As part of the work of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Autism, we had a number of presentations on the cost of disability to families. One of the most recent reports I have seen shows there is an additional €30,000 per annum cost for a family with a disability or a loved one with a disability. That is obviously substantial and causes hardship. A lot of that hardship is ongoing. The Minister mentioned temporary paym…
TDs / Mark Wall
Mark Wall
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
875
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
89,139
words spoken in the chamber
Across 262 contributions. Plus 59 contributions from the chair, not counted
426
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
199
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 875 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 262 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 19 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 56 | 24 |
| March 2025 | 49 | 10 |
| April 2025 | 65 | 6 |
| May 2025 | 70 | 21 |
| June 2025 | 33 | 9 |
| July 2025 | 92 | 13 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 39 | 18 |
| October 2025 | 31 | 9 |
| November 2025 | 32 | 19 |
| December 2025 | 30 | 11 |
| January 2026 | 49 | 14 |
| February 2026 | 63 | 14 |
| March 2026 | 61 | 9 |
| April 2026 | 30 | 9 |
| May 2026 | 31 | 12 |
| June 2026 | 64 | 21 |
| July 2026 | 28 | 10 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 25 | 14 |
| October 2026 | 8 | 19 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 156 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 Kildare South 29 November 2024 to now
- party Labour Party 29 November 2024 to now
I thank the Minister. Reference has been made to the work programme for the social protection committee. I am sure, along with others in the House, that this is something that we would love to have included in the work programme. It is very important for many people when they are looking at an additional €30,000 that they have to scrape for to find. This is a substantial amount. This is an average that has been outli…
103. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people that have been added to the family carer register under the long-term carers contribution scheme; the number awarded the full-rate State pension under the scheme; the number of whom have been awarded a reduced rate, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21715/25]
I wish to ask the Minister the number of people who have been added to the family carers register under the long-term carers contribution scheme, the number that have been awarded the full-rate State pension, and the number that have been awarded a reduced rate.
I thank the Minister. We have spoken about this already today, as the Minister rightly said. It is encouraging to see the number of people who have been rewarded. We have spoke about women and their contribution. That is reflected in the numbers the Minister has presented. They are the ones that unfortunately had to stay at home in many cases to look after children. They get their due reward through this 20-year cont…
The Minister is 100% right. One of the main questions I get in my clinics when people come in to fill out applications for a State pension is about the qualifying contributions and so on. It is important that we all broadcast this and put it on our social media and everywhere else we can, as the figures are low. It is a start but we need to encourage more people to avail of it and to get their just reward for what th…
I thank my colleague, Deputy Eoghan Kenny, for tabling this important motion. I thank and welcome all the parents and guardians who are in the Gallery today. If we cannot value the things that matter the most, like a right to education, how can we build a future for our children? Our Labour Party motion does exactly that. It highlights a right to education as a basic value of Irish society to truly deliver on the con…
84. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the national childcare website does not list fees for childcare providers for the year 2021; if her Department will rectify this as matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21091/25]
92. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide the number of access and inclusion model childcare places provided since 2020, by county, in tabular form; the actions she is taking to increase places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20982/25]
I want to raise the recently announced figure of €325 million for the social housing second-hand acquisitions programme. My county of Kildare received €15 million under that programme and it is the tenant in situ part of the circular I want to talk to the Minister about. Kildare County Council has purchased 84 properties over the past year and that is obviously 84 families who have been kept out of homelessness. Unfo…
All politics is indeed local. Not a week goes by without me using the Oireachtas line to make inquiries on behalf of the constituents I represent in Kildare South. Increasingly, the responses from that line have become much more frustrating. I am not sure where we are going with this particular utility, who is in charge and where the funding will come from. That is the first response to constituents or to me when I r…
Talk to your leader.
74. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the ongoing plans within his Department that exist to address the continuing challenges that communities in rural areas face with the cost of and access to transport services; if it will be included in a new future development strategy for rural Ireland to replace Our Rural Future; his plans for such a new strategy; and if he will make a stat…
I ask the Minister and Minister of State about the ongoing plans in the Department about the continuing challenges facing communities in rural areas such as the cost of and in accessing transport services. Are those plans are included in new future development for Our Rural Future, as presented by the Government? Will the Minister of State make a statement on the matter?
I thank the Minister of State for coming in today and for his kind words. I look forward to working with him as we did previously in the Seanad. I welcome that Deputy Buttimer is the new Minister of State with responsibility for rural transport, because one of the issues we discussed before was the M7, which was unfortunately a car park again this morning. I hope we can develop that idea.
An Indecon report on rural …
I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I think it is important to mention a few Local Link services. The 883 service has been a game-changer for many people in my home town, Athy. It links them in and allows them to get employment in the likes of Kildare Village and Newbridge. It is a game-changer and it should be expanded. One of the issues is for the village of Nurney, which does not have a Sunday service, be…
I thank the Minister, Deputy Calleary, for his work on this Bill, and his officials for bringing it to us so quickly. It is very important to thank John O'Meara and his family for the work they have done. They have always kept the memory of Michelle to the forefront of their endeavours. They got the result they deserved, and which all the families they represented deserved, through the Supreme Court.
I want to echo …
Your own Minister did it.
Ireland has been a place of safe refuge, as the Minister said, for nearly 40,000 Ukrainians out of the total number from that war-torn country who have come to our shore seeking safety. That is across, as the Minister also said, almost 20,000 active claims for the accommodation recognition payment. While I acknowledge the scheme has worked well in many respects, there are a few issues over the length of time it has b…
I move:
That Dáil Éireann:
notes that:
- young carers and children are young people under the age of 18 whose lives are affected in some significant way by the care needs of another family or household member due to their illness, disability, mental health difficulties or problems with drugs or alcohol misuse, and who provide care, or help to provide care, to that person;
- young adult carers are recognised as a …
I am sure that the Minister of State knows of many great communities in Cork. One of the great communities I am aware of is in Kildare, that being, the community of Ballyteague, Allenwood, Kilmeage, Robertstown and Milltown. It is a great community that comes together. Unfortunately, it is now more than three months since the Allenwood daycare centre closed its doors in Ballyteague GFC. This closure has had an immens…
I appreciate the Minister of State's reply. He mentioned that there are a couple of months. Unfortunately, as we all know, a couple of months is a long time for older people. It is an especially long time when someone is asking their caregiver in the morning if they can go back to where they know best, and the caregiver cannot say they can. A person's whole system could be upset by that fact. On the reply the Ministe…
83. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection when he intends to bring forward the Bill to support cohabiting couples by providing pensions for bereaved partners; the number of applications received for such a payment since the O’Meara case; if supplementary payments will issue to those qualified applicants in advance of the legislation passing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8577/25]
I welcome the Minister and wish him well. As Labour Party spokesperson on social protection, I look forward to working with him over the lifetime of this Dáil.
My question is very similar to the previous one. In addition, I ask for the number of applications received for the payment since the O'Meara case and whether the Minister will consider supplementary payments to qualified applicants in advance of the passing …
I thank the Minister for acknowledging the work that Deputy Alan Kelly did in relation to this. I also thank the O'Meara family for the work they did to ensure that those who are entitled to a payment can have one. It was a long road for them. They stood steadfast and got a result for many people.
As mentioned, this issue may affect over 150,000 couples. The Minister informed us that 331 applications are on file. It…