporters in south Kerry, many of whom I know very well.
Deputy Doherty raised the question of when the Minister first knew about the holster issue. I have the answer. It took three attempts before the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan's Department would tell me, but we no…
I did not shake my head.
I have laid out the facts. I have the documentation here in front of me. I am not interested in the details of the actual disclosures, the pathway and the process. I know what happened here. The Minister will have to explain it, despite everything she has said there, because the way the Brian O'Reilly case was managed by the Minister simply was not appropriate. Most of all though, today, I am thinking of the family o…
You dealt with McCabe.
No.
If the Garda Commissioner is involved, Ministers have a role.
It is in the legislation.
I am not shouting. Read the legislation. Tighten up your argument.
Before we get into the Bill, and trust me I am not going to go on about this for long, obviously, we all know about the programme tonight. It is absolutely impossible for the Minister not to come in here next week to answer questions on this on behalf of the Government, the previous Minister for justice, the Department of justice and An Garda Síochána. I am glad he is nodding. That request will be going in and I ask …
If we truly live in a Republic, we need to deal with the myth of free education. I have two children going to secondary school: one in TY and the other doing the junior cert. I have been through a lot of the cycle. My wife and I can afford the costs imposed but, over the summer, numerous families will be coming to my clinics saying they cannot afford what is ahead of them. In a Republic and a wealthy country like our…
This is kind of like a repeat speech from when we previously discussed this issue. The motion is erroneous and mean spirited. The real question for the country is where these people are going to go. The options are not there. It would be one thing to say we would do this if the options were there but we are going to be throwing tens of thousands of people into a situation where there are very few options. In many cas…
I agree with my colleagues. I believe five years is to short, to be honest. I find that no argument has been made for the three years at all. It seems incredibly short. The idea that a person who commits such an offence can apply for this after three years does not sit well with me. I do not think would sit well with the majority of Members in this House. I note the Minister's choice of words regarding rehabilitation…
That is not what I meant, to be fair.
I understand that but that is not what I meant.
I appreciate that.
Hear, hear.
Hear, hear.
I will not be opposing any amendments. Most of them are very technical, and a few of them are on significant issues.
As I said previously, I believe in miscellaneous Bills. I brought them in myself. I have no issue with them, but this is one of the most mental Bills I have ever seen. The Minister laughed the last time I said that, and he is laughing this time. In fairness to him, I got what he said last time. We are…
I welcome Jason Poole and thank him for his incredible advocacy and work in pushing the Legislature to reach this day. It is commendable. He has changed Ireland as part of his work. Well done. These were tragic and terrible circumstances for him but his advocacy has been incredible. A lot of the time in here, we give out about one another, and all of that, but I have to commend those who are in this space, including …
As this is my first engagement with the Minister of State, I wish her the best of luck in her new role.
We will be supporting Deputy Carthy's motion again this year. It is just a few weeks since we debated the Bill to allow the State to support and participate in the work of the Omagh Bombing Inquiry. As we debate these motions again this year, it is vital to remember why we have these annual reauthorisations. We re…