The Deputies love talking about other people but they cannot talk about themselves.
TDs / Richard O'Donoghue
Richard O'Donoghue
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
73
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
85,911
words spoken in the chamber
Across 385 contributions
252
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
37
topics asked about
Across 14 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 73 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 385 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 2 |
| January 2025 | 0 | 6 |
| February 2025 | 11 | 19 |
| March 2025 | 13 | 11 |
| April 2025 | 3 | 24 |
| May 2025 | 10 | 32 |
| June 2025 | 4 | 9 |
| July 2025 | 3 | 13 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 1 | 19 |
| October 2025 | 4 | 13 |
| November 2025 | 3 | 30 |
| December 2025 | 3 | 48 |
| January 2026 | 1 | 15 |
| February 2026 | 8 | 32 |
| March 2026 | 3 | 0 |
| April 2026 | 1 | 30 |
| May 2026 | 1 | 16 |
| June 2026 | 3 | 32 |
| July 2026 | 0 | 4 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 1 |
| September 2026 | 0 | 18 |
| October 2026 | 1 | 11 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 157 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 Limerick County 29 November 2024 to now
- party Independent Ireland 29 November 2024 to now
Exactly. There is no order.
This is what Sinn Féin tries to do to the Government. It will not silence me because I know what I am talking about.
What way is the wind blowing today for Sinn Féin? Hold on, I must check. Here they are; the wind is over here.
Good.
The Deputies are still talking. Look at this, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.
Thank you very much. To get back to Dublin Airport, I am delighted the airport is doing well but as regards climate emissions, the climate action Bill was supported by the Deputies on my right. They brought in that Bill. Where are most of the people who are landing here going? They are not staying around Dublin, are they? They are travelling throughout the country. Where are the carbon emissions when the Government i…
Where has the Government gone wrong on dental and orthodontic services? I was here when this was being raised seven years ago. Where has the Government gone wrong? Why has it not learned and why has it not listened? There are 11,000 on waiting lists, most of whom are children. Some 8,000 have been waiting to see a dentist for longer than two years. Where has the Government gone wrong? All my colleagues here have said…
Before I start my question, I give my sympathies to the Fossett circus family on the burial today of Marion Fossett. Their circus will have been in existence for 138 years this year. They have been going around the country and internationally. They come to Limerick every year and have always had a charity day where people come in for charity. On my own behalf and that of Independent Ireland, I give my respects to the…
I appreciate the Taoiseach looking into this matter. The concerns of the people of Foynes is the location. They welcome the system but the location chosen will be prevent the future-proofing of Foynes. Anyone who knows Foynes will know there is hilly ground to the west. On the Limerick side, it is all flat ground. The proposed system will involve pumping it upwards and then letting it flow down with gravity. This is …
Motion carried.
It is secondary.
I was in Newcastle West last week at the agricultural show, the Newcastle West Show. One thing resonated with me at the show. A young girl of nine years of age from County Kerry came up to me. She was standing in front of me, her mother was behind her and I think her aunt was with her as well. She turned around to her mother and her mother said, "Ask him yourself". She asked if she could have a picture with me. I was…
Any life that is taken is wrong. I am coming in here as a broker of peace. Ireland should be a broker of peace. People can talk about what is happening in Gaza, which is 100% wrong. Where a life is taken and families are destroyed anywhere in the world is 100% wrong but look at Irish history. There are people in this House who have been involved in the taking of lives. They are sitting in this House.
When we look at traditional parties going back through the years and the wars that happened here in Ireland behind closed doors and everything else that happened, it was wrong.
I stand for peace. What I would not mind seeing with the match they are talking about is both sides coming out, sitting down in the middle of the field, saying they are not playing because of peace and linking arms together. That is what I wo…
I did not name any names. The rules of the House are that when you do not mention a name, you can mention what you like.
I move:
That Dáil Éireann:
notes that:
— the sectors in the Irish economy such as farming, fisheries, construction and more generally small businesses and households have in recent years been repeatedly exposed to severe economic shocks arising from major international events outside the control of the State, including the Covid-19 Pandemic, the war in Ukraine, instability and conflict involving Iran and the wider…
The contributions from the Government side and their colleagues show why we are in the position we are in. I spoke to some of those who contributed. They said they would like to see the people in the middle, the working class, looked after in this budget. One person told me he got elected the same day as the Minister of State, which was the same day I got elected. Since I got elected, they are the people I have been …
Timmy do-little is at it again, is he?
There was a meeting of the Joint Committee on Health this morning. Members of the hospital group, including Sandra Broderick, and Mr. Mike Ahearne of the HSE are in the Gallery.
I acknowledge the work they have been doing within the hospital sector in Limerick. They will be looking forward to the new hospital and the new wing. Is there a timeline for that?. Will it be a design-build project? Patient safety is a huge…
I have already acknowledged the Minister in the context of the work that is being done in Limerick. We went through a very bad spell. The initial hospital of excellence was brought up in 2009. The people involved are no longer in the HSE, but they downsized Nenagh, Ennis and St. John's Hospital. It is great that the Taoiseach has acknowledged that the reverse needs to happen. That was one of the first things I said w…
Good man.
The cost of living for people with disabilities has been highlighted across the Chamber. If we start off with disabilities and things we could have done even before we reached this point and which were asked for, Maurice Noonan, who is from Granagh, and his partner were here last year. They are both wheelchair users. They were here in the Chamber. Mr. Noonan told me about simple things that he lost out on in childhoo…
Independent Ireland was set up for one reason: to give a platform for Independents to work together. What is the difference between Independent Ireland and Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael? We have a vote of conscience. Whether to remove the triple lock is a vote of conscience. It is a vote for the people of Ireland. It should not be up to the Government party leaders. Anything such as removing the triple lock should be an …
On the scheme the Government brought out for the agri sector for the fuel, some of the sectors are saying that unless you are under an agricultural contractor you do not qualify for this scheme. We have an awful lot of plant hire people who do agricultural work but they do not qualify for the scheme. We have people who might be registered as being a plant hire company but do agri work, and they do not qualify for thi…