I want to ask the Minister if public access can be facilitated at the Dominican Priory in Athenry and also if consideration can be given to extending the opening season of Athenry Castle. It is closed now until March and it is a missed opportunity for the town.
TDs / Louis O'Hara
Louis O'Hara
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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
As I am sure the Minister of State knows, Athenry is a heritage town. Within the town, we have a lot of really iconic landmarks and attractions, including the castle and the priory, which are under the remit of the OPW, but also the likes of the heritage centre and the town walls. There is incredible history in the town, and I think it is fair to say that there is a lot of frustration locally that we are being unders…
I want to acknowledge the work of the OPW locally as well. The Minister of State mentioned the number of visitors visiting the sites. I had a parliamentary question recently and the response told me that in the region of 15,000 people visit Athenry Castle every year. That paints an overall picture for the number of visitors coming to the town but the same number of people would visit Galway city or Connemara on one w…
In my constituency, we have a huge number of energy developments at various stages of planning and development, between wind energy, solar farms, gas plants, etc. These are causing a lot of concern. I have raised this previously. It is important for me to say at the outset that my constituents are not against renewable energy. They fully understand the importance of energy security but they want it to be done right.
…
Belleville in Monivea and Abbeyknockmoy. In Grange and Gregmore, the Ballymoneen solar project, also led by PCRE, is currently under construction. I am from the local area. The construction has caused enormous disruption locally between damage to roads, road closures, noise and consistent breaches of planning conditions. Local residents have been informed in recent days that the developer now intends to expand the de…
The Minister of State said the scoping exercise for the guidelines and the land use review are under way. Can we get clarity on the timelines for the finalisation of those exercises? That was missing from the response. These applications are coming thick and fast across the State. We know these companies have their sights set on expanding their operations where it is profitable for them to do so and where they can ge…
Ireland's energy bills are among the highest in Europe. Households across the State see their bills continue to rise and have to balance paying their bills, keeping a roof over their heads and putting food on the table. Sometimes this balancing act is simply not possible. I meet people across my constituency forced to make the most difficult of decisions. Families are forced to choose which essentials they must do wi…
Dunguaire Castle is an iconic cultural and heritage landmark in Kinvara on the Wild Atlantic Way. However, it remains closed off to the public and stuck in limbo. The castle was a real asset and a significant benefit to the community. Its continued closure is a real missed opportunity for the village of Kinvara and the region as a whole. The castle is on the edge of the village, within walking distance from it. Its c…
I cannot emphasise enough that this castle is an iconic cultural and heritage landmark and it cannot be left closed any longer. The Government has to recognise the importance of this site to the local community in terms of heritage, tourism and employment. When the Minister of State talks about grant schemes in the region of €50,000, €100,000 or €200,000, those are going to come nowhere near meeting the cost of what …
In my constituency, and particularly in the north Galway area, we are facing a tsunami of wind energy developments. These are in communities such as Killimordaly, Clonberne, Barnaderg, Shancloon and Laurclavagh to name but a few, and there would be in excess of 150 turbines if all of the various projects at various stages of development go ahead. It is safe to say that north County Galway would be totally unrecognisa…
Irish farmers produce some of the finest food products in the world, from our well-renowned grass-fed beef and high-quality milk products to our tillage sector produce. Irish farmers are world leaders on animal welfare and food production standards. The farming sector faces many threats, including generational renewal, the loss of the nitrates derogation and farm viability. However, the Mercosur trade deal represents…
74. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the development of his Department’s sectoral investment plan following the national development plan review; if there is a date for the publication of this sectoral investment plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63319/25]
Will the Minister of State provide an update on the development of his Department's sectoral investment plan following the national development plan review? Is there a date for the publication of this plan?
Capital investment is badly needed to expand the availability and quality of public transport services. I look forward to seeing the planned projects. It is critical that works commence on the various infrastructure projects that are badly needed.
For the day-to-day running of our public transport system, PSO funding is important, particularly for bus routes. Before the budget, we heard a funding gap existed between…
Can clarity be provided on how much of next year's PSO funding allocation will be used to address the existing funding gap and maintaining existing services? Will the Minister of State provide a breakdown of that, if possible? PSO funding constraints are causing difficulties in the roll-out of services. We know that from our constituency as well. For example, Athenry has been waiting a long time for a bus service. Th…
76. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Transport the actions his Department is undertaking to deliver contactless payments on all public transport; the estimated timeline for the introduction of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63320/25]
Will the Minister of State outline the actions his Department has undertaken to deliver contactless payments on all public transport and the estimated timeline for the introduction of this?
It is disappointing to hear that this important development will not be rolled out for a number of years. As the Minister of State said, many other countries have had contactless payment options rolled out for years. However, we are still waiting for a trial run for the Dublin bus network, never mind elsewhere in the State. It is reflective of the wider failure of the current and previous Governments to keep up with …
I ask the Minister of State to comment on the streamlining of the various apps that exist to make it an easier experience for commuters. In addition, making a virtual Leap card available would be a major step forward in making the public transport system more user-friendly. The Leap card was first launched in 2011, for the Dublin area, and 14 years on, there is still no digital or virtual version available. Such digi…
Drivers are being ripped off across the board when it comes to the cost of motoring. From sky-high fuel costs, car insurance costs and now a fresh round of toll hikes come January, workers and families are seeing no let-up in the cost-of-living crisis. Ireland is one of the most expensive places to run a car, with recent analysis showing that we have the third highest motor fuel costs in the EU. Couple this with rip-…
There is a postcode lottery when it comes to cancer care in this State. Cancer patients in the west face the longest wait times between diagnosis and commencement of treatment. I draw the Tánaiste’s attention to the fact that no PET scanner is operating in the public system in Galway or in the wider western region. This imaging technology is vital for cancer diagnosis and monitoring. Patients are currently being forc…
9. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation his plans to improve the management of the River Shannon; his plans to tackle the issue of flooding in the Shannon Callows; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59983/25]
As the Minister of State knows, the ongoing flooding on the Shannon Callows is causing huge issues for farmers and landowners. It is a problem that is getting worse and worse each year as time goes by. It is having a severe impact on the livelihoods of the people affected. There are hundreds of families affected by this and it has caused devastation. For example, in 2023, farmers lost everything as land was flooded t…
I appreciate the Minister of State's response and commitment to this. Obviously, the issue is that this problem is continuing to get worse and my constituents who are speaking to me do not feel that enough is being done to maintain the river to address those pinch points to get water levels under control. I know that the Minister of State is meeting with the Save our Shannon Organisation, which represents local peopl…
I join with colleagues in condemning the despicable attacks in Drogheda. I hope those responsible are brought to justice and face very serious consequences for their actions. This island has a storied history of migration. We have seen many generations forced to emigrate due to famine and economic necessity. Today, famine and war still remain in the world along with conflict and people who are in need of internationa…