On wastewater infrastructure, planning permission has been granted for in excess of 60 houses at different sites in Mountbellew on the basis of the condition that they cannot be occupied until they are connected to the upgraded Mountbellew wastewater treatment plant. There is still no clarity on when construction on the plant will begin. In Craughwell and Clarinbridge, funding was announced for wastewater upgrades th…
TDs / Louis O'Hara
Louis O'Hara
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
1,081
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
64,653
words spoken in the chamber
Across 288 contributions. Plus 4 contributions from the chair, not counted
432
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
242
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 1,081 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 288 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 9 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 44 | 5 |
| March 2025 | 43 | 11 |
| April 2025 | 41 | 9 |
| May 2025 | 51 | 23 |
| June 2025 | 51 | 6 |
| July 2025 | 49 | 12 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 55 | 10 |
| October 2025 | 26 | 13 |
| November 2025 | 80 | 21 |
| December 2025 | 44 | 17 |
| January 2026 | 59 | 13 |
| February 2026 | 73 | 27 |
| March 2026 | 70 | 19 |
| April 2026 | 87 | 12 |
| May 2026 | 74 | 14 |
| June 2026 | 91 | 26 |
| July 2026 | 41 | 17 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 46 | 19 |
| October 2026 | 47 | 14 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 210 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 Galway East 29 November 2024 to now
- party Sinn Féin 29 November 2024 to now
16. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [14749/26]
Mixed messaging from the Government and the HSE has caused confusion and uncertainty about the future plans for an elective hospital at Merlin Park in Galway. The hospital has been promised for years. It is critical for healthcare in the west of Ireland and for taking pressure off University Hospital Galway, UHG. The people of Galway want immediate and full clarity on whether plans to build an elective hospital at Me…
31. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Taoiseach to report on his attendance at the British-Irish Council summit. [14750/26]
During an interview with TG4 last week, the Taoiseach was recorded as saying that there is not a lot of substance in the current campaign for a referendum on Irish unity. The Taoiseach's dismissive attitude is very disappointing, especially given the hard work that many organisations are currently doing to advance the case for a united Ireland, such as Ireland's Future. Unfortunately, these organisations are doing th…
What about the preparation for unity?
145. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the way in which revenue from collection of the carbon tax is used to support his Department’s climate initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14619/26]
The recent carbon tax increases we have seen impact on the most vulnerable households. It hits them the hardest. As we know, households are facing rising costs across the board, particularly when it comes to filling the car with fuel and heating the home, yet the Government is set to plough ahead with these increases. They are scheduled until 2030 at least. Households are expected to take on this burden at a time whe…
The whole argument the Government uses to justify the increases in this tax is that the increasing receipts are spent on climate initiatives. The Minister can say that it is ring-fenced, but this report has said that the reality is that 40% of the revenue is not being directed toward the intended measures. I outlined to the Minister the pressures that carbon tax increases are placing on households and that people do …
I attended a public meeting in Abbeyknockmoy in my constituency last week. Power Capital is proposing to develop a very large solar project there. It is already developing one nearby in Grange. There are proposals to install a battery energy storage system as part of these projects. This has caused unease in those communities because in January of last year there was a fire at a separate lithium-ion system based in n…
I am inundated with families contacting me who are having a real difficulty accessing the supports, services and therapies that their children need from CDNTs. The HSE data from last month showed a number of vacancies across the CDNT network in Galway. At that time, just one CDNT out of 15 in the broader west and north-west region was fully staffed. The result of that is that children are facing extreme waits to acce…
Clearly, this legislation is being rushed. It is really important legislation that deserves to be debated fully and fleshed out. What is happening here is bad practice. There is a limited time for proper scrutiny and late amendments. It is all very last-minute. It is impossible for TDs and their offices to give this the full level of scrutiny it deserves. It is irresponsible to do business in this manner. Amendment N…
I am all right.
The Minister earlier said that this debate is sovereignty in action. It is, but what he is doing in this instance is signing that away. We are not going to have the same capacity to make these decisions because of the EU pact. He is handing away decision-making power.
The Government has also signed us up to potential infringement proceedings from the European Union when we inevitably cannot live up to the pact that …
This is obviously a very sensitive area and the welfare of children is absolutely paramount. As Deputy Ward said, we need a robust system that treats people fairly and processes them as quickly as possible. I ask the Minister to set out in as much detail as he can what he envisages will happen in terms of detention and how that process will work in practice. Is it his position it should be a measure of "last resort",…
17. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Taoiseach for an update on the first progress report of the climate action plan. [12292/26]
I want to raise the ongoing review of the 2006 wind energy guidelines. Revised guidelines have been promised for many years at this stage, as the Taoiseach is aware. In my constituency, and particularly in the north Galway area, we are facing a huge number of developments in communities such as Clonberne, Killimordaly, Barnaderg, Shancloon and Laurclavagh, to name but a few. The 2006 guidelines were brought forward w…
36. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Taoiseach his assessment and response to the NESC report, Connecting People to the Energy Transition. [12293/26]
The recent discovery of bluetongue cases across the island has been a major setback for the farming sector. While the number of confirmed cases to date has remained low, the consequences of this outbreak for the wider sector are significant. One of these consequences is the recent introduction of bans on the live export of animals between the North and South of this island, except in cases where the animal is intende…
It is clear that farmers do not have confidence in the chair. The Minister finally needs to act in that regard.
100. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures being taken to ensure that schools in County Galway have appropriate SET and SNA allocations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9696/26]
35. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [9944/26]
Over the past number of years, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have failed to effectively manage the international protection system. We have seen decisions and appeals taking too long, profiteering from IPAS accommodation providers and a wider loss of confidence from the public that the Government can manage the system. Through this International Protection Bill today, we see that the Government's new strategy on migratio…
Every child is entitled to an education and an appropriate school place. Sadly, many children are being denied this right across County Galway and the State. Children are being left in unsuitable places, not having their needs met and being denied equal opportunities and the chance to realise their full potential. I have been contacted by many parents and schools in relation to the urgent need for increased provision…
There are a number of areas across east Galway, including the ones I mentioned, where there is significant demand and the schools are ready to accommodate those classes. As much as possible, we need to see delivery on the ground. Parents want certainty around what will be available in their local area. As I said, there is huge demand. It is absolutely critical that adequate places are provided. Far too many children …