When the economic crash came, we relied on the international community to keep us afloat and ensure Irish workers could put the country back where it was. Let us be honest about this. Being part of an international community is not only about taking and taking.
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
It is give and take. I am very proud of the work we have done as a country to help to provide for Ukraine. I have been there and seen what they have come through. The same argument could be made about Irish Aid and the work we do in much more under-developed countries, where children are starving. Is the Deputy saying we should take away their money as well?
Why does he not go over and join Donald Trump's USAID cuts as well?
Let us be realistic and honest and get on with the fact that these are resolutions that will do the people of Ireland good and that is why we should support them.
I have been listening to the debate and it has been astonishing to hear the variety of opinions, concerns and misapprehensions about this Bill. On the one hand, I think it does represent progress. I remember when the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act was passed in 2006 and how that was a step forward in terms of bringing those strategic infrastructure projects into An Bord Pleanála, as it then w…
I am taking this question on behalf of Deputy Peter Roche, who unfortunately cannot be here. His brother, Vincent Roche, passed away yesterday evening.
Yes, I am taking it. It was originally a question put down by Deputy Roche. He cannot be here today because his brother passed away last night. I extend my sympathies to the family at this sad time. This question relates to the idea that we would have community assistance officers in local authorities to help community groups to apply for funding and short-circuit the administration and bureaucracy involved in making…
I acknowledge what the Minister of State said about the amount of funding and supports there. The Minister of State and I know that Deputy Peter Roche, in particular, has done a huge amount of work in this area. He has worked particularly in the context of helping to support community organisations in his area. The difficulty he has identified, and other colleagues tell me they see it all over the country, is not a l…
I welcome what the Minister of State said about there not being a wrong door. He is absolutely right. Applications should not be cancelled because of an administrative error or something like that. At the same time, we both recognise that this is public money, and there needs to be transparency and things need to be done right. That is important too.
Even in relation to what the Minister of State said about online a…
12. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the position regarding supports provided at a local level in community centres targeted at addressing social exclusion; if he will consider increasing funding in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22369/26]
The Minister will be aware of many community organisations around the country which focus on social exclusion. Are better supports available for them, conscious of the supports already available? Social exclusion is an issue that permeates society and has a massive effect. It is incumbent on us to deal with it. If we do not, it creates all kinds of other problems. Can we create greater supports and funding for those …
I thank the Minister of State. We in Ireland consider ourselves to be a fairly happy nation. Even the happiness index published recently shows that we are up there. Yet, report after report shows that loneliness in Ireland and other countries in the western world is growing all the time. Organisations such as men's sheds, community groups and church groups do amazing work bringing people together, avoiding social exc…
I acknowledge all of the supports available already. The bodies that tend to be supported by SICAP funding and some of the other funding streams the Minister of State mentioned tend to be community organisations, which is welcome. In the context of what I was saying about the younger age groups, sports clubs also have a role, and they are successful, but they are not really in the remit of what the Minister of State …
14. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding the recommendations of the Garda vetting review group; if the recommendations will be outlined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19943/26]
The Minister is aware that Garda vetting is a very important issue for voluntary organisations, schools and healthcare. It takes too long and seems to be quite cumbersome insofar as a person who moves position has to be revetted in a way that does not seem necessary.
I am aware there is a Garda vetting review group. Has the Minister received its recommendations or report? Has he had a chance to review them? Will tho…
I am surprised the number is as low as that. I welcome the fact many of them are being dealt with in under ten days, but that does not accord with the anecdotal accounts being given to me. I do not know whether there is prioritisation within the system. There should be, because some of the applications are time sensitive. As regards the issues the Minister has raised, we can see in other jurisdictions that there is a…
In respect of operability, renewals and things like that, the Minister mentioned the Garda having a difficulty with online signatures. We have to get over that. If we have a situation where this Government is proposing, for example, online age verification using certain existing ID systems, surely we can also do that for vetting.
I recognise there is a problem with waiting for news to come back from abroad where som…
I welcome this Bill and the implementation of the European Media Freedom Act into Irish law. It is hugely important.
There are a few comments I want to make about the media landscape generally. Some people often give out about media in Ireland but, considering how functional our media are here compared with those in other jurisdictions around the world, even in the European Union, we are incredible lucky to have, br…
Níl aon ghá dom a rá leis an Aire cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an t-ábhar seo, go mbeidh an teastas tiomána ar fáil do dhaoine ar fud na tíre, go háirithe i nGráinseach an Déin agus Dún Laoghaire, áit a bhfuil an liosta feithimh chomh fada. The importance of the availability of driving tests cannot be understated. The reality is that when the test is not available in a timely fashion, people are delayed in taking up w…
Again, I acknowledge the work that has been done and the commitment the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, have shown to this and the progress that has been made. I also acknowledge what the Minister said, that it is cold comfort to the people waiting 21 weeks that the national average has come down to 11.5 weeks, but I welcome those changes. I also agree with his statement that I am not criticising i…
We can all agree the closure of a post office is a bad thing. I understand the need for consolidation and the business case for reducing the number of post offices because of the costs associated with each one but we have to recognise that each post office is more than just a monetary unit within An Post's business model. It is a community lifeline, it is a facility for the local community and it is a rallying point …
I move amendment No. 2:
In page 8, line 17, to delete “A person shall not sell a single-use vape in the State.” and substitute the following:
"A person shall not invite an offer to treat for, offer for sale, keep for sale or sell a single-use vape in the State.".
Section 9 essentially creates a prohibition on the sale of single-use vapes. Section 9(1) provides that a person shall not sell a single-use vape in the …
I accept entirely what the Minister of State said. There is a provision in relation to the definition of "sell". There are two problems with that. First, it is very much at variance with the terminology that is used in legislation that attempts to do similar things. Being health led does not prevent the Government from making provision in law for an offence that is actually applicable. That is the concern I have. The…
I had not realised that my amendment had been ruled out of order. I do not think I was notified of that fact. More importantly, as we came into the House today, copies of the Bill were not available to Members and neither were copies of the numbered list of amendments. It is very difficult to deal with legislation in here when I am trying to work off my phone. Looking at a PDF on my phone is very difficult. It used t…
I had indicated my opposition to this section. I know we are flying through the legislation, but I wonder if I might just address that.
Section 18 changes the provisions of the Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act 1851, which creates a six-month statute of limitations or a jurisdictional limit on the prosecution of matters. Where we are dealing here with minor offences. These are offences for the purposes of prosecution ins…