There is a certain irony in the Minister launching a consultation on his rural future policy just weeks after we saw widespread protests across rural Ireland and his colleagues in government flatly refused to listen to, or engage with, the very people from struggling rural communities. Communities like mine in south Kilkenny do not need more strategies or consultation processes. We need the Government to start delive…
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
The number of parents forced to travel long distances to secure a school place for their child is shocking. It is deeply wrong that children are not provided for in their own community. People in rural Ireland are sick of being left behind by this Government year after year.
I can guarantee the Minister of State two things. The first is that every single TD in this Chamber has lost a friend, family member or neighbour as a direct result of smoking. The second is that every one of us also knows several people who have quit smoking with the help of vaping, friends or family members whose lives have changed. I am almost certain that almost all of them used the very flavoured vapes the Gover…
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the vital work that Youth Work Ireland is carrying out in communities across the south east. This is also a time to speak on the pressing challenges facing youth workers. Youth Work Ireland represents 20 youth services across the State. They are our front-line services. They are in our communities working as mentors and positive role models in the lives of children and te…
There is a double standard in the area of youth work that cannot be ignored. In Dublin, staff are on a far better wage agreement. Youth workers outside Dublin are being left behind despite doing the same job, often in more isolated areas and for significantly less pay. Many are trained up by the local services only to leave for other agencies because of better pay standards. How can the Minister stand over this doubl…
Ministers spoke earlier about Government measures and responsibilities, and how they have the best interests of the people of Ireland in mind. Will the Minister of State tell me this? In the most recent budget, the Government gave a generous tax break to the highly profitable fast food giants like McDonald's and Burger King. How is that in the best interests of ordinary working people?
Sorry?
The question I asked was how that was good for ordinary working people, the people we were out on the protest with. The Government's tax breaks ensured that the profits of big developers pushed the average profit of an apartment from approximately €50,000 to €80,000, yet when ordinary working people try their best to get by, go to work, raise a family and find a home and ask for a break and supports, they are given c…
It is as clear as day to me and my constituents that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael cannot be trusted to deliver critical infrastructure across this country. I listened to the Taoiseach last week when he spoke about the protestors putting our clean water supply at risk. He said that could not be tolerated and was against the law. I have never heard the Taoiseach speak so resolutely about the thousands of people in Kilkenn…
On Monday, the EU told Mercosur countries that the trade deal would be provisionally applied from 1 May. What engagements has the Minister had regarding the EU-Mercosur trade agreement? Has she told the Commissioner that forcing through this trade deal is not acceptable?
There are very real concerns for consumers and farmers regarding the risk this trade deal poses. We have seen the recall of Brazilian beef over the presence of banned cancer-linked drugs. God only knows how much more drug-riddled beef has been sold in Ireland and across the EU, because the levels of laboratory testing are an utter embarrassment. Does the Minister know the percentage of laboratory checks that are carr…
The Commission clearly holds the Dáil in low esteem. It has consistently failed to reply to concerns raised by me through the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food. We have written to the Commission on a number of occasions since November, which was the first time, then in January and then again as recently as yesterday. We have been seeking answers and clarity, and silence is all we have been met with. …
It was trade and agriculture.
I have huge issues with the fact that it does not come back to us.
It has been nearly a month since Israel and its proxy, the United States, began their war on Iran. For the past month, people across Ireland have been hit with what can only be described as rip-off fuel prices. In some cases, Irish fuel prices have increased at eight times the rate of other EU states. It is only now, after nearly a month, that we have seen any action from the Government. To be frank, its measures are…
Three cent off the price of green diesel is not support; it is a slap in the face to farmers and fishermen across Ireland. The Government may as well have just told them to shut up and get on with it. These are the people who go out day in, day out to produce top-quality Irish food and to ensure we have food security and our shelves do not go empty. While the reduction will be welcomed by those in haulage, do not for…
I strongly welcome this motion and commend Deputy Cullinane and his team on their latest health document, Enabling a New Cancer Strategy. It confirms what many of us have long suspected, that cancer services across Ireland have been slipping. The document sets out 42 recommendations for a new strategy, recommendations that would make a difference. We all know someone who has endured a cancer diagnosis. We have seen f…
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak here today to mark International Women's Day. It is one of the greatest honours of my life to be elected as a TD, a position that was in the past, and even today remains, a male dominated one. To stand here among such brilliant republican women who represent their communities with such strength and integrity is something I am immensely proud of.
However, while we celebrate …
I welcome the opportunity-----
I will just plough on so.
I welcome the opportunity to speak on the role and importance of post offices in Irish life. We need to be frank. The post offices across Ireland, particularly in rural Ireland, are facing death by a thousand cuts. Some 257 post offices closed in the past decade. The vast majority of these closures, 78%, have been in rural areas. Anyone in this Chamber who comes from a rural community knows exactly what that means. W…
There is not adequate bus services for these people.
To take something out of the community when there are no other services there is just not good enough.
No money will get that back.
It is an utter shame and disgrace that statements on homelessness are becoming so frequent in the Dáil. The fact that the Minister is not here either is also shameful.
Every single time this issue comes before us, the numbers of people, including children and the elderly, who have been failed by this Government and have ended up homeless have risen. The number has risen drastically and it is rising every day.
The f…