Publish the data then. Why not publish it?
TDs / Ken O'Flynn
Ken O'Flynn
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
9,005
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
86,377
words spoken in the chamber
Across 393 contributions. Plus 40 contributions from the chair, not counted
295
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
421
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 9,005 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 393 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 1 |
| January 2025 | 0 | 1 |
| February 2025 | 17 | 20 |
| March 2025 | 14 | 22 |
| April 2025 | 24 | 16 |
| May 2025 | 227 | 18 |
| June 2025 | 49 | 14 |
| July 2025 | 35 | 24 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 663 | 33 |
| October 2025 | 297 | 9 |
| November 2025 | 1,060 | 18 |
| December 2025 | 621 | 2 |
| January 2026 | 190 | 45 |
| February 2026 | 911 | 14 |
| March 2026 | 387 | 38 |
| April 2026 | 691 | 31 |
| May 2026 | 2,122 | 20 |
| June 2026 | 635 | 22 |
| July 2026 | 289 | 11 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 2 |
| September 2026 | 347 | 12 |
| October 2026 | 426 | 20 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 188 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 Cork North-Central 29 November 2024 to now
- party Independent Ireland 29 November 2024 to now
Like everybody else in this House, I am slightly baffled that we are amending something that has not been enacted as of yet. While I rise to support the Bill and while I believe the Government is taking some steps, it is certainly not taking the steps that need to be taken in this House when it comes to planning. Everybody in this House, left, right and centre, has pointed out the inadequacy of our planning laws. For…
On behalf of Independent Ireland, I add my sympathies to those made yesterday to the family of Brother Kevin Crowley.
The European Commission has now issued a formal notice to the State demanding that we implement the so-called hate speech laws under the threat of infringement proceedings. Once again, I see indications from the Government of the bending of the knee. It is willing to compromise the constitutional fre…
Could we have one person speaking in the Dáil, please? If we are to pass this legislation, we must ask ourselves, "What comes next?" Will quoting scripture become a punishable act, something that fines the teaching of exclusionism? Will religious observations be branded as hateful if they conflict with the views of the public? Will the right to express a moral belief, if it is found to be uncomfortable, not be accept…
I hope so.
Is the Minister aware that the European Commission has sent a request to the State on this to ask us to tighten the laws? Is the Department of Finance prepared to pay the fines if we do not change the laws? There are proceedings in that regard that have been cited by the European Union.
I draw the Minister's attention to the European Court of Human Rights verdict in the Handyside v. the United Kingdom case in 1976, …
During a recent visit to Cork, the Fine Gael party leader and Tánaiste suggested that a Garda task force for Cork city would be a good idea. He made a number of announcements about it which were greeted with great fanfare but he did not give a specific date for when it would be established. There was neither a funding plan nor a full plan put in place. Meanwhile, Glanmire Garda station in a part of the constituency t…
I am delighted to see Deputy Paul Murphy and welcome him back from his recent trip to Egypt. I was surprised when I heard Deputy Murphy saying how disappointed he was with Egypt and its Government because he was a number one supporter of the Arab Spring in 2011. I am surprised and shocked to hear that he does not support that regime now, a regime that he took to the streets and vehemently supported previously. What h…
As the Minister may be aware, some schools throughout the country have told parents that they have to buy specific tablets up to the value of approximately €600. Some of these parents have been speaking to me. Those who have three children in secondary school have had to go to credit unions so that they can pay €1,800 for these specific tablets. The schools are sending out the information telling parents that the tab…
I raise a matter of grave concern regarding the practical effects of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014. While the Act was conceived with noble intent in the shadow of the experience of the Maurice McCabe case and his testimony, the reality for many whistleblowers across this nation is that the promised protection remains legally at odds with the lived reality of the legislation.
Recent findings of the commission of…
I thank the Minister for his reply but it is a bit like previous replies in that it does not really say much. How many people will come forward as whistleblowers and sign these non-disclosure agreements, and how many problems will be hidden and put under the carpet yet again, before 2027? If we did not have the likes of Vicky Phelan, who decided not to sign a non-disclosure agreement, we may not have ever known of th…
Not for the whistleblowers.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. I do not doubt the sincerity of his reply, but in the amendment put forward by the Department, 28 parts are exactly the same, cut and pasted verbatim from a previous amendment to a recent Private Member's motion. Five to six are unique in relation to the application because of the structure of the motion, ten are unique to the local authority element and ten are reworde…
Hear, hear.
I highlight a serious contradiction at the heart of the immigration and passport system, which raises serious concerns for national security, consistency and public trust. I will start with the Irish passport system. Every Irish citizen goes through a rigorous process to get a passport. Parents applying for their child's first passport must submit the long-form birth certificate, photographic identification and proof…
Are all the machines working?
Does the Minister believe it is acceptable that Irish passports and citizenship can be granted by his Government without proper documentation? That is the question here. That is what it is really about. All the Minister has done in his answer is to confirm that people can enter this country without identification, claim asylum and sign a sworn affidavit saying who they are without proving who they are and without us …
I thank my colleagues in the Sinn Féin Party who brought this motion forward. It is almost a carbon copy of the motion that was brought forward by my colleague in Aontú, a motion co-signed by Independent Ireland. I thank Aontú for bringing that motion before the House in recent weeks. There is merit in tonight's motion. The reality is that there are a number of disenfranchised people on this island who should be allo…
I rise today with a little bit of good news relating to my constituency in Cork. It is a red-letter day because we have just had information passed on to us about the development of the delivery of Tivoli, Dunkettle, Blarney and Blackpool stations. I welcome that. That will have a huge impact on my constituency across the north side. We have missed a beat when it comes to the Luas line in Cork. I see the project and …
This month's update on the M20 Cork-Limerick project outlines plans for a new tolled motorway, with a barrier-free, distance-based tolling system, stretching from Blarney to Limerick. I want to specifically raise the concerns of the communities of north Cork, particularly those in Mallow, Blarney and surrounding areas, who fear that they may be penalised for everyday local travel. Given the lack of viable transport a…
It came out yesterday.
There are times in public life when a policy, however well-intentioned, by design, strays away from its original purpose. To my mind, the local property tax is such a policy. It is not fair and not a sustainable way of supporting local services. By its very practice, it is detached from the principle of equality and economic reality of many citizens. Let us speak plainly in this House. This exists today in our system…
There is a moment in public life that demands more than ideology. It demands conscience, clarity and, above all, courage. The motion before us, brought by the Social Democrats, seeks to express opposition to Israel's war efforts by way of economic instrument, by targeting war bonds and financial ties.
As a centrist, I approach this and other motions like this with deliberation of mind and a steady hand. I do not bel…
Can the Taoiseach explain to the Members of this House how members of An Garda Síochána were deployed to recruit at IPAS centres, centres housing individuals many of whom have entered the State without passports or documentation and without verification of background checks? Some of these individuals may not be the vulnerable cases as the Government often portrays, yet gardaí were sent in and invited them to consider…
I refer to a recent An Bord Pleanála decision to refuse permission for the development of 800 new homes in Cork docklands in the Taoiseach's constituency. The area has seen substantial investment, including commitments exceeding €600 million for the regeneration project. Would the Taoiseach agree that An Bord Pleanála's refusal to outline case 313142 undermines these efforts and hampers Cork's potential to deliver ur…