On a positive note, this is my first Topical Issue of this Dáil term. In the last term, too many Topical Issues would have been taken by one Minister of State. What we have tonight is a selection of Ministers and Ministers of State who are directly related to the topic. I hope that continues as much as possible through this Dáil term. It is something we brought up at the Dáil reform committee in one of its rare outbr…
TDs / Duncan Smith
Duncan Smith
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
547
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
93,576
words spoken in the chamber
Across 293 contributions
361
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
162
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 547 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 293 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 12 | 2 |
| February 2025 | 40 | 11 |
| March 2025 | 46 | 10 |
| April 2025 | 34 | 16 |
| May 2025 | 27 | 14 |
| June 2025 | 31 | 19 |
| July 2025 | 19 | 13 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 34 | 8 |
| October 2025 | 31 | 23 |
| November 2025 | 24 | 31 |
| December 2025 | 17 | 18 |
| January 2026 | 16 | 16 |
| February 2026 | 34 | 18 |
| March 2026 | 19 | 14 |
| April 2026 | 25 | 9 |
| May 2026 | 41 | 30 |
| June 2026 | 51 | 12 |
| July 2026 | 15 | 11 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 12 | 9 |
| October 2026 | 19 | 9 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 187 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 Dublin Fingal East 29 November 2024 to now
- party Labour Party 29 November 2024 to now
The school contacted me this afternoon to acknowledge that contact had been made with the Department. It is working through it. I discussed whether the school wanted me to continue to raise this issue tonight and it indicated I should because this is a wider issue that will continue.
The Minister of State stated that schools have the flexibility to use their capitation grants. Schools are bending over backwards mult…
While an awful lot of attention has been focused on the deteriorating security situation in Europe, less focus has been placed on the appalling action of the Trump Administration in the freezing of the USAID programme, which accounts for 40% of all global development aid. Vulnerable, sick and poor people all over the world are struggling to access programmes, including HIV care, tuberculosis care, and famine preventi…
On that issue, the Labour Party and other groups in the Opposition have submitted a private notice question under Standing Order 44 to ask the Taoiseach to explain the actions of the Government Chief Whip at the Dáil reform meeting last Wednesday, actions which were incredible for those who were there. I have just found out in the past two minutes that this request has been rejected. I am upset by that, and I think o…
A Cheann Comhairle agus a Theachta Ó Snodaigh, tá brón orm mar níl go leor Gaeilge agam chun óráid iomlán a dhéanamh.
I would like to talk about education planning in the provision of schooling through Irish. In my town, Swords, we are lucky enough to have a fantastic Gaelscoil, Gaelscoil Bhrian Bóroimhe. In Donabate there is Gaelscoil na Mara, and in Kinsealy there is Scoil an Duinnínigh. The problem is that for st…
I return to the issue of reduced capacity on Irish Rail's northern commuter line. My colleague Councillor Corina Johnston and I have been inundated with reports from people who have been left on the platform at peak time. My colleague received a response from Irish Rail today apologising for what has happened but stating it will happen again tomorrow and on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of next week. Given that the po…
I congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on his election to his position. We were seven-plus months seeking a debate in this House on this matter, which is incredible. I hope the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, in his role, can assist all Members who request speaking time so they do not have to wait seven months for a debate on something so important as the Housing Commission report.
I would like to use my time to focus on t…
5. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence for an update on a proposed fire station closure at the Curragh Camp; to provide an update on the provision of living quarters for enlisted members in the Curragh Camp; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6504/25]
I will be sharing time with my colleague, Deputy Robert O'Donoghue.
I acknowledge and thank Ambassador Gerasko and I welcome members of the Ukrainian community to the Gallery today. For three years we have seen horrors in continental Europe that we hoped we would never see again. In 1918, we hoped we would never see trench warfare again. In 1945, we hoped we would never see tanks roll across the sovereign borders of another European nation. We hoped that we would never see the ethnic…
Notwithstanding the arrangements we have for Dáil reform this week and then next week, given the deteriorating security in Europe, the Arts Council issues and the overspend on the children's hospital, I think we need to expedite the setting up of the Oireachtas committees. I do not think there is any reason we should delay any further, because there are a number of issues that we need to tease out. I sincerely ask if…
I am glad it is the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, in the seat for this debate. I know it is the luck of the draw but the matter I raise - pensions - relates to her Department, the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. I would like her to take account of the contributions from me and my colleagues, Deputies Wall and Kenny, over the next 15 minutes.
We are having stateme…
2. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for an update on the Government’s plan to introduce the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4852/25]
They are not agreed.
Given the unprecedented number of junior Ministers being assigned by this Government, and also in trying to start this Dáil on somewhat of a better foot, it is a poor precedent to have pre-legislative scrutiny waived in respect of this Bill.
On another note, with regard to the restoration of Bills, we received the list some 20 minutes before we sat but we really should have received it a lot earlier, notwithstanding…
I thank Sinn Féin for introducing this motion, which we fully support. That the last Private Members’ business of the Thirty-third Dáil, a motion by the Social Democrats, and the first Private Members’ business of the Thirty-fourth Dáil are on the issue of Palestine sends an important message out from this Parliament on how important the issue of genocide in Gaza is to the Irish people and their Parliament. In the de…
It needs to be said that at the Business Committee yesterday, all Opposition members registered their dissent to the arrangements and to the matter of the speaking rights for the technical groups. The proposal is for us to come back on 5 February, in two weeks. That proposal cannot proceed until we have resolved the issue of the technical groups' speaking rights. Notwithstanding what she said in her few words before …
They are really angry about it. I would like the Ceann Comhairle to commit to a deadline as to when she will make an adjudication on the joint submission from the Opposition on this matter and to make a decision that is for the good of the entire Parliament and every Member of this House. We in the Opposition believe there is only one answer to that question.