5. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he has assessed the gaps in specialist expertise across the civil service and wider public service, including in policy development and evaluation, economics, engineering, procurement, digital and data, and major project delivery; and the steps he will take to recruit, develop and retain those…
TDs / Grace Boland
Grace Boland
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1,921
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
26,034
words spoken in the chamber
Across 156 contributions. Plus 20 contributions from the chair, not counted
430
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
231
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 1,921 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 156 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 18 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 53 | 6 |
| March 2025 | 53 | 2 |
| April 2025 | 47 | 18 |
| May 2025 | 113 | 6 |
| June 2025 | 70 | 5 |
| July 2025 | 306 | 2 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 167 | 9 |
| October 2025 | 133 | 5 |
| November 2025 | 59 | 10 |
| December 2025 | 127 | 2 |
| January 2026 | 271 | 1 |
| February 2026 | 70 | 5 |
| March 2026 | 43 | 5 |
| April 2026 | 41 | 16 |
| May 2026 | 132 | 6 |
| June 2026 | 30 | 20 |
| July 2026 | 34 | 7 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 96 | 14 |
| October 2026 | 58 | 17 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 135 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 Dublin Fingal West 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fine Gael 29 November 2024 to now
Over the coming decade we are going to invest billions in housing, water, transport, energy and digital transformation. That funding really matters but the capability to deliver also matters. Has the Department assessed whether we have the specialist skill sets? What gaps exist to deliver on the Government's ambition? Do we have sufficient career paths to encourage value and retain specialists in the civil and public…
I very much recognise the value of the IPA. My mother is a graduate of it, so I have been very aware of it since a young age. The digital academy is welcome. First, does the Minister's Department track the uptake of the courses offered by the IPA? Second, as we know, consultants are engaged right across the public service and the Civil Service. In some cases that is right, but do we assess whether we should be insour…
I very much welcome all those reforms. When I look at our generalist model, and our Civil Service has been built around such a model, I wonder whether it is still fit for purpose in particular policy areas. For example, you could be a civil servant who has developed a huge expertise in the area of transport - and we know major transport projects that we really want to deliver - yet, in terms of promotion, your only o…
121. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the measures being taken to address broadband connectivity issues in towns and villages that fall outside the National Broadband Plan intervention area but where residents and businesses continue to report poor broadband service. [66726/26]
128. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport his views that the current broadband supports available to remote workers and small businesses who remain affected by poor connectivity are sufficient; and whether additional measures are under consideration pending the completion of fibre rollout. [66727/26]
I very much welcome the significant investment and progress being made by the national broadband plan. That investment is transforming connectivity across rural Ireland. However, I and my colleagues, Deputies Maeve O'Connell and Barry Ward, continue to raise the issue of urban broadband blackspots. The focus of the Government really now needs to move to making sure that those blackspots are dealt with and that the pe…
I thank the Minister. I welcome the commitment to ensure that all premises have access to broadband but I raised this issue in November 2025, which is nearly a year ago, with the Minister, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan. Since then, I have continued to be inundated with complaints from people in estates in Downside, the Brambles, Hampton Cove, Loughshinny, Rush and Lusk. There are just so many in north County Dublin but al…
I appreciate that. We have seen how the plan has transformed rural connectivity and we need to see that.
The reality is, the road my mother lives on has fibre broadband but the road off it does not. That is replicated in Skerries, Balbriggan, Rush, Lusk, Foxrock, Blackrock and Dún Laoghaire, and we really need to see a plan of action. People should not be told they are living in a blue area and, therefore, have acce…
As a parent, as a TD and as a member of the committee on children, I have yet to meet someone who is not deeply concerned about the impact of social media on our children. That is why the proposed EU Kids Act is so very welcome. The Minister of State might please update us as to the timeline for implementation and the role Ireland is playing in ensuring these much-needed protections are implemented.
