I appreciate both the Minister's commitment and the commitment in the programme for Government to Gaeloideachas. There is a huge need. The Minister referred to providing more Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí where there is demand for it. I assure her there is demand for it, and I will come back to that in a second. There are, as far as I know, only 79 Gaelcholáistí in the country and 291 Gaelscoileanna. We only have …
TDs / Barry Ward
Barry Ward
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
3,718
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
143,980
words spoken in the chamber
Across 316 contributions
364
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
380
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 3,718 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 316 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 62 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 74 | 18 |
| March 2025 | 62 | 19 |
| April 2025 | 107 | 7 |
| May 2025 | 69 | 20 |
| June 2025 | 88 | 12 |
| July 2025 | 201 | 20 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 177 | 15 |
| October 2025 | 114 | 22 |
| November 2025 | 199 | 23 |
| December 2025 | 259 | 30 |
| January 2026 | 315 | 14 |
| February 2026 | 364 | 12 |
| March 2026 | 271 | 24 |
| April 2026 | 457 | 13 |
| May 2026 | 294 | 12 |
| June 2026 | 156 | 12 |
| July 2026 | 95 | 5 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 258 | 12 |
| October 2026 | 96 | 26 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 193 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 Dún Laoghaire 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fine Gael 29 November 2024 to now
That is exactly the issue that has led me to ask this question, namely the criteria and how the Department assesses whether there is a demand. In my constituency, as I said there are two Gaelcholáistí colocated, Coláiste Íosagáin and Coláiste Eoin, but there is an enormous demand because although there are only two Gaelscoileanna in the adjacent areas - it must be remembered that in Dublin constituencies there are mo…
I recognise the value of the report of the Housing Commission from last May. Of the 83 recommendations, approximately 65 are in train or at an advanced stage, which I welcome.
Coming from the constituency of Dún Laoghaire where we have amongst the highest average property prices in the country, there is a real problem for people acquiring property that goes beyond what most people face around Ireland. It might well …
Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire Stáit as a phost nua. Go n-éirí leis.
We have had a really positive change in recent years in the way we assess patronage in schools. That communities actually get to have a say and indicate to the Department very directly the kind of school they want represents a very positive change by comparison with where we were when I was growing up. I have expressed the view before that it i…
I appreciate entirely what the Minister of State said. The OPPS is excellent. The way we have changed how we assess patronage is a good thing. I also appreciate what the Minister of State said about the criteria. The key in his answer is that the process is open and "provides objective information to parents in the relevant school planning areas". That is the difficulty I have. If we are only taking about parents in …
A little over three years ago, when the Russian troops rolled into Ukraine, I think few of us had any confidence that the Ukrainians or the Ukrainian army could resist that attack; barbaric as it was, sudden, yet not entirely unexpected in many quarters, but it was absolutely ferocious. We have been surprised, and perhaps very much impressed, by how Ukrainian forces have managed to not just keep back the Russians, bu…
119. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the position regarding any initiatives or research her Department proposes to attract and retain staff in the disability sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7383/25]
Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire agus leis an Aire Stáit. Go n-éirí leo sna poist nua.
Is í an cheist atá agam anocht ná seo: cad iad na tionscnaimh atá i bhfeidhm sa Roinn chun foireann agus oibrithe a mhealladh agus a choimeád san earnáil mhíchumais? What initiatives and research does the Department propose to attract and retain staff in the disability sector?
I thank the Minister of State. I acknowledge the ambition and achievement in the sector and I recognise the amount of money that has been invested, but retention is very important in circumstances where one in four workers in the disability sector will leave the job within a given year. This is three times the average of other sectors. It is important to invest in this and put in place measures beyond just money to e…
I acknowledge the programmes the Minister of State mentioned. I welcome the appointment of the assistant national director and I look forward to the strategy that will be published this year. We can all agree that the retention of staff in the sector is something that has more than just a financial impact. People who work in the disabilities sector do an incredibly difficult job. It calls on them in a vocational way …
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Más féidir liom, i dtús báire, gabhaim mo chomhghairdeas leat as a bheith tofa inné agus tá súil agam go mbeidh gach rud déanta duitse chun meas a thabhairt don Chathaoir sa Teach seo, chomh mór is a bheidh leis an gCeann Comhairle í féin freisin. Ar an ábhar sin, maidir le mo chomhghleacaithe, na hAirí nua, ba mhaith liom mo chomhghairdeas a ghabháil leo freisin, go há…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as ucht teacht isteach chun déileáil leis an gceist seo. At first glance, "catfish" might sound like a non-native marine animal but this is something that has been brought to the fore in the past year or more by people using their power in the media. I refer in particular to the 2 Johnnies and journalists like Ellen Coyne, who have highlighted the practice of catfishing. This is a …
I welcome the acknowledgement of the seriousness of what I said. I welcome the fact the Minister of State and the Department acknowledge that catfishing is wrong. I also recognise that the Minister of State said it is not illegal. I was in these Houses when we passed Coco's Law, but Coco's Law does not stop this from happening. The various legislative instruments to which the Minister of State referred do not stop th…
As everyone in this Chamber knows, one death on the road is one family, one community and one group of friends devastated by the loss of the person involved. Every death is something we need to take seriously and take steps to address. As we work towards reducing road deaths to zero, we do so in the context that they have actually increased in recent times. That is unacceptable and difficult to explain, even though t…
I dtús báire, ba mhaith liom a rá go dtuigim díreach an méid oibre atá i gceist chun clár Rialtais a chur le chéile. Agus an obair sin ar siúl, tá daoine ar fud na tíre ag iarraidh polasaithe a chur isteach sa chlár sin agus na rudaí atá tábhachtach dóibhsean a bheith ann agus i bpolasaithe an Rialtais freisin. It is a big job to put together a policy and a programme for Government like this and huge credit is due to…
Is é seo an chéad deis a bhí agam labhairt sa Dáil ó tóghadh mé anuraidh. Gabhaim buíochas le muintir Dhún Laoghaire as ucht a muinín a chur ionam agus tugaim aitheantas do chabhair mo chlainne, go háirithe cabhair mo bhean chéile, Aoife, agus m'iníon, Robin, agus do chabhair mo chairde, mo chomhghleacaithe agus bhaill Fhine Gael i mBaile Átha Cliath. Ar an dea-uair, i nDún Laoghaire, d'éirigh linn éalú ó na héifeach…