Competitiveness is so important to Ireland as an open market economy. What measures have been taken by the Department to improve Ireland's competitiveness to attract and retain FDI? Will the Minister of State make a statement on it?
TDs / Tony McCormack
Tony McCormack
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
323
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
23,430
words spoken in the chamber
Across 198 contributions
432
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
129
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 323 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 198 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 10 | 6 |
| March 2025 | 8 | 0 |
| April 2025 | 9 | 0 |
| May 2025 | 32 | 26 |
| June 2025 | 13 | 11 |
| July 2025 | 12 | 5 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 16 | 8 |
| October 2025 | 17 | 3 |
| November 2025 | 24 | 13 |
| December 2025 | 15 | 14 |
| January 2026 | 28 | 7 |
| February 2026 | 14 | 8 |
| March 2026 | 15 | 12 |
| April 2026 | 23 | 23 |
| May 2026 | 25 | 28 |
| June 2026 | 17 | 16 |
| July 2026 | 21 | 9 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 10 | 4 |
| October 2026 | 14 | 5 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 192 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 Offaly 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
I welcome the Government's continued focus on competitiveness and attracting investment through IDA Ireland. It is clear that the international trading environment has become more challenging in recent years, with increasing trade barriers and growing competition for investment globally. Given Ireland's reliance on international trade and FDI, will the Minister of State outline the key actions being taken across gove…
I welcome the strong performance in attracting investment into Ireland and the commitment to balanced regional development. As we look at the next phase of growth, it is important that counties such as Offaly and the wider midlands continue to benefit from new investment opportunities. Will the Minister provide an update on the measures being taken to support regional locations in competing for future investment? We …
Last year we brought in the SME test. It is a great way of checking all legislation before it comes in to see how it will affect SMEs. In what ways does the Minister think the test has helped small businesses in that time?
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. The principle, as he said, behind the SME test is to think small first to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens on businesses. However, many small business owners would say they are still spending too much time dealing with paperwork and compliance requirements rather than running their businesses. For example, a constituent who operates a petrol station informed me he require…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Another key objective of the SME test is to identify circumstances where exemption thresholds or more proportionate requirements may be appropriate for smaller businesses. Can the Minister of State provide examples where the SME test has resulted in exemptions or thresholds being introduced for smaller businesses? Furthermore, does he believe there is scope to expand the use of su…
123. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport for an update on the roll-out of the basic income for the arts scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44287/26]
Shocking.
Antisocial behaviour in some local authority estates and approved housing body, AHB, estates is becoming a growing concern. Constituents regularly contact me regarding intimidation, harassment, bullying and serious criminal activity. In some cases, affected residents will not contact the Garda for fear of reprisals. I have zero tolerance for this behaviour. Too often, the same individuals are given chance after chanc…
Can the Minister report on the implementation of the accelerating infrastructure plan?
I welcome the fact that all of the targets relating to the infrastructure plan are being hit. The Minister and his staff are to be complimented on ensuring that this has happened. I also welcome the Government's continued focus on accelerating the delivery of crucial infrastructure projects, particularly in view of the importance of housing, transport and utilities to economic growth and regional development.
One is…
I thank the Minister for that. It all sounds great. I appreciate the 26 weeks and the 12 months that have been saved by Uisce Éireann. However, one of the biggest concerns I hear from councillors, other public representatives and communities is not simply the level of investment going into Uisce Éireann - and very significant State funding was put in by the Minister in the budget - but, rather, whether the organisati…
2. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will meet next. [12362/26]
From my work on the infrastructure committee, it is clear that Government is putting major investment and the right frameworks in place, particularly through the work the Minister, Deputy Chambers, has done on infrastructure legislation; the work the Minister, Deputy Browne, is doing in housing delivery; and that of the Taoiseach himself and his Department. The Government is now providing a huge amount of money to th…
I thank the Tánaiste for his response. I welcome the Government's continuing focus on competitiveness and supporting indigenous enterprise. As we all know, investment is vital in enabling companies to grow and expand and for start-up companies to get off the ground. However, Ireland's 33% CGT rate remains among the highest in Europe and there are growing concerns that it can discourage reinvestment, entrepreneurship …
Another issue that has been raised consistently is the failure to index capital gains tax, CGT, thresholds and exemptions over time. When CGT was introduced in 1974, the annual exemption was £500 and if indexed properly would be a lot more than £500 today. That would have been 10% of the average value of a house at the time. Instead, the exemption currently stands at €1,270 and has not been adjusted since 1992, when …
We all know about the great work done in our communities by credit unions. In some cases, they are the lender of last resort for some people.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. As I said earlier, credit unions already play an enormously important role in communities, with millions of account holders across Ireland and a very high level of public trust. Following the departure of a number of retail banks from the Irish market, there is clear need for greater competition within the banking sector. One of the most significant opportunities for ex…
I thank the Minister of State. Credit unions have also been given greater capacity to grow, as he said, including the ability to lend over 30% of their assets in long-term lending. However, business lending still remains a relatively small part of the overall market, with approximately €190 million currently in SME and business lending. There is clearly potential for further growth in this area, as the Minister of St…
I ask the Minister for an update on the Government trade forum.
I am delighted that the Minister has all the stakeholders involved in the forum and commend the work that has been done. I thank her for her comprehensive response.
In light of what has happened the last 24 hours, I hope she will forgive me for deviating a little from the question. I welcome her and the Taoiseach’s remarks yesterday and again today on the Government's clear and principled position regarding the huma…
I welcome that the Government is continuing to work closely with our European partners to strengthen and unify the European response. We cannot simply stand by and watch what is happening in Gaza. Ireland has led internationally on this issue and was first out of the blocks to condemn it at the start. We should continue to lead within Europe in pushing for a clear and principled response.
I thank the Minister for he…
18. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy will next meet. [11864/26]
There is growing concern about the proposed approach to the new renewable energy targets to be set by the Office of the Planning Regulator, which, in turn, has passed this job to the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, EMRA. These concerns extend to the possibility that the counties that have done the most could, effectively, be reset to zero, regardless of the progress already made. Offaly County Council was brav…
1. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on the economy, trade and competitiveness will next meet. [9931/26]