I want to address what I believe is one of the most serious omissions in the proposed inquiry process. Module 2 explains whether CHI management knew about the use of non-CE marked springs in spinal surgeries at Temple Street. That is an important question, but where is the examination of what happened to the children? Where is the examination of infections, complications, revision surgeries, unplanned returns to thea…
TDs / Natasha Newsome Drennan
Natasha Newsome Drennan
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
145
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
43,044
words spoken in the chamber
Across 172 contributions
439
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
67
topics asked about
Across 15 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 145 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 172 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 6 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 8 | 8 |
| March 2025 | 7 | 4 |
| April 2025 | 10 | 10 |
| May 2025 | 7 | 8 |
| June 2025 | 11 | 4 |
| July 2025 | 8 | 12 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 1 | 5 |
| October 2025 | 4 | 10 |
| November 2025 | 12 | 11 |
| December 2025 | 2 | 7 |
| January 2026 | 3 | 6 |
| February 2026 | 3 | 13 |
| March 2026 | 12 | 15 |
| April 2026 | 10 | 10 |
| May 2026 | 12 | 18 |
| June 2026 | 18 | 5 |
| July 2026 | 9 | 11 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 0 | 8 |
| October 2026 | 2 | 7 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 60 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 Carlow-Kilkenny 29 November 2024 to now
- party Sinn Féin 29 November 2024 to now
It has been 20 years since the planning guidelines for wind turbines were updated. Since then, these turbines have doubled in height. This is a cause of great concern right across Carlow and Kilkenny in communities like Inistioge, Castlebanny and Old Leighlin. I could go on. It is not right that private developers are allowed to exploit outdated guidelines to line their pockets at the expense of communities and taxpa…
Should we ignore the people?
Some communities are overrun with them.
I thank my colleagues in Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion.
For years, the actions of the Minister and his counterparts have been solely reactionary. They wait until a crisis point has been reached before putting adequate resources in place and, all too often, it is only in response to an incident of great tragedy that we see meaningful action. Drugs are devastating families across Ireland. Teenagers and yo…
The Government's track record on mental health has been dismal. There have been plenty of grand announcements and countless strategies and recommendations, but action has moved far too slowly. Mental healthcare should be accessible, like any other emergency or essential service.
I come from a rural community in south Kilkenny, so it is important to me that I address how this crisis is impacting rural Ireland in part…
I acknowledge the work of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in the run-up to the budget. Delivering such an uninspiring budget when the State is running such a large surplus is something else. It is not that we are looking for the Government to spend for the sake of spending. Rather, we are seeking an acknowledgment that a large part of our tax revenue is built on sand and for the Government to take action in that regard. Ta…
Skyclarys was approved for reimbursement on 25 August. It has been a very challenging period for our patients with Friedreich’s ataxia, FA, and their families. If services in Tallaght University Hospital remain unchanged, some FA patients could have to wait until June 2028 to get the Skyclarys prescribed. This is simply unacceptable. Services have been underfunded for years. Patients should be seen yearly but some ar…
I am sorry for that but we are a little bit frustrated.
How many patients will have it on 2 October?
In little over a week we will mark the beginning of cancer awareness month. This should be a time when we can talk about the great progress being made in fighting cancer across the State. While progress is being made in some areas, which is positive and should be strongly welcomed, the national target for mammograms has been missed for a third consecutive year, and not by any small amount; it has been missed by 46,00…
I know a woman in my community who found a lump. She went to her GP straight away. She did everything right. She got her referral for an appointment but had to wait seven weeks to be seen, only to be told then that she needed an urgent ultrasound and a mammogram but would have to wait three to four months. This was despite the presence of the lump and a history of breast cancer in her family. Her own sister had it at…
Nobody wants to talk about it. I sense it.
She knows about it. She has her email. Nobody is answering me.
Yesterday, when I was in Kilkenny city the price of diesel was a staggering €2.16 a litre. These prices are crippling ordinary people right across the State. The rising cost of fuel has a knock-on effect on nearly every aspect of our lives, be it getting to work, taking the kids to school, driving them to training or simply doing the weekly shopping. Ordinary people are being squeezed tighter and tighter. We need to …
That was there on the 21st.
It was the 21st.
I welcome the chance to speak about the fiscal impact of the long-overdue reunification of Ireland. I also welcome the Tánaiste's speech. It is a pity that more people in the House did not speak up in the same way.
For too long a false narrative has been published by those who oppose reunification. Whether in politics or the media, they have used their position of power to scare people off the idea but these are the…
I strongly welcome the introduction of the domestic violence register and fully support this Bill. It is encouraging to see cross-party support for its introduction, which is a clear sign that this issue crosses all political divides and demands action. The reality is that domestic violence is seldom a one-off incident. If it happens once, it will happen again. That is precisely why a documented history of domestic v…
I, too, would like to welcome Cian and Jordan and thank them for everything they have done. They have captured the hearts of everybody. When they were in Kilkenny, the size of the crowd spoke for itself. Well done. It is all in aid of dementia awareness and research. The crowd that turned out for them in Carlow and Kilkenny just speaks a thousand words.
Very few of us do not know somebody living with dementia or a f…
I acknowledge Kilkenny city has bucked the trend and is operating a full staff complement, which is great to see. However, it is a completely different story in south Kilkenny. The team serving Ferrybank, south Kilkenny and Waterford north city has a vacancy rate of 52%. Over half its posts remain unfilled. That is a massive failing for children across these communities. To make matters worse, the planned closure of …
I thank the Minister of State for her response. While I welcome that there is progress being made, the harsh reality of this is that much of the progress is moving at a snail's pace. Over 2,100 children across the region I live in are on a CDNT waiting list. Almost 1,600 of those children having been on a waiting list for over 12 months. This number just compounds how slow progress is being made. Every day that a chi…
This issue is deeply close to me. For almost 20 years, I worked as a carer for older adults with disabilities. It was always so much more than just a job. In that role, I made life-long friendships with people I supported. To help them live their best life, independently and with dignity, meant so much to me. The harsh reality today is that the State is increasingly failing people with disabilities and their families…
A month ago, a group of people living with Friedreich's ataxia, along with their families, were present in the Dáil as the urgently needed drug Skyclarys was being discussed on Leaders' Questions. It is important to acknowledge the hurt the Taoiseach caused that day when he gave incorrect reasons for why the drug was not on the agenda at the last HSE drugs committee meeting. The group will make the journey to the Dái…
It was the dates you gave.