I thank the Deputy for once again raising this issue and giving me an opportunity to put on record the work that has been done by this Government and the previous Government and the work that is ongoing and, indeed, to thank him for his advocacy in this area. The Government remains fully committed to delivering a fairer, more transparent and affordable insurance market. Substantial progress has been made under the Ac…
TDs / Robert Troy
Robert Troy
Minister of State at the Department of Finance
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
431
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
91,732
words spoken in the chamber
91,034 as a minister, 698 as a TD
368
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
128
topics asked about
Across 19 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 431 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 255 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 29 | 1 |
| February 2025 | 28 | 11 |
| March 2025 | 0 | 27 |
| April 2025 | 6 | 10 |
| May 2025 | 19 | 6 |
| June 2025 | 12 | 10 |
| July 2025 | 39 | 22 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 18 | 19 |
| October 2025 | 18 | 3 |
| November 2025 | 41 | 12 |
| December 2025 | 20 | 0 |
| January 2026 | 14 | 6 |
| February 2026 | 26 | 18 |
| March 2026 | 23 | 18 |
| April 2026 | 20 | 16 |
| May 2026 | 22 | 16 |
| June 2026 | 5 | 38 |
| July 2026 | 18 | 10 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 1 |
| September 2026 | 53 | 6 |
| October 2026 | 20 | 5 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 117 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 Longford-Westmeath 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister of State at the Department of Finance 29 January 2025 to now
Let us be clear. Insurance premiums increased proportionately by about 65% in the UK from 2016 to 2024 and by around 20% across the eurozone. In contrast, Ireland saw a 34.3% proportional reduction in the average motor insurance premium over the same period. I accept that in the last number of years we have seen the change going the other way and that is why there is a commitment in the programme for Government to es…
Again, I highlight the work the Government has done in the last number of years. It has rebalanced the duty of care and enhanced the role of the Personal Injuries Resolution Board. I take the opportunity to once again highlight the positive effect that has had. We are aware that claimants who are going through the Personal Injuries Resolution Board have their claims dealt with twice as quickly as claimants who go thr…
-----and the Deputy will see further actions that will build on the work that has been done.
I thank Deputy McCormack for raising this issue. Insurance reform, including increasing the affordability and accessibility of insurance, remains a key priority for the Government as outlined in the programme for Government. Many reforms have been introduced, yet it is regrettable that the level of savings and the supply of cover for consumers and businesses has been subsequently eroded due to the rise of internation…
The Deputy is right. Despite the reforms introduced, premiums are too high and are higher than where we would like them to be. International inflation can account for some of those reasons but there are two other reasons: legal fees are too high, and insurance companies, in certain years, are making profits that are too high.
With regard to the legal fees, the Injuries Resolution Board is a tried and tested mechanis…
I compliment the Deputy for the work he is doing and his engagement with the SME sector as a spokesperson on SMEs for the party. When I met RGDATA with the Deputy last week, we listened jointly to the challenges facing the industry, which are not just about insurance but the whole competitiveness area. The Minister for enterprise is bringing forward an action plan on competitiveness. One of the key decisions taken by…
I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I am glad to have the opportunity to discuss the first home scheme. The scheme, which was launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme for eligible first-time buyers, eligible home buyers and self-builders. The scheme is designed to help bridge the gap between their d…
I assure the Deputy that the price ceiling review being undertaken on the first home scheme is done so in a considered manner. To minimise the risk of price distortions in the first-time buyer market, the first home scheme introduced the concept of price ceilings and six-monthly reviews of the ceilings from the outset of the scheme. I understand that all local authorities, including Tipperary and its surrounding loca…
I thank the Deputy. Ireland is among the most food secure countries in the world and, according to the latest Global Food Security Index, ranks second of 113 countries assessed for food security. The resilience of the food supply chain was clearly demonstrated over the past number of years when dealing with the effects of Brexit and Covid-19. Currently Ireland produces significantly more food than we consume. The Iri…
Food Vision 2030 looks to protect and build on Ireland's global reputation as a trusted supplier of high-quality, safe and sustainable food to consumers both at home and abroad. As I noted, 90% of what we produce is exported. Irish agrifood has been successful in accessing and developing new market opportunities both locally and in the international markets. Diversifying and developing markets will continue to be a p…
Food Vision 20230 provides a vision of a dynamic, sustainable and innovative agrifood sector ready to adapt and embrace change for a more sustainable future. It is a strategic framework that enables Ireland's agrifood sector to work to achieve its ambition as a world leader in sustainable food systems.
