I want to address the proposed water supply pipeline from the River Shannon to Dublin. In what would be the largest water project in the history of the State, more than 300 million litres of water a day will be taken from the River Shannon and transported through approximately 170 km of pipeline to supply Dublin at an estimated cost of €5 billion. Although the Government has described the work to be carried out as an…
TDs / Michael Lowry
Michael Lowry
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
92
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
7,941
words spoken in the chamber
Across 40 contributions
369
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
55
topics asked about
Across 15 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 92 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 40 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 1 |
| January 2025 | 4 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 3 | 0 |
| March 2025 | 3 | 0 |
| April 2025 | 2 | 0 |
| May 2025 | 8 | 3 |
| June 2025 | 3 | 1 |
| July 2025 | 9 | 2 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 17 | 3 |
| October 2025 | 6 | 1 |
| November 2025 | 3 | 0 |
| December 2025 | 1 | 2 |
| January 2026 | 3 | 0 |
| February 2026 | 5 | 0 |
| March 2026 | 7 | 2 |
| April 2026 | 6 | 17 |
| May 2026 | 3 | 0 |
| June 2026 | 5 | 0 |
| July 2026 | 1 | 5 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 2 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 1 | 3 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 17 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 Independent 29 November 2024 to now
I agree Uisce Éireann needs to communicate the information it has and it needs to have the public's trust. It is important that happens. I was struck by the fact that in recent months we have seen unprecedented rainfall yet very little of that rainwater is captured or stored by homeowners or businesses. We should be doing far more to prioritise rainwater harvesting in our communities. Simple and inexpensive systems a…
Next July Ireland will assume the EU Presidency. It poses a significant opportunity for our country and a chance to help steer Europe's policy agenda. While some in this Chamber aim to undermine and devalue our EU membership, the reality is that Ireland's joining of the European bloc has boosted our economic success, strengthened our international influence and safeguarded peace on our island. In contrast, the UK eco…
I welcome the Taoiseach's response. In the context of Ireland's European Presidency, the Government must ensure that energy resilience remains at the heart of the agenda and that Irish consumers and industry directly benefit from investments and reform.
How is the Mercosur deal panning out in Europe? Decisions are imminent. The Government did a fantastic job on the nitrates directive. I hope we can get a satisfactor…
I support the Government’s motion of confidence in the Tánaiste, Simon Harris. I know the Tánaiste to be hard working, to be diligent, to be caring and solution driven. As Minister for foreign affairs he is showing leadership in response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the war in Ukraine. That is the type of leadership I support and not the political theatre we have seen this week from Aontú in particular.
Be…
Caring for the elderly in our communities is both a duty and a privilege. Providing an older person with the support he or she needs for both physical and emotional well-being gives that person a sense of worth. During the Covid period, we got a sharp wake-up call on the importance of how we care for our older generation. As the number of deaths of elderly men and women increased on a daily basis, the magnitude of th…
I have a relevant question for the Minister on our ageing population.
The Minister's own Department, the Department of Finance, published a report last week which created ripples of alarm. It predicted a population in the Republic of Ireland of between 6.5 million and 7.5 million by 2065. That depends on the level of migration. Such migration includes young people who left Ireland to study or work in recent decades …
Many parents across the country are struggling with the current school transport system. This is particularly acute in rural communities. I have been inundated with irate and anxious parents, especially from the north Kilkenny area of my constituency. A multitude of problems arose within Johnstown, Galmoy, Freshford and Tullaroan. The issues arise where families are on the border or close to the boundaries of school …
According to a United Nations report, statistics show that Irish people are the fourth highest consumers of cocaine globally. Over a short few years, there has been a 171% increase in the number of young people receiving treatment for cocaine abuse in this country. In 2023 alone, over 13,000 people were treated for problem drug use. Four in ten of those cases were first-time presentations. Cocaine is the most common …
I appreciate the Taoiseach's concern. Most people agree that not enough is being done to address the growing cocaine situation in our cities, towns and villages, and even at crossroads. We obviously do not have our fingers on the pulse of what is happening or the extent of it. We need to strengthen and expand current strategies, together with funding new initiatives to counteract the malaise of drug abuse. We need a …
For generations in Ireland, elderly people were mainly cared for in the family home. It was a given that younger family members committed themselves to caring for elderly parents and grandparents. Most homes throughout the country had three generations under the same roof. It was not always easy but it worked. It had to work because there were very few suitable alternatives available.
Ireland today bears little rese…
Raising a child with additional needs is both challenging and rewarding. It is demanding and fulfilling. For parents, it becomes a labour of love in almost every possible sense. They want what is best for their son or daughter. They want their child to have the best possible start in life. They aim to set the best foundation possible to support their child throughout their life. Services for families dealing with aut…
We have all read of the heartache endured by a mother in Cork last week as she witnessed people callously filming her son's final moments. I extend sympathy to this woman and her family at this sad and extremely difficult time. Unfortunately, this mother is not the first to feel such horror. Families right across the country have also been subjected to similar pitiful actions. It has become common for people to recor…
The Minister mentioned TikTok. Recently, the data protection commissioner fined it €530 million for the improper personal data transfer from Ireland and the EU to China. The most common question people are asking since this news broke is why such data would be sent to China. Is it that we do not have the capacity to store it here ourselves? Why was the transfer deemed inappropriate and improper? What was the reasonin…
Last night Verona was relaxed, this morning she was a nervous Deputy and she is now Ceann Comhairle, so it was quite a good transition overnight. I congratulate her on her elevation to the distinguished position of Chair of Dáil Éireann. Her election is a welcome and historic milestone event. In putting her name forward for nomination, my colleagues in the Regional Group had every confidence in her ability to be fair…