I appreciate the Minister of State's response. However, we are aware of the impact on children and teenagers now and the impact on their confidence and their mental health and the addictive nature of social media. We really need to see this regulation implemented as swiftly as possible. There are organisations right across this country, including Turning Tides in my area in Skerries and It Takes a Village in Greyston…
I agree; it was fantastic to see the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, put such a focus on this. I think it really did influence the bringing forward of the EU Kids Act proposal. I would like to see the Minister of State and his Department really using Ireland’s position now to make sure there is a timetable set out for the implementation of this regulation. This is urgent. We need to see Government and Europe act swiftly.…
A central system for gender pay gap reporting is a very sensible reform. It should make information easier to find, compare and track over time, giving policymakers, researchers, employees and the public a clearer picture of where progress is being made and where further action is needed. Transparency is not compatibility, however, and the key question is not whether information is published. The key question will be…
Budget 2027 made significant investment in public transport. It is important that communities like Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush and Lusk see that translated. One issue that I have repeatedly raised with the Minister for Transport and the NTA is the lack of a local feeder bus from Rush and Lusk to the train station, which sits outside both towns. Many commuters have little option but to use their cars. This is a rural r…
I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Railway Safety Bill, which seeks to strengthen our railway safety framework, place the railway accident investigation unit on a clear statutory footing and modernise aspects of railway safety legislation, particularly in relation to safety-critical workers and accident investigations. These are sensible, practical and necessary measures and I am very pleased to see them inclu…
I know the school very well. It is where I started my own schooldays. I share my constituency colleague's concerns. It is simply unacceptable to have a class size of 33. Will the Minister of State engage very proactively with the school? There are huge additional needs in this particular year, but as he knows, in all years we have very challenging needs. That puts undue pressure on pupils, students and SNAs. First, a…
I have only just received the Minister of State's answer, but I was trying to follow him. He says the school had 249 pupils and it needed an additional 23 on the previous September's enrolment, which it has. It has exceeded that. I am not sure what the threshold figure is but there has to be some flexibility here. The school has exceeded its enrolment by 23 pupils. Pressures are going to be placed on the students in …
Ten women have now died violently in Ireland this year. That is ten women whose families, friends and communities have been left devastated. Under the Minister, Deputy McEntee, there was real momentum in tackling the scourge of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence with the zero tolerance strategy and the establishment of Cuan. We cannot allow that urgency to diminish. We need to accelerate delivery with more re…
130. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the way in which he intends to balance measures to support working families with the need for continued investment in infrastructure and public services in budget 2027. [68584/26]
I did not think I was going to get in there at all with Deputy Doherty overrunning.
Ireland's strong finances are the result of years of careful economic management and responsible decision-making by successive Fine Gael Governments. Due to that stewardship we are in a position to invest in the future while also supporting households with the pressures they face today. However, as the Tánaiste knows, many working fa…
I very much welcome the income tax package. It is really important that work pays and as the Tánaiste know, our working families are really the backbone of the economy. Childcare is not only essential for equality, it is also essential for our economy. Childcare is actually essential infrastructure and I very much welcome the investment in childcare not only in affordability but also accessibility. Fingal is one of t…
I very much welcome the Tánaiste's comments about childcare. It is not just affecting parents. We have nearly full employment but instead of being able to participate on a part-time or even full-time basis in our economy, many grandparents are actually providing childcare because there is absolutely no choice in areas like mine in Skerries and Balbriggan, where there really is no accessible childcare. I know that the…
8. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the progress made on adjusting the mandate of Enterprise Ireland to better support small indigenous exporters; and the specific changes being considered. [66665/26]
I am very supportive of this Government's ambition to grow our indigenous enterprise base. The programme for Government places a very strong emphasis on backing small businesses, scaling indigenous firms and increasing Ireland's export capacity. Will the Minister of State update us as to progress on expanding the mandate of Enterprise Ireland to better support our small businesses?
I very much welcome the target of 2,000 new exporters. The Minister of State might update us on how much of that might be made up of SMEs or even microbusinesses. I have worked as an SME and I supported SMEs in my own business. Many report a gap between the supports provided by the LEOs and Enterprise Ireland. They are often seen as too small for Enterprise Ireland. We really need to make sure we are supporting all o…