The cost of childcare for families with young children has often been described as carrying the burden of a second mortgage. While the budget provided some welcome relief for some families, parents are still feeling the pinch of childcare costs. Notably, parents are concerned that the childcare fee cap will not assist crèches that opted out of the core funding scheme, that it is limited to children in full-time care …
TDs / Tom Brabazon
Tom Brabazon
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
591
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
24,723
words spoken in the chamber
Across 141 contributions
426
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
160
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 591 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 141 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 35 | 5 |
| March 2025 | 27 | 3 |
| April 2025 | 38 | 9 |
| May 2025 | 23 | 6 |
| June 2025 | 31 | 10 |
| July 2025 | 31 | 5 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 36 | 7 |
| October 2025 | 31 | 4 |
| November 2025 | 48 | 7 |
| December 2025 | 27 | 10 |
| January 2026 | 30 | 8 |
| February 2026 | 29 | 11 |
| March 2026 | 40 | 2 |
| April 2026 | 49 | 7 |
| May 2026 | 19 | 6 |
| June 2026 | 38 | 15 |
| July 2026 | 30 | 9 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 15 | 6 |
| October 2026 | 14 | 11 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 119 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 Bay North 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
I want to raise an issue relating to Gaelcholáiste Reachrann. This time last year, I and the other TDs in Dublin Bay North collectively raised a Topical Issue on this. We have made a little bit of progress on the delivery of the school since then but, unfortunately, faith in the Department is waning. The students, teachers and the Gaelcholáiste community have been waiting on a new school for over 25 years. Last year …
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. He can rattle off all the different projects around Dublin and around the country nationally but there is a problem here. This project was started 25 years ago. None of the other projects are hanging around that long. It is absolutely inexcusable. The Minister of State can give all the explanations he likes but it is inexcusable. There is obviously an issue with the building secti…
91. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Health for an update on the proposed new emergency department at Beaumont Hospital; the current status of the project; the funding allocated to date; and the anticipated timeline for the commencement and completion of construction. [72629/26]
Beaumont Hospital is a vital facility that serves the constituents of Dublin Bay North but also constituencies right across the northside of Dublin and beyond. I regularly have constituents getting in touch with me to describe their experiences in the emergency department. The staff in the emergency department at Beaumont Hospital are doing their utmost to provide care in extremely challenging circumstances. However,…
I thank the Minister for the update. I am aware that €24 million has been set aside for improvements to the emergency department, which is welcome. Unfortunately, I am not seeing dates, deadlines or an indication of when delivery will happen. All I am hearing, unfortunately, is obfuscation as regards the priorities the Minister indicated.
Anyone who goes into the emergency department will see people crammed into it, with medical staff trying to work around them, in particular elderly, vulnerable people who are approaching the end of their lives in fear. They need space, comfort and dignity. I urge the Minister to impose on the hospital prioritisation of the emergency department above the other two priorities indicated by the hospital.
Yes.
The national cancer strategy sets a target of ten working days for urgent referrals to symptomatic breast disease clinics. The target exists for a very important reason. When somebody discovers concerning symptoms they need to be assessed as soon as possible. I am informed that last year, 3,388 women had to wait for longer than the ten working day target. I acknowledge the tremendous work being done by the doctors, n…
The target needs to be ten working days. Patients should be able to rely on the service. Early assessment matters enormously, both for identifying cancers promptly and providing psychological reassurance to patients whose symptoms turn out not to be cancer-related. Can the Minister advise the House on how additional funding provided under budget 2027 will help to reduce the waiting time for symptomatic breast disease…
I thank the Minister for the reply.
Is scoil dara leibhéal, lán-Ghaeilge í Gaelcholáiste Reachrann. Tá sí lonnaithe i measc seomraí ranga atá ar iasacht ón scoil béal dorais. Tá prefabs in úsáid aici chomh maith. Beagnach 25 bliain ó shin, gealladh go mbeadh foirgneamh á sholáthar ag an Roinn chuig pobal na scoile, ach níl sé sin tar éis tarlú go fóill in ainneoin an ama sin ar fad. Tar éis na moille seo ar fad, tá dul chun cinn beag déanta againn. D’i…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. Dhá bhliain ó shin, bhrath daltaí, tuismitheoirí, bord bainistíochta agus foireann na scoile nach raibh aon dul as acu ach dul amach ar an mbóthar ag agóidíocht de bharr na moille agus easpa soiléireachta ó thaobh spriocdhátaí don próiseas tógála de. Is mór an náire atá ar an Roinn gur thóg sé 25 bliain le teacht chuig an bpointe seo. D’imigh daltaí, a thosaigh a gcuid oideachais dara l…
I raise the issue of trees that have been planted by local authorities in roadside pits in the 1970s and 1980s. In many instances, they were very welcome at the time, but a lot of the trees planted at that time - over 50 years ago - were clearly the wrong species. Some of them have grown hugely and they have huge root systems. The root systems have uplifted footpaths and private boundary walls. They have invaded fron…
9. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on justice, migration and social affairs will next meet. [64291/26]
Yesterday, the Garda Representative Association told the justice committee that gardaí need greater clarity on the pursuit policy, proper pursuit training, stronger legal protections and adequate roads policing resources. My constituents certainly want to see our gardaí supported in order that they can carry out their duty. I have previously raised the introduction of a separate driving licence for gardaí and a statu…
As the House will know, the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland recommended the consolidation and modernisation of Garda powers to search, arrest and detain persons. Underpinning those recommendations was the need to ensure public confidence in our policing system, which is fundamental to a healthy and functioning democratic society. The measures contained in this Bill are, therefore, most welcome as they…
I raise the issue of Uisce Éireann and the lack of meaningful engagement it has with the public and public representatives. I have had a number of dealings with it recently, most notably on James Larkin Road where it is doing an important project. While there has been engagement with public representatives, there has been no meaningful reaction to the problems raised about the traffic chaos on the Howth Road and on t…
18. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Taoiseach for an update on the implementation of the Dublin city task force report. [24955/26]
I welcome what the Taoiseach said in respect of the Dublin city task force. Us Dubs agree that the city centre certainly requires a lot of TLC. Speaking with many constituents in Dublin Bay North, they have fond memories of travelling into town to go shopping in the Talbot Street area. However, over recent years, they have begun to feel that the area is becoming unwelcoming due to litter, vagrancy, drug-taking and an…
Howth Yacht Club caters for all types of people. One might think a yacht club is the preserve of the wealthy middle class but the club goes well beyond that and has ambitious plans to become an inclusive club catering for those less able and less fortunate than regular club members. Recently, the EPA granted a licence to dredge the harbour, which is a welcome development and the first time it will have been done sinc…
I certainly would not be raising this issue in this public way in the Chamber if the matter were progressing in the manner the Minister of State has described. We have been waiting two years for the resolution of a consolidated lease in circumstances where the club's specialist hired solicitor has, in effect, done the work for the State. He has drafted the lease for the Department. It should take only a matter of hou…
6. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department will consider introducing a statutory indemnity for gardaí who are acting within reason while pursuing persons driving scramblers and other vehicles recklessly and illegally. [49644/26]
I raise again the issue of scramblers. We all know responsibility for this is across the Minister's Department and that of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. We need to get to grips with this problem. We need to take back our streets from scramblers, which are being deployed by criminal gangs as a method of muling drugs and intimidating communities. I warmly welcome the enactment of Grace's Law but, on its own, it is not …
I welcome the Minister's response in that regard but the suggestion made is only one of a suite of measures to combat this reckless carry-on. We need more accountability from importers of scramblers, more Garda pursuit training, more intelligence gathering and more community involvement in handing over intelligence to Garda authorities. Police services in other jurisdictions are provided with training on scramblers t…