Earlier on, the Minister lauded one-size-fits-all for secondary education, so why can he not say the same for this?
TDs / Donna McGettigan
Donna McGettigan
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1,153
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
49,311
words spoken in the chamber
Across 197 contributions
419
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
228
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 1,153 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 197 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 87 | 9 |
| March 2025 | 35 | 15 |
| April 2025 | 63 | 2 |
| May 2025 | 59 | 21 |
| June 2025 | 74 | 10 |
| July 2025 | 104 | 22 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 59 | 8 |
| October 2025 | 62 | 13 |
| November 2025 | 75 | 7 |
| December 2025 | 47 | 19 |
| January 2026 | 43 | 14 |
| February 2026 | 43 | 8 |
| March 2026 | 85 | 5 |
| April 2026 | 53 | 1 |
| May 2026 | 80 | 16 |
| June 2026 | 52 | 8 |
| July 2026 | 51 | 11 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 63 | 4 |
| October 2026 | 18 | 4 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 126 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 Clare 29 November 2024 to now
- party Sinn Féin 29 November 2024 to now
There is a twofold decision coming from the Minister's Department and the Department of housing that offers no support, no protection and no hope to these young people. It is shocking that the Minister has decided to charge students more money for their college education while they are already struggling through this continuous cost-of-living crisis. The Government has shown it is completely out of touch with the pre…
To talk of students in the North is just a case of “Look over there. Do not look at the mess we are creating here.” That is exactly what the Minister is saying.
At least they have certainty. They know what they are budgeting for.
I would also like to mention the pressure on parents now and that households, because of this decision, will struggle to cope. I have parents contacting my office in desperation as they are already paying massive living and grocery costs and are now facing into this payment in September. Students who also work full time are trying their best to mee…
98. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for information on the decision behind the cut of €1.3 million from SOLAS to the Tipperary Education and Training Board, which has resulted in the cancellation of a valuable programme for early school leavers at Cashel local training initiative, which affects 14 students who will be unable to complete the…
Could the Minister give me some information on the decision behind the cut of €1.3 million from SOLAS to the Tipperary Education and Training Board which has resulted in the cancellation of a valuable programme for early school leavers at Cashel local training initiative, LTI, which affects 14 students who will be unable to complete their studies and progress to level 5, and if he will make a statement on that?
Not to continue funding really means cuts in funds because the funding is not continuing. As explained to me, these learners in Cashel can do level 4 in Youthreach but cannot do level 5, which is what these young people have set their sights on. Eight distinctions at level 5 are the equivalent of 390 leaving cert points. Even if some people do not get the eight distinctions and get a mixture of pass, merit and distin…
While Tipperary ETB may have tried to find solutions to avoid this situation, and it claims that "no current learners are impacted, as all students enrolled in these programmes have completed their programme", that is simply not true. I have received all the testimonials from these learners. All are very much impacted and all are now struggling to come to terms with what is next for them.
At the heart of communities…
99. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the protections his Department can give to apprentices to ensure they receive the agreed wage and are doing work relevant to their apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37829/25]
SOLAS was at last week's committee meeting, when we were told nobody was overseeing that these things were happening. A percentage of apprentices said that they do not have any access to a training adviser. Some of them are afraid to complain in case they lose their apprenticeship place. Some of them are given an agreed wage through collective bargaining but are not getting that wage or are being asked to do jobs tha…
I hear the Minister on that but in my recent discussions with Connect, the trade union representing apprentices, I was told that there is great need for quality assurance in all areas of apprenticeships. This must be measured within the employment to ensure the apprenticeship is delivered properly and that the apprentice is given access to all areas of the curriculum which feature on the job. If SOLAS is responsible …
I welcome the publication of this report. However, there is nothing new in it and without political will to implement its recommendations, it will be another report that is left to sit on the shelf. The fact is that the issues and shortcomings in the provision of education for pupils with special educational needs have been identified in the past, and spoken about in this House on numerous occasions. We now need to s…
36. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the defects remediation scheme for apartment owners. [35765/25]
We know this is a crucially important matter, given that defects were first detected in 2011. The scheme is intended to cover apartments and duplexes built between 1991 and 2013. I accept that an interim remediation scheme was introduced, but this was for the first of the fire safety defects, which still leaves thousands of apartments in need of remedial works. Families are being raised in some of these apartments.
