I warmly welcome the Government's arts capital investment fund announced in budget 2027. My concern is for the towns and villages that do not have existing entertainment venues. I feel they are simply being excluded. Arklow, for example, is a case study for lack of investment. It has a proud tradition of arts, music and culture but it has no entertainment venue. It does not even have a community hall to hold such eve…
TDs / Brian Brennan
Brian Brennan
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
444
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
18,266
words spoken in the chamber
Across 86 contributions. Plus 14 contributions from the chair, not counted
408
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
151
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 444 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 86 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 14 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 34 | 3 |
| March 2025 | 33 | 4 |
| April 2025 | 19 | 4 |
| May 2025 | 20 | 6 |
| June 2025 | 15 | 1 |
| July 2025 | 17 | 6 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 25 | 1 |
| October 2025 | 23 | 4 |
| November 2025 | 28 | 13 |
| December 2025 | 21 | 5 |
| January 2026 | 26 | 6 |
| February 2026 | 26 | 9 |
| March 2026 | 17 | 3 |
| April 2026 | 23 | 6 |
| May 2026 | 32 | 4 |
| June 2026 | 27 | 2 |
| July 2026 | 13 | 1 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 1 |
| September 2026 | 17 | 2 |
| October 2026 | 14 | 5 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 71 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 Wicklow-Wexford 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fine Gael 29 November 2024 to now
22. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the consideration given to ensure that grant funding is directed towards towns, villages and communities that are lacking in social infrastructure such as community centres, performance spaces and town parks. [72490/26]
57. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the further incentives he is considering to ensure that small towns and villages in rural Ireland grow, develop and thrive and have the facilities and social infrastructure needed to provide a high quality of life for their communities. [72996/26]
I would like an update on the Gorey primary healthcare centre. Gorey is a thriving town full of high-quality shops and with a bustling hospitality sector, but this popularity brings challenges. Gorey is becoming one of the fastest-growing towns in Leinster and this has led to huge pressure on the medical infrastructure within the town. When we add the summer influx of between 40,000 and 50,000 people in seaside towns…
I recently had a very interesting meeting with the chairperson of Wexford Macra na Feirme, Clíona O'Leary, and Sean O'Brien. We had a lengthy discussion on a wide range of subjects but high on their agenda was the issue of succession. Will the Minister update us on the status of a clear succession scheme to encourage and support the transition of the managerial role to the younger farmer? What are our plans to delive…
I again raise the matter of public transport in the south east, particularly rail and bus links for our commuters. Gorey is one of the fastest -growing towns in Ireland. Arklow is on the verge of huge expansion. Rathdrum is ideally placed for easy access to Dublin. Rosslare port continues to grow. However, these towns and their rural hinterlands are woefully underserved by a rail service that is inconvenient, infrequ…
My question is on dereliction and how we can get county councils to enforce current Government policies. Dereliction is a plague on most cities, towns and villages in Ireland. I commend the Government incentives to bring properties back into use such as the vacant property refurbishment grant, and the vacant above-the-shop initiative. Local authorities have the tools to deal with dereliction with the first step being…
I warmly welcome today's financial resolution. It is very clear that we are in a completely different situation from the one we were in back in July. Fuel costs are continuing to increase right across the board and there is no sign of stability in the Middle East.
Over the past two months, I have met many of my constituents, including Breen Transport in Ferns and bus and taxi companies in Gorey and Arklow. In my rur…
I am looking for an update on the straw incorporation measure. It is my understanding that there will be a significant oversubscription to the scheme, with expected payments exceeding the €10 million budget allocated for 2026. It is essential that we find a way to extend the budget of this scheme to meet all expected payments. In my constituency of Wicklow-Wexford, we have a proud tradition of tillage farming but, pu…
I am looking for an update in relation to the Taoiseach's plans on dealing with inheritance tax in the upcoming budget. It is believed that approximately 1 million people in Ireland do not have children. That is for many reasons - maybe life choice, medical or simply their personal choice. Under the current inheritance tax threshold, if a parent leaves a property or investment, there is a threshold of €400,000 but if…
I wish to speak today about the proