He mentioned a bunch of things that have already been done. He is standing over the withdrawal of the cost-of-living supports, the impact of which will be deeper poverty. The budget was spoken about as a budget for child poverty. It absolutely was a budget for child poverty - increased child poverty. The Taoiseach should look at the report of the Parliamentary Budget Office, an impartial office, which states that inc…
TDs / Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
1,527
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
205,529
words spoken in the chamber
Across 1,276 contributions
383
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
314
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 1,527 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 1,276 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 2 |
| January 2025 | 78 | 10 |
| February 2025 | 138 | 69 |
| March 2025 | 120 | 75 |
| April 2025 | 115 | 100 |
| May 2025 | 97 | 97 |
| June 2025 | 88 | 70 |
| July 2025 | 92 | 52 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 66 | 60 |
| October 2025 | 50 | 82 |
| November 2025 | 84 | 73 |
| December 2025 | 59 | 79 |
| January 2026 | 94 | 61 |
| February 2026 | 71 | 78 |
| March 2026 | 49 | 41 |
| April 2026 | 76 | 45 |
| May 2026 | 50 | 40 |
| June 2026 | 58 | 95 |
| July 2026 | 67 | 59 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 1 |
| September 2026 | 30 | 23 |
| October 2026 | 45 | 64 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 977 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 South-West 29 November 2024 to now
- party People Before Profit-Solidarity 29 November 2024 to now
-----and the Taoiseach is saying we will do nothing about it and we will not have price controls.
He has power, under the Consumer Protection Act, to introduce price controls to stop this profiteering and people want him to act.
Tax them.
Tax them more.
I have written to the Business Committee about, and raised with it, the need for statements and questions and answers with the Minister for justice on the scenes of Garda brutality we saw the Saturday before last, with the indiscriminate use of pepper spray and batons against peaceful protesters at the docks - people protesting in solidarity with Palestine.
We need to hear whether the Minister for justice agrees wit…
Other Deputies have already raised the case of the elderly, vulnerable people on hunger strike.
I think they have been 22 days on hunger strike outside Leinster House. They are survivors of industrial and reformatory schools who are putting their health on the line to try to access justice for themselves and their fellow survivors. They were failed once by the State when they were committed to these heinous institut…
10. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the economy, trade and competitiveness will next meet. [50160/25]
Education is crucial to competitiveness. We will not have it without teachers, yet many schools are in crisis situations. I will give one example from my constituency. St. Mary's Boys National School in Rathfarnham is set to lose another teacher next year, having lost one in September, unless the Government commits to reducing class sizes. I have been contacted by many parents, one of whom wrote to say:
My son is al…
20. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on EU and international affairs will next meet. [50161/25]
I welcome the ceasefire. Any relief for the Palestinian people facing genocide is obviously welcome. I emphasise that a lasting peace will only be built on the basis of justice and there is still definitely no justice for the Palestinian people. My question relates to Government policy in this context.
I am concerned that the various commitments that have been given in the context of pressure of a massive solidarity…
Can we get answers on the occupied territories Bill?
No, we are asking questions.
4. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when he will review the disposable income threshold of €18,000 for accessing civil legal aid, which has not been updated since 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54227/25]
The disposable income threshold for civil legal aid is only €18,000. Incredibly, it has not been updated since 2006. Think of all the cost-of-living crises and everything else we have been through since then. How much additional funding is provided for civil legal aid in the budget? Will it allow for the raising of the threshold very significantly and for abolishing it entirely in cases where domestic violence is a f…
I agree this is a question of access to justice. Some people are being denied justice because they are just over the threshold and therefore cannot afford it. A woman has come to me whose daughter is dealing with an abusive ex-partner and is fighting for full custody. She is €50 per week over the current threshold and has therefore had to spend €45,000 on a custody case, which is horrendous.
I note the Minister ment…
To tease that out a little further, does the Minister agree that a different threshold or abolishing the threshold entirely would be appropriate in cases where domestic violence is a factor or in family law cases like that for precisely the reason he outlined? Can the Minister provide any sort of timeframe for when this consideration is likely to be complete? I underline the point that it is not simply about the thre…
Increase their wages then.
Give them a living wage then.
After the election-----
You are.
There are private equity firms involved in a lot of those franchises.
Hear, hear.
This is a budget of austerity at a time of plenty, which is incredible. No exaggeration, but this budget is going to make life for ordinary people harder at a time when we have a very large budget surplus and when €1.7 billion is being given to corporations in various forms of corporate welfare. If an alien had come down here at 1 o'clock today and listened to the budget speeches of the Ministers, they would have tho…
This is going to become an issue in the election. The budget has clarified who this Government represents.