To be quite straight about this, the heart of this problem is the 2014 circular and the recognition only of primary care needs of children. If you spend 30 seconds in this country talking to a special needs assistant about their job, you will know that circular does not even nearly reflect what SNAs do every day. It is a crucial part of the job, but they do so much more: breaks with children who are overstimulated or…
TDs / Ryan O'Meara
Ryan O'Meara
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
1,016
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
39,093
words spoken in the chamber
Across 172 contributions
441
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
224
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 1,016 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 | 0 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 41 | 14 |
| March 2025 | 58 | 5 |
| April 2025 | 43 | 7 |
| May 2025 | 40 | 13 |
| June 2025 | 42 | 4 |
| July 2025 | 66 | 14 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 51 | 3 |
| October 2025 | 52 | 8 |
| November 2025 | 68 | 0 |
| December 2025 | 53 | 25 |
| January 2026 | 54 | 19 |
| February 2026 | 32 | 11 |
| March 2026 | 50 | 8 |
| April 2026 | 95 | 4 |
| May 2026 | 35 | 10 |
| June 2026 | 67 | 3 |
| July 2026 | 75 | 9 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 67 | 2 |
| October 2026 | 27 | 13 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 134 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 Tipperary North 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
27. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Taoiseach his response to the recent NESC report, Building A Virtuous Demographic Cycle. [3794/26]
The NESC report states that Ireland is facing an ageing population over the next number of decades, with declining birth rates and a growing older population. One of the recommendations of the report is that research be carried out into the motives that affect demography, such as the decision to have a baby or to emigrate. We do not a report to tell us that. Every day, I see the vast numbers of young people in Sydney…
5. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Taoiseach which Cabinet committee oversees agriculture; and when it will next meet. [69860/25]
Agfood.ie, a revamped agrifood portal, was launched by the Minister for agriculture at the National Ploughing Championships last September. Dual-factor authentication, which has become a part of that, is proving quite difficult for a number of farmers who have contacted me, namely, farmers with poor phone coverage or those who have given their phone number to a son or a daughter to help them log in to the system. It …
17. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [67844/25]
Is mór an trua é nach bhfuil níos mó daoine líofa as Gaeilge sa tír seo, go háirithe i dTiobraid Árann. It is well recognised that immersion in the language is the best way to attain fluency. That is why last summer I asked the Minister for education to look at introducing a mandatory Gaeltacht course for all students studying Gaeilge at leaving certificate level. Another important version of immersion in a language …
At second level, it is 0% in all of Tipperary as we do not have a Gaelcholáiste.
We are dead last in the national rankings. I ask that we would look at introducing a Gaelcholáiste in Tipperary.
I wish to talk about road safety in the context of the quality of our roads. I represent, as the Minister of State knows, a rural constituency with a huge number of regional roads where the county council is expected to maintain and improve road surfaces, but it cannot do that to the level we need without a major funding increase.
I will give the Minister of State some examples of roads I am talking about: the old N…
I will start with accountability in Irish Water. As the Minister knows, Members of the House have the right to ask parliamentary questions to various Ministers, including to him.
If I want to help someone with a driving test, I can write a parliamentary question to the Minister for Transport, and he will refer it to the RSA. With regard to health, if I am trying to help someone on a waiting list for cataracts, I can…
19. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Taoiseach for an overview of his Department’s annual report for 2024. [65889/25]
The Department of the Taoiseach's 2024 annual report states that 7,126 affordable homes were built, but none of those affordable homes was built in my constituency of north Tipperary and north-west Kilkenny. I will give some examples of areas where we need housing. Towns like Nenagh, Thurles, Roscrea, Borrisokane, Ballina and Newport, Templemore, Borrisoleigh, Urlingford, Freshford, Toomyvara, Cloghjordan and Cappagh…
I am more interested in the food after the Pilates class. I welcome and support the Bill, which provides a registration framework for home support providers while making it an offence to operate a home support service without registration and incorporating transitional arrangements for existing home support providers.
Home support providers will be required to adhere to a registration framework supported by national…
Access to sport is not a luxury, it is a right. Participation in sport delivers profound physical and mental health benefits, builds confidence, reduces isolation and strengthens community connection for people of all ages and abilities. For people with disabilities, inclusive access to sport can be life-changing, yet too many still face practical and financial barriers to participation. What efforts is the Minister …
I acknowledge the positive work already under way. The sports capital programme has prioritised accessibility and universal design. Dormant accounts funding has supported disability-specific initiatives and training. Through local sports partnerships, Sport Ireland continues to play a key role in promoting inclusive support at community level. In my constituency, which comprises north Tipperary and north-west Kilkenn…
A lot of the local clubs I have spoken to are very interested in getting more supports, more funding and more training for their coaches. I think about cases where a child in a family is involved in sport, for example, a soccer club, and there is also a child in the family with some form of disability. If the parents in that family are involved in the club, they will obviously want both of their children, or however …
139. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when the next round of sports capital applications will open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4116/26]
The sports capital grants are an extremely important funding stream for many of the communities I represent in north Tipperary and north-west Kilkenny. During the lifetime of the previous Government, two different funds were announced for clubs in my constituency. It is nearly two years since sports capital funding was last announced and allocated. Clubs are now spending that funding and looking towards the future. W…
I thank the Minister of State. From my own experience of dealing with clubs during the last round, I trust that the bureaucratic nature of it is something that has been addressed ahead of the next round opening. I fully understand we are dealing with public moneys here and they have to be spent correctly, but we are also dealing with voluntary organisations that are doing incredible work, often in long-term developme…
I acknowledge the work of the officials in the Minister of State's Department. The officials I have dealt with in getting answers for clubs in north Tipperary and north-west Kilkenny in recent years have been fantastic, even for previous payments that we are trying to get out to clubs now. I am delighted to see the Minister of State coming to the Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. for a briefing. I also …
147. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to consider creating a school's stream within the sports capital grant, in which schools can individually apply for sports capital funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4117/26]
The programme for Government states that the Government will prioritise the development of physical education halls and sporting facilities, including yards and play areas, for schools in conjunction with the sports capital fund to deliver for both schools and communities. Will the Minister of State therefore consider creating a schools stream within the sports capital grant in which schools can individually - that i…
I would like to raise the case of Youghalarra National School in Newtown in relation to its summer works programme funding which came from the Department of education. It was a very useful grant and was for the installation of a 608 sq. m ball court. However, to have the best usage of that court and to mitigate against injuries, the board of management wish to have an AstroTurf surface installed on this. This would b…
The example I gave of Youghalarra National School is one that probably will not fit in to what the Minister of State is saying the next round of the sports capital fund will be, but if the Department of education is giving out grants to build something, surely when the Department of sport is trying to build facilities such as AstroTurf pitches, and we want to see AstroTurf pitches because they get so much usage and a…