The special leave with pay scheme for healthcare workers with long Covid is going to end in two weeks' time unless the Taoiseach intervenes. This scheme is in place for a small group of healthcare workers - the majority being women - many of whom got badly infected while at work at the height of the Covid pandemic, when the rest of us were at home and long before PPE and vaccines. These workers got very sick with lon…
TDs / Pádraig Rice
Pádraig Rice
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
1,771
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
97,768
words spoken in the chamber
Across 271 contributions
430
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
233
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 1,771 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 271 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 1 |
| January 2025 | 11 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 116 | 12 |
| March 2025 | 109 | 9 |
| April 2025 | 84 | 3 |
| May 2025 | 116 | 20 |
| June 2025 | 80 | 47 |
| July 2025 | 164 | 11 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 91 | 5 |
| October 2025 | 80 | 14 |
| November 2025 | 117 | 15 |
| December 2025 | 94 | 15 |
| January 2026 | 114 | 7 |
| February 2026 | 82 | 8 |
| March 2026 | 112 | 23 |
| April 2026 | 68 | 13 |
| May 2026 | 85 | 12 |
| June 2026 | 99 | 15 |
| July 2026 | 72 | 7 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 41 | 9 |
| October 2026 | 36 | 25 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 123 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 South-Central 29 November 2024 to now
- party Social Democrats 29 November 2024 to now
The Social Democrats welcome this long-overdue legislation to ban single-use vapes. However, I do have some outstanding concerns about the Government's plans. The first relates to the Minister's piecemeal approach to regulating vapes. We are still waiting for legislation on packaging, advertising, flavours and other products such as nicotine pouches. Second, I have real concerns about the strength of the legislation.…
I have listened carefully to the debate, the Minister's contribution, the other Deputies and my constituents and my conclusion is that this is a mess. The Minister said that there are people who are confused and frightened. That is certainly true. People have been in touch with my office and with those of other Deputies and they are genuinely concerned about this. People are struggling with bills and with the cost of…
I also welcome the Bill and commend Deputies Cullinane and Mark Ward and Sinn Féin on bringing it forward. I have to say that it is disappointing that the Government is once again opposing a Bill from the Opposition. This morning, I attended the working group of committee Chairs with the Taoiseach, who spoke very openly about how he is open to taking amendments from the Opposition, listening to different groups and e…
As a new TD, I find it deeply frustrating that Government Ministers say to us constantly that the Social Democrats have no solutions, policies or ideas and then, when we come to the Dáil with solutions, policies and ideas, they are dismissed and rejected. In his opening speech the Minister of State asked us to accept his bona fides about the 12-month delay. I would accept that if this did not happen every single time…
The trial of Kerry man Seán Binder begins today in Greece. As perverse as it sounds, Seán is going on trial for saving people's lives. In 2017, while volunteering with a search and rescue organisation in Greece, Seán saw rubber boats in distress off the coast of Lesbos. Instead of watching people drown, he and other volunteers rushed into the water to help. Thanks to their swift and courageous actions, lives were sav…
I thank the Labour Party for tabling the motion today and for giving us the time to debate this really important issue. I stand here today in defence of trans rights, trans equality and ultimately trans liberation. This is a crucial issue and one that we need to dedicate time and effort to during this Oireachtas term. As the Minister will know, this was one of the first issues I raised with her during my priority que…
Ah, Peadar, no.
Jesus.
