Our farming families produce the highest quality food in the world while also adhering to some of the highest environmental and animal health standards in the world. If there is a proposal to reduce the CAP budget, I ask that the Government fill in the vacuum.
TDs / Cathy Bennett
Cathy Bennett
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
641
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
54,833
words spoken in the chamber
Across 379 contributions
414
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
163
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 641 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 379 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 33 | 17 |
| March 2025 | 12 | 21 |
| April 2025 | 79 | 10 |
| May 2025 | 54 | 24 |
| June 2025 | 20 | 17 |
| July 2025 | 16 | 12 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 6 | 9 |
| October 2025 | 9 | 28 |
| November 2025 | 58 | 43 |
| December 2025 | 57 | 18 |
| January 2026 | 45 | 35 |
| February 2026 | 35 | 42 |
| March 2026 | 13 | 25 |
| April 2026 | 50 | 21 |
| May 2026 | 39 | 11 |
| June 2026 | 34 | 8 |
| July 2026 | 17 | 10 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 44 | 15 |
| October 2026 | 20 | 13 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 188 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 Cavan-Monaghan 29 November 2024 to now
- party Sinn Féin 29 November 2024 to now
So the farmers have no need to worry.
I welcome the whistleblowers to the Gallery. They have done an incredible service to the State. I thank them personally for that. I also thank the Independent Technical Group for bringing forward this motion. It has brought to the State the corruption that has happened within our political and justice systems and opened the door to justice for the victims of abuse. In return, far too many whistleblowers and others ha…
-----leaving officials subject to potential disclosures responsible for dealing with them.
In his new role, perhaps the Minister of State will see fit to support this motion and protect whistleblowers.
You are the Government. You should know how much is spent-----
Yes, you do. That is why Albert-----
Underground.
We want it underground.
We are fortunate in Ireland to have the most highly qualified and dedicated healthcare professionals in the world. Generally, aside from the notable exceptions, when people receive care they give a sterling endorsement of the care they receive. The problem is that access to healthcare across the State is plagued by waiting lists, vacancies in key roles and the State even breaking the law by its failure to provide ass…
I welcome the ladies in the Visitors Gallery and I thank them for having their voices heard. Three years on from the Government launching its zero-tolerance strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence much remains to be done. We still do not have a domestic violence refuge in every county. Though I welcome the Government recommitting to the provision of refuge services in both counties Cavan and Monaghan, …
6. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when he intends to reopen the basic income for the arts scheme to new applicants. [64552/25]
When will the Minister reopen the basic income for artists scheme? We need to encourage the arts in Ireland. As a country that rates culture and the arts so highly, we must encourage new and emerging artists to thrive through every art form.
I thank the Minister for his response. While Sinn Féin welcomes the six-month extension to the basic income scheme for artists, they are at a loss to know what is going to happen now. The date when the Minister intends to roll out this scheme would be very helpful. He said quarter 4 but what is the actual date? What are artists supposed to do if this extension only goes to February and the scheme is not reopening unt…
It is disappointing to hear that artists who have already been on it will not be considered. These artists deserve an ability to plan for their future. Some have been tied into mortgages, etc., and they are going to be at a loss with this. I also mentioned that people with disabilities were stripped of basic allowances and even medical cards through means tests if they participated. I ask the Minister to look at that…
Is the Minister telling me they are allowed to apply? In relation to the six-month gap, what are people to do in those six months?
Thank you for the clarification.
Just to let the last speaker know, Sinn Féin is very aware of what is happening with the haulage industry. Last week, Sinn Féin brought forward a motion in the Dáil mandating the Government to tackle the cost of driving. The measures outlined, particularly those relating to tolls, insurance and carbon tax, would have provided relief to our haulage sector as well as to the ordinary motorist yet last night TDs from Fia…
Introducing the occupied territories Bill to the Dáil in January 2019, Deputy Niall Collins, who is now Minister of State with special responsibility for International Law, challenged those who would seek to dissuade the Dáil from passing the Bill and asked "If this is not the time to act, when will that time come?". According to the Government he became part of a little over a year later, it was not the time in 2022…
So now we are millionaires.
The Government failed.
The targets were down.
How many did the Government get last year?
You are in the Government.
I know about farming. There you go. You did not know that, did you?