94. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will ensure that approval issues at an early date in respect of a building project for a school (details supplied) taking into account the accommodation needs of this school which have been outlined clearly to the Department and that the school is seeking basic accommodation and replacement of a much outdated prefab which was, in effect, a mul…
TDs / Brendan Smith
Brendan Smith
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
919
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
21,766
words spoken in the chamber
Across 158 contributions
407
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
211
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 919 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 158 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 17 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 45 | 8 |
| March 2025 | 73 | 6 |
| April 2025 | 26 | 4 |
| May 2025 | 63 | 20 |
| June 2025 | 52 | 6 |
| July 2025 | 88 | 5 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 48 | 0 |
| October 2025 | 39 | 14 |
| November 2025 | 57 | 10 |
| December 2025 | 62 | 8 |
| January 2026 | 58 | 6 |
| February 2026 | 52 | 27 |
| March 2026 | 33 | 3 |
| April 2026 | 23 | 4 |
| May 2026 | 39 | 12 |
| June 2026 | 36 | 10 |
| July 2026 | 74 | 8 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 25 | 2 |
| October 2026 | 9 | 5 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 154 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 Cavan-Monaghan 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
My question refers to Curravagh National School at Glangevlin in County Cavan. It is a small school and it has a 25-year-old prefab that needs to be replaced. It is 25 sq. m but the Department has offered a 19 sq. m replacement permanent building. On the advice of the Department the school partitioned that prefab some years ago so that it would have some accommodation for shared special education teacher, English lan…
The assessment of need system has not been working. That system has not served children with additional needs or their families. I sincerely hope that the new autism assessment system works. Much faster access to assessment is essential, and follow-up therapies if needed. Time and again I have highlighted in this Chamber, through parliamentary questions and written representations, the unacceptable delays in children…
25. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the shared island unit in his Department. [14895/26]
I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. The progressive shared island initiative is bringing to fruition many cross-Border and all-Ireland projects that many of us thought would never be realised. The National Economic and Social Council, the ESRI and some universities have been enabled to carry out very substantial comprehensive studies through shared island funding. Through the office of An Taoiseach and in various pa…
2. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [7905/26]
The publication last September of the joint framework between the British and Irish Governments relating to legacy issues arising from the Troubles was a welcome development. The legislation enacted by the previous British Government whereby murderers, be they from state forces or paramilitary organisations, could give themselves immunity was reprehensible. Will An Taoiseach update us on the progress in advancing the…
I have previously welcomed the substantial and much-needed increase in investment in special education. The establishment of additional special classes and autism spectrum disorder units and the provision of additional staffing resources are positive developments in the context of overall education provision in our country. More investment is needed to establish more special classes. I commend the work of the Ministe…
I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. I previously mentioned to the Taoiseach the case of Cavan No. 1 National School in Cavan town, which is under the patronage of the Church of Ireland and which has done exceptional work in providing a top-quality education for children from different denominations and of different nationalities. Inclusion is at the very heart of all activities in the school, and the work of the pri…
-----impacted very severely on schools under the patronage of the smaller churches. We must ensure that policies do not impact severely on small schools.
27. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if there will be increased levels of grant aid in the next community sports facilities fund scheme, taking into account the substantial increase in construction costs since the last round of grants were approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33411/26]
56. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when details of the next community sport facilities fund will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33410/26]
On the last sitting day here before Easter, I raised the very serious difficulties confronting farmers and agri-contractors due to the enormous increase in the price of green diesel at that time. I also referred to the increase in farm input costs, such as fertiliser. Combined with those additional costs has been the reduction for some time in the prices paid to farmers for farm products, namely commodity prices. Fol…
As the Minister knows, chapter 15 of the national development plan is titled "Access to Quality Childcare, Education and Health Services". With an increasing demand for places across those three sectors, it is absolutely essential that we have that increased investment put to use as quickly as possible. We need increased facilities in rural and urban Ireland. I sincerely hope that the money allocated can be spent as …
I thank the Minister for his reply. I heard him speak at the recent meeting of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. He said that in far too many instances over the years process won out over delivery with regard to the capital programmes for different Departments. I refer to the childcare sector in particular. With the Minister's approval, the Minister, Deputy Foley, recently introduced the building blocks grant…
The need for additional childcare places is replicated in small areas. I am working with groups in small parishes and villages such as the Denn Toddlers Playgroup in Crosskeys, County Cavan, and Happy Days Childcare in Belturbet, County Cavan. Crosskeys is a small village and Belturbet is a small town but they have huge demand for additional places, as the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach will know. It is therefore extremely …
The Tánaiste and other members of the Government indicated clearly on Tuesday that the introduction of other relief measures would be kept under constant consideration in light of the serious difficulties facing households and businesses due to the increase in energy costs. I suggest that the omission of the farming community and agri contractors from meaningful support in that announcement should be addressed as a m…
12. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his Department’s statement of strategy for 2025 to 2028. [74526/25]
198. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications that have been approved for the vacant property refurbishment grant in Cavan and Monaghan since its introduction; the number of grants that have been paid out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17477/26]
22. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the 44th British-Irish Council summit in Wales. [70935/25]
148. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the number of people currently enlisted in the Reserve Defence Force; the measures that will be taken to increase the number enlisted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12482/26]
This is the first opportunity I have had in this House to wish the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, well with their very important work in the Department of Defence. The implementation plan for the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, published in November 2023, stated very clearly that the Reserve Defence Force, RDF, needs to be revitalised. For far too long, numbers have…
I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I sincerely hope that the laudable objectives he outlined from the RDF regeneration development plan, which was published in July 2024, are implemented with as much impetus as possible. It is extremely important that we increase the numbers. The RDF should have a greater presence throughout the country and in each community. Deputy Crowe and I were on the foreign affairs a…
As regards the Minister of State's final comments with regard to the review of particular services that can be remunerated, I hope that issue can be addressed. As the Minister of State knows, I grew up on the Border. I saw the importance of the Reserve Defence Force. In many instances, good members of the community got young people who may have been in certain difficulty into the Reserve Defence Force. The young peop…
First, I apologise for the absence of Deputy McGreehan, who has another commitment that clashed with the timing of questions here.
Three of us here, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and I, are from the north east and any investment in Louth is important for our respective counties as well. Of course, I am thinking of Aiken Barracks, Dundalk, where many people from my constitu…