I want to raise with the Taoiseach the issue of Cork city library. In his last speech in the Dáil, the former Minister, Paschal Donohoe, asked the Government to keep in mind one public service, that is, libraries. I echo and support that call. In Cork, we have fantastic services and staff but we both know the building is not fit for purpose. Four years ago, the Taoiseach announced that €50 million would be spent tran…
As in previous years, the Social Democrats will be supporting the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill. Risk equalisation is necessary to ensure that older and sicker people do not face huge premiums because of their perceived risk. This modest measure also helps mitigate cherry-picking low-risk groups, such as younger and generally healthier people. In the context of our two-tier health service, where approximately 46%…
78. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if work is being carried out in her Department to plan for a medically supervised injection centre in Cork; if any such work will be carried out in advance of the findings of the 18-month pilot phase of the supervised injection facility in Dublin city centre; if any potential sites in Cork have been identified; if consideration is only being given to mobile superv…
My question is about safe injection facilities. Last month I asked a parliamentary question about establishing a safe injection facility in Cork city. I was told it would not be considered until the 18-month pilot in Dublin was concluded. For the one in Dublin, it took nine years between Cabinet approval and setting it up. We cannot have the same level of delay in Cork city. We need a health-led approach to drugs and…
With respect, I asked about the facility in Cork. The facility in Dublin has been a success. That is why we want to see one rolled out for Cork. We know from research published by UCC that there are 859 problem drug users in Cork city. Thirty-five people die every single year in my city from problem drug use. This is a crisis, it is urgent and it needs interventions. We cannot wait for pilots and reviews. We need to …
Yesterday at the committee, we talked about the integrated health hub for homeless people in Cork city. This hub needs to be established and we need the capital investment for it. This is the prime location to have a safe injection facility in Cork city. What we need here now is not to miss an opportunity. We are establishing a new centre there. We can co-locate these services but the Department needs to do the plann…
I too wish Deputy Donohoe the best and echo his call for investments in libraries. I have raised the issue of Cork city library. We have been waiting four years for a new-build library. Perhaps that is one the Tánaiste could invest in. It would be crucial and would be part of Deputy Donohoe's legacy.
The issue I want to raise is relates to the census. I welcome the decision to include questions on sexual orientation…
I too welcome the establishment of a statutory public inquiry and the decision by Cabinet to appoint a facilitator on the matter. This public inquiry must have the power of compellability to establish facts. It must be independent and the voices of the children, their parents and families must be at the centre of this. Crucially, these families must get the answers to the long list of questions they have.
Public int…
I support those calls in relation to the voluntary hospitals and the requirement the right information systems are put in place and that we have robust systems and the same systems across all of our hospitals and all of our health services. We are dealing with very large sums of public money. I believe €5 billion goes into voluntary hospitals. We need to ensure there are levels of accountability and transparency ther…
I move amendment No. 4:
In page 9, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following:
“Review of data protection compliance
7.The Minister shall, within 18 months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas evaluating compliance with relevant data protection legislation and regulations in the collection, usage, and storage of patient health data.”.
This is long overdue…
I move amendment No. 5:
“Review of accessibility of health data
7. The Minister shall, within two years of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining -
(a) the steps taken to assist persons with lower digital literacy or connectivity issues to access their health data and exercise their right to restrict access to information, in accordance with the legislation…
First, I congratulate my colleague, Deputy Farrelly, on bringing forward this proposal, leading on it, setting this out and being a champion on this issue.
I am very disappointed by the Government's response of kicking this issue down the road. We have young people who really want to engage with the democratic process and have their say. People who are aged 16 and 17 now will be aged 17 and 18 a year from now. By th…
I wish to ask the Minister of State about the future of Cork City Library. We have a fantastic library service in Cork city but the building is not fit for purpose. The roof leaks and parts of the library have been closed off to the public. It is not acceptable in this day and age. Even more disappointing is that four years ago, the Taoiseach announced that €50 million would be spent transforming Grand Parade with a …
I thank the Minister of State very much. I am concerned at the response because what we see is a passing of the buck. It goes from the Government to the council. The council says it does not have enough money to complete the project, so it goes back to the Government. We never get a full answer about when the library is going to be built. Is it going to be a new-build library? Are we going to get the construction of …
Give us an answer to the question. Will a new library be built or not?
At today's health committee, the Irish Cancer Society said there is a complacent notion that we are doing well in cancer but we are not. The reality is that the State's cancer services are deteriorating. A prime example of this is radiation therapy, which is beset with antiquated machinery and staff shortages. Radiation therapy machines need to be changed every ten years. That is their internationally accepted lifesp…