…
It was recently reported in the media that the remediation scheme will not come into effect until 2027. Will he give an assurance that this is not the case and that the scheme will actually commence in 2026? We cannot have a repeat of the defective blocks scheme fiasco, the details of which we do not need to go into. Will he guarantee there will be 100% redress for all apartment and duplex owners? Will he guarantee t…
Throughout the State, more than 15,000 children are currently overdue an assessment of needs. Under the Disability Act 2005, children are entitled to assessment of their educational and health needs within six months of being on the waiting list, so each of these 15,000 children represent a breach of law by the Government. In my constituency in Clare, parents who are at their wits' end are contacting me. They are wat…
I already gave these cases to the Government and they were referred to the HSE, which is where we got the answers that reliance on the private sector is not working in the HSE Mid West region. While I appreciate that there are difficulties in the system, especially around the need for robust regulation of psychologists, just 7% of assessments were completed within the six-month timeframe required by law.
CORU was es…
Everyone in this House opposes partition, or at least they pay lip service to that position. Partition was a disaster for our country and the sooner it is ended, the better. That is the viewpoint from which we should approach this debate on presidential voting rights. Irish citizens are denied the right to vote for the President simply because they live in the North. This seriously undermines their fundamental rights…
Students are among the most mobile of all renters and will be disproportionately and negatively impacted by this new measure. I questioned the Minister for further and higher education in a committee meeting to ask what measures would be put in place to protect students against the impact of these changes. It was clear that students had not even been taken into account when the changes to rent pressure zones were con…
96. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth to broaden the criteria to allow more schools to be classified as DEIS schools; and if she will ensure that schools, such as one in County Clare (details supplied) which takes in students from three DEIS schools, are classified as DEIS as a consequence. [30557/25]
I acknowledge that there was an expansion of the DEIS programme in 2022. Given that we are in a cost-of-living crisis, will the Minister consider ordering another review and expansion of the programme? Will she also order a review of the qualification criteria with a view to broadening them out so more schools can be included in the programme? Can she also confirm that the period to appeal the 2022 expansion closed t…
Go raibh maith agat. Some secondary schools receive pupils from DEIS primary schools but they are not classified as DEIS schools themselves. In my constituency, St. Patrick's Comprehensive School is one of those schools that receives DEIS pupils. All of a sudden, there is a cliff edge for those pupils suddenly missing out on supports they badly need. These pupils are often from households suffering deprivation, so re…
I welcome that. Hopefully, the expansion of this scheme will come in, especially for those in need and those in disadvantaged areas.
We have seen a dramatic rise in the number of children in child poverty in the past year. It now exceeds 100,000 children, according to the Central Statistics Office. That is certain to mean that the deprivation profile of some of the schools that did not qualify in 2022 has deteriorat…
I welcome the recent signing of the associate membership agreement between Ireland and CERN. It is a long-overdue step and Sinn Féin will support it. We commend those who have worked to bring it to fruition. Let me be clear, however: this membership is more than symbolic. It is a game-changer. Sinn Féin believes firmly in the transformative power of science and education. This agreement with CERN will unlock real opp…
In the middle of a housing crisis, there are more than 2,600 houses boarded up across this State. Some 91 of them are in my own constituency of Clare and of those, 18 have been empty for more than 18 to 24 months. This is not down to a lack of work on the part of Clare County Council. It is being hampered by a lack of Government commitment, a lack of action and most of all a lack of funding. Can you imagine being hom…