The Minister should take the lecture from someone.
TDs / Mary Lou McDonald
Mary Lou McDonald
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
193
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
141,893
words spoken in the chamber
Across 1,424 contributions
172
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
56
topics asked about
Across 12 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 193 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 1,424 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 10 |
| January 2025 | 0 | 17 |
| February 2025 | 15 | 76 |
| March 2025 | 22 | 80 |
| April 2025 | 22 | 73 |
| May 2025 | 19 | 157 |
| June 2025 | 14 | 113 |
| July 2025 | 4 | 111 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 12 | 47 |
| October 2025 | 9 | 85 |
| November 2025 | 4 | 71 |
| December 2025 | 1 | 25 |
| January 2026 | 13 | 59 |
| February 2026 | 22 | 92 |
| March 2026 | 3 | 53 |
| April 2026 | 10 | 84 |
| May 2026 | 3 | 88 |
| June 2026 | 4 | 68 |
| July 2026 | 1 | 38 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 2 |
| September 2026 | 5 | 31 |
| October 2026 | 10 | 44 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 1,197 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 Dublin Central 29 November 2024 to now
- party Sinn Féin 29 November 2024 to now
That is lamentably out of touch.
Not agreed.
Under Standing Order 35(3), I propose an amendment to the Order of Business. The current nitrates derogation expires in a matter of mere weeks and the Government's handling, or mishandling, of the issue, leaving negotiations with the EU to run down to the wire, means farmers face a possible serious cliff edge in January. I ask that time be allocated in this week's schedule to debate this crucial issue for the future …
Nearly 1 million hospital appointments have been cancelled since 2022 under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, and the crisis deepens by the year. This is according to new HSE figures released to Teachta David Cullinane. This is a damning indictment of the Government's failed health policies. Hospitals are understaffed, overcrowded and overstretched because the Government has built in recruitment restrictions that strangle t…
There is huge public shock and anger regarding the reported sexual assault of a ten-year-old girl on the grounds of the Citywest international protection accommodation services, IPAS, centre here in Dublin. A man in his 20s has been charged in connection with the assault. An Garda Síochána is to be commended for its work in making this arrest. Of course, our first concern is for the welfare of this young child. Tusla…
For any parent or anyone caring for a child, one of the worst imaginable nightmares is that the child would go missing or be assaulted, particularly in this way. As the Taoiseach said, it is not surprising at all that this case has caused profound anger and unease. I appreciate that he recognises that there has been a failure of the system in this case. That is a necessary acknowledgement. However, a disturbing patte…
The second thing is this. There has to be confidence in the system of application for asylum and in our immigration system.
Any question mark around a person-----
-----overstaying in the State when a deportation order has been made is, again, deeply unnerving-----
-----and deeply unhelpful and has to be addressed by the Government.
Yesterday, ripped-off households were hit with a double whammy. First was the news that food price inflation had reached its highest level for nearly two years. On that same day, the big electricity price hike from SSE Airtricity kicked in. This is the second hike in just one year. This is affecting hundreds of thousands of households. How bad do things have to get before the Government stands up to these companies a…
Stop parroting-----
No, it is not. Fianna Fáil blaming funny money is a bit rich.
9. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [53181/25]
I move:
That Dáil Éireann:
recognises that:
— the reunification of Ireland is an objective of Bunreacht na hÉireann; and
— there is a growing national discussion around constitutional change with people from diverse backgrounds now exploring the possibility of Irish unity;
notes that:
— the Good Friday Agreement 1998 provides the democratic and peaceful means to achieve reunification through the provision of un…
Was that in east Belfast?
Not in east Belfast.
When do we get our referendum?
Yesterday, I raised with the Taoiseach the scandal of big energy companies shamelessly ripping off and gouging households. I outlined how the latest report from the International Energy Agency highlights that Irish energy bills are three times higher than the wholesale cost of energy. The cost of energy has dropped significantly since 2022, but these companies are not passing on savings to hard-pressed customers. Ins…
Wholesale prices are down considerably, by over 70%, and that reduction is not being passed on, so bills are rising. Energy companies are profiteering, turning huge profits, and the Government is sitting idly by. Families and workers are struggling hard and the Government sits idly by. It is too lily-livered or perhaps too indifferent to bother to intervene and take this on.
I notice the Taoiseach's language is rath…
The bills are going up.
The Taoiseach does not live in the real world. That is the problem here.
The Taoiseach does not live in the real world.
Oh, I very much live in the real world.