On behalf of Aontú, I would like to table an amendment to the Order of Business under Standing Order 35(3). Aontú proposes an amendment to the Order of Business to add to Thursday's business and set a time in the House to discuss and debate the health implications of known carcinogens being produced under the Mercosur deal and beef produced in Brazil being permitted to enter Europe under that deal. Aontú believes a d…
TDs / Paul Lawless
Paul Lawless
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
1,995
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
94,569
words spoken in the chamber
Across 496 contributions
391
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
300
topics asked about
Across 19 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 1,995 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 496 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 34 | 1 |
| February 2025 | 27 | 26 |
| March 2025 | 32 | 18 |
| April 2025 | 59 | 23 |
| May 2025 | 104 | 49 |
| June 2025 | 49 | 28 |
| July 2025 | 63 | 30 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 97 | 24 |
| October 2025 | 43 | 26 |
| November 2025 | 136 | 44 |
| December 2025 | 119 | 25 |
| January 2026 | 151 | 28 |
| February 2026 | 141 | 32 |
| March 2026 | 162 | 10 |
| April 2026 | 181 | 34 |
| May 2026 | 214 | 18 |
| June 2026 | 139 | 20 |
| July 2026 | 56 | 15 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 1 |
| September 2026 | 115 | 21 |
| October 2026 | 73 | 23 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 278 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 Mayo 29 November 2024 to now
- party Aontú 29 November 2024 to now
I move amendment No. 1 to amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "qualified majority the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement; and" and substitute the following:
"calls on the Government to:
— undertake a diplomatic campaign to lobby and campaign a majority of Members of the European Parliament in Europe to oppose the Mercosur Trade Agreement;
— take a case to the Court of Justice of the European Union to test whether…
Fox overpopulation devastates rural Ireland. Lambs and chickens are torn apart in a horrific fashion leaving farmers traumatised and livelihoods at risk. While the Bill frames hunting as cruel, unchecked fox population often inserts far greater cruelty to the livestock population. Hunting is often the only humane way to flush foxes from an area. If we ban this particular issue, it may push farmers into more difficult…
I welcome the opportunity to speak on this. I have huge concerns about vaping and have had for quite some time, particularly about the issue of vaping companies targeting young people as part of their marketing strategy. This is very compelling marketing strategy and it has been a successful strategy. Vape companies are using beautiful scents and smells and so on and presenting vapes as fun, almost like a toy. If chi…
This has been one of the worst deals in living memory when it comes to the Common Fisheries Policy. Irish fish are effectively being stolen by the European Union, which is what is happening. We are on the periphery of Europe. We have ceded so much ground to our counterparts across Europe. Some 57,000 tonnes of quota will be lost to Irish fishermen next year, which will affect more than 2,000 jobs.
I was very concern…
15. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [71610/25]
24. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent attendance at COP30. [71611/25]
Blister packs are fundamentally important. They are not a luxury; they are vital. I spoke to a pharmacist yesterday who explained what happens to dementia patients and patients with a cognitive impairment who are not on a blister pack. Many often end up going back into hospital because they cannot manage their medication. Their home help cannot assist them with it. They present back to the pharmacy, the GP and go int…
The blister pack is fundamentally important for the most vulnerable. I have spoken to pharmacists across Mayo who say they will have to cap the number of patients who get blister packs. It is crucially important that the Minister, the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, and the Government prioritise the most vulnerable in society.
I welcome the Bill from the Social Democrats. I support and welcome the Dog Welfare (Amendment) Bill and I support its core objectives, which I believe are to regulate the industry, improve standards in the industry and enhance public safety. There are good breeders in the country doing good work. Equally, there are some horrendous practices happening in the country. Therefore, it is only right that we seek to introd…
11. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the national security strategy. [67916/25]
The national security strategy consultation launched in 2019 was intended to guide our strategy on security for the past five years, from 2020-25. Despite this, no strategy was published during this timeframe. During that timeframe we had a huge ransomware attack on the HSE which put a significant number of people's lives and health in jeopardy and cost the State several million euro. What is happening on this? When …
23. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [67917/25]
Ireland faces an emergency crisis in terms of infrastructure, housing, energy and water. According to the ESRI, an additional 40,000 construction workers will be needed for the housing plan and an additional 40,000 will be needed for infrastructure. That is 80,000 construction workers who are required to meet the Government’s plan. Indeed, the Dublin metro will require 8,000 construction workers. What is the Taoiseac…
I urge the Government to protect children online. What children are exposed to online is absolutely incredible, in particular the level of bullying that they experience. Many years ago, if a child was bullied it was confined to school or a football club. In the online world, it happens 365 days a year and could happen every hour of the day. This technology is not new, yet the Government has done so little. That is th…
I welcome the opportunity to speak on this and the fact that the Minister is in the Chamber. There are some improvements, and that should be recognised. I very much welcome the grant increase. Retrospective payments are good for many families, although they do not go back far enough. The extended timelines from 65 weeks to 130 weeks is supportive.
However, there are significant shortfalls in the Bill. It does not ac…
The vote was last night.
And the vote last night?
The Deputy is a hypocrite.
And vote accordingly?
Is he voting for them?
Is he voting for them?
Why not vote for them?
Every housing target and every infrastructure project in the country depends on a skilled workforce. Instead of opening the doors and making the apprenticeship system much more attractive we are actually going in the opposite direction. I believe apprentices are treated like second-class citizens in that third level space. There is a significant lack of capacity and this is causing significant delays. The contributio…
I welcome the opportunity to speak on this matter. I welcome this amendment in relation to variations of the local development plan. It is a practical step and it shows a level of flexibility regarding planning, which has become increasingly inflexible. While we are discussing this, I ask the Minister to consider allowing local councillors and local authorities more autonomy and more responsibility in relation to dev…