The Deputy has a made a number of points. He will appreciate this is not my area of expertise. I will relay his poi…
I am taking this important issue, which the Deputy set out so passionately, on behalf of the Minister for agriculture. The Veterinary Council of Ireland announced in April 2024 that it had updated its code of professional conduct for veterinary practitioners to prohibit veterinarians from carrying out surgical artificial insemination in dogs due to ethical and welfare considerations. However, this new prohibition doe…
On the behalf of the Minister, Deputy Heydon, I thank the Deputy for his dedication to this topic. The Minister agrees that more can be done in this regard. Both he and his Department are fully committed to progressing this work. I have to admit that I honestly was not aware of this practice until I was asked to cover this Topical Issue Debate this evening.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has lead…
I acknowledge the good work Deputy Ardagh has done in this area, both in this Dáil and in the last Seanad. She galvanised support across the various political parties to ensure that cancer survivors who have come through cancer for a prolonged period can access life insurance when availing of a mortgage. Owing to the good work the Deputy has done and the legislation that has been drafted, I am pleased to advise that …
I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. We are all quite rightly sickened with the recent "Prime Time" exposé about how certain nursing homes treated residents, the impact that has had on the families of the affected residents and also the impact that has on families who have people in nursing homes. My family has just gone through an agonising number of months, deciding whether nursing home care was …
I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Bill. For the avoidance of any doubt and as most people know, I am a landlord, but that should not preclude me from having the opportunity to contribute to debates on legislation.
A previous speaker mentioned that he has been inundated with calls from renters in Limerick who are worried about the future. Current renters in the city of Limerick, like those …
I thank all the Deputies who have spoken so passionately during this debate about the horrific and inhumane situation in Gaza. Being in government is about doing everything in our power to address issues facing society, but doing it within the confines of international law so real progress can be made. There may be differences of opinion regarding our approach, but I do not for a moment doubt the sincerity of this mo…
I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to provide an update on this important matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Helen McEntee.
The State Examinations Commission has responsibility for the reasonable accommodations at certificate examinations, RACE, scheme. A central tenet of the RACE scheme is to ensure equitable treatment for all candidates. The range of accommodations provided wit…
As I mentioned, almost one in four candidates at the 2024 certificate examinations were provided with some form of reasonable accommodation within the RACE scheme to support them in accessing State examinations, underlining the importance of the scheme. Deputies may be aware that an extensive range of accommodations are currently available for candidates with dyslexia. These include an individual reader, a reading as…
I thank the Deputy. This happened before I was born so my memory does not stretch that far back. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Deputy O'Callaghan. I will respond to the issue raised by Deputy Ó Snodaigh on the Minister's behalf.
Deputy Ó Snodaigh is aware that the issue concerns an investigation conducted almost 50 years ago, which resulted in the courts o…
Again, on behalf of the Minister for justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As outlined, the case in question has been the subject of court proceedings, pardons and associated compensation settlements. More generally, the rights of suspects and the policing oversight regime have been completely transformed. I referred to the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which prov…
I am quite happy to listen to Deputy Kelly and relay his concerns to the Minister tonight but the information I was given was that this Topical Issue was withdrawn and I do not have a brief from the Department. I am not a Minister of State at the Department so I may not have a suitable answer for Deputy Kelly tonight. If he wants to proceed and make his intervention, I am happy to listen to it and relay it back to th…
To be helpful, the matters for the morning will already have been selected and the relevant Deputies will be coming in for them. Perhaps I am speaking out of hand, but I do not think even Deputy Kelly will be ready to come in at 9 a.m. after staying here until 12.10 a.m. I will give a commitment. I accept that the error was probably made by the Department of Justice.
It was an error, and errors can happen. To be fair to Deputy Kelly, however, he has waited until 12.10 a.m. I do not have the information to hand to be able to give him the comprehensive answer that he deserves and that is warranted. I am sure the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, will facilitate the hearing of this matter on the earliest possible date that suits Deputy Kelly and the Minister or a Minister of State from …