I thank everyone. The Bill will now go to the Seanad. Some questions came up from Deputies. All the Deputies' points were very relevant. I thank them for their valuable contributions to the debate on this important Bill.
Yesterday, the Government approved publication of our other Bill on nicotine products. I will provide an update on that. The Bill will prohibit the sale of nicotine-consumption products, such as pou…
TDs / Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
Minister of State at the Department of Health
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
71
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
73,689
words spoken in the chamber
73,206 as a minister, 483 as a TD
397
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
28
topics asked about
Across 17 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 71 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 156 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 12 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 33 | 6 |
| March 2025 | 0 | 3 |
| April 2025 | 0 | 5 |
| May 2025 | 0 | 17 |
| June 2025 | 2 | 5 |
| July 2025 | 4 | 1 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 4 | 2 |
| October 2025 | 5 | 3 |
| November 2025 | 6 | 14 |
| December 2025 | 2 | 11 |
| January 2026 | 1 | 10 |
| February 2026 | 0 | 3 |
| March 2026 | 0 | 15 |
| April 2026 | 1 | 20 |
| May 2026 | 0 | 10 |
| June 2026 | 0 | 9 |
| July 2026 | 0 | 17 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 1 | 1 |
| October 2026 | 0 | 4 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 79 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Asked about similar topics
Not enough questions on record to compare.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Carlow-Kilkenny 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister of State at the Department of Health 29 January 2025 to now
I thank our colleagues in the Social Democrats for raising the matter of expanding access to general practitioners. The Government acknowledges that there are issues regarding access to GP services in some areas, including certain rural and underserved areas. GP availability is limited and GMS GP vacancies have been difficult to fill. Others have spoken about this today.
To improve access to GP services, we need to …
I very much welcome the Government's apology today to the survivors of abuse in residential institutions. This apology builds on the State's apology to all victims of childhood abuse made in May 1999 and also takes into consideration the 2021 apology to survivors and former residents of the mother and baby institutions.
This apology comes as we reflect on one of the darkest chapters of our history - a chapter we mus…
I thank the Minister of State for his statement and his work on this matter, in particular his commitment. The Minister of State has visited Carlow and Kilkenny but I have seen him and the Taoiseach go around the country to anywhere that was flooded, which is important. It is important that they see what is happening and are able to speak to everyone. It is safe to say that we have never seen rain as heavy or floodin…
I welcome the Government’s work to escalate infrastructure delivery. Ireland is experiencing strong population growth, a rise in economic activity and increasing demand for public services. These are positive developments but they place pressure on our transport, utilities and regional infrastructure. Therefore, we must ensure essential projects are delivered efficiently.
I welcome the infrastructure plan introduced…
I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Child Care (Amendment) Bill before the House today. This is very important and timely legislation. I commend my colleague the Minister, Deputy Norma Foley, for her work in bringing it forward. Her commitment to strengthening the child welfare and protection system has ensured this Bill reflects the realities of modern practice and the needs of children and families in Ireland…
First of all, I want to thank all the Deputies for their contributions on this important motion this evening. These are vitally important services, and the Government has taken action to reform, reorganise and invest in the services for people facing into a mental health crisis. There is still much work to do to build supports up to where we know they need to be today.
As my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy …
I thank the Deputy for raising this really important topic. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister.
The Government acknowledges many patients are waiting too long for care, but we are committed to improving access to hospital care and reducing waiting times for patients, including through the multi-annual action plan approach. Building on the progress made to date, we will continue to focus on reducing waiting t…
I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I assure him the Government is committed to providing access to the best care for the people of Ireland. We are clear that no matter where the facilities are located, everyone should have access to adequate and appropriate care based on their needs. Through the delivery of this programme, we are increasing capacity to meet short- and long-term needs, but the surgic…
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter in the House this evening. The Minister for Health shares his concerns about the protection of older adults against influenza. For those in recommended groups, the influenza vaccine reduces the risk of serious illness and death from flu. Ensuring high vaccine coverage is a priority in order to reduce severe illness from influenza, RSV and Covid-19 over the winter period.
Ir…
Certainly, I will get those answers for the Deputy. I am pleased to note that in this flu season, the uptake rate for the vaccine among adults aged 60 and older was 66%, and for fair deal residents it was 83%, which is high. This is very positive and has been a factor in ensuring hospital and trolley numbers for flu this year are lower than previous years. It is important that we protect ourselves and each other from…
I thank the Minister. We have challenges and we are very aware of that. Building houses is a priority for this Government. The more houses we deliver the better. This is about the families, communities and people who need housing. In my area of Carlow, for example, through our local authority, we are looking at land that has been serviced. We need to look at serviced sites. That is really important.
I am going to ra…
I move amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following:
"Dáil Éireann resolves that the Sale of Nitrous Oxide and Related Products Bill 2025 be deemed to be read a second time this day nine months.".
Following on from my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan's earlier remarks, I too commend the Deputies on their Bill, which attempts to address the scourge of nitrous oxide m…
I thank the Members of the House for their contributions to the debate today and I look forward to their support as this Bill is further considered on Committee Stage.
The range of measures that we have developed to address the problems caused by vaping are the result of thorough consideration. This Bill has one purpose, which is to ban single-use vapes, but we are soon bringing in the legislation to address the man…
On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, I thank Deputy O'Hara for the opportunity to respond on the topic of a 24-hour NAS rapid response vehicle at Tuam ambulance base. I assure Deputies the Government remains absolutely committed to investing in increasing capacity in our National Ambulance Service. The NAS allocation for 2025 includes €8 million for new service developments to provide up to 180 additio…
I was looking back through the Deputy's parliamentary questions and, in fairness, he is working with ambulance paramedics on the great work they do. I know the Deputy will be committed to doing this. This will be looked at in 2026. I thank the Deputy for highlighting it. It is important we recognise the work ambulance paramedics do around the country. They do great work. The Government remains committed to investing …
I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."
I am delighted to be here to introduce the Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill to this House. This is a short Bill with a single purpose. That purpose is to ban the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes or vapes. Like all public representatives, I regularly hear from parents, teachers and coaches who are concerned about the impact that vapes and nicotine use ar…
I thank all the Deputies for their contributions today, particularly Deputy Toole for her knowledge. What she spoke of was very informative for me. I know some pharmacists in my own area of Carlow and I can only say their work and commitment to the people in the area is brilliant.
First, I thank Deputies again. I know that the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, has outlined that the proposed changes to phased dispen…
I thank the Deputy for bringing this to the House and raising such an important matter. It gives me the opportunity to acknowledge the extraordinary role our healthcare workers played during the pandemic. They went far beyond the call of duty, working on the front line, treating Covid-positive patients and doing so in those early days when the protections we now take for granted were not yet in place. Their courage a…
I will go back to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, with the Deputy's concerns. It is so important that we acknowledge the extraordinary services of healthcare workers during the pandemic. They did a marvellous job and their work was incredible. They would have seen people dying during their work and, as the Deputy said, that probably has affected them. It is important that we work together on this. I will certa…
I thank the Deputy. The Minister thanks Deputy Cahill for raising this important issue and for offering her the opportunity to respond. Respite is a vital support for families and service users and potentially helps prevent out-of-home full-time residential placements, preserves the family unit and supports family stability. In regard to respite services within Kerry, the situation is as follows. HSE South West has m…
I can see and hear the passion. The Deputy is right that respite is absolutely crucial for families, whether it is children or adults. I thank him for raising this and can assure him the Government is committed to the continued expansion and development of respite services as set out in the programme for Government and the new National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030. To support the HSE in its wor…
I thank the Deputy from my neighbouring county for raising this important matter. It is a key priority for the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, who, unfortunately, cannot take this Topical Issue, and for the Government that people experiencing mental health difficulties receive the appropriate level of care they require in the most suitable location in the community that best meets their needs. Achieving this involv…
I thank the Deputy again for bringing this important issue up. I assure the House that I understand, as the Deputy said, how important it is for all persons with mental health difficulties to have the relevant mental health services in place from the HSE in the location that best suits their needs. The Deputy mentioned the four centres and that they should be based in different areas. I will check that out with the M…
I welcome the publication of the action plan on housing and the target to deliver 300,000 homes through a whole-of-government approach. It is ambitious but appropriate. We need ambition.
Housing affects everyone in society, whether someone waiting on a local authority housing list, a young person hoping to buy or older people looking for more suitable housing. This issue is urgent. In my area of Carlow-Kilkenny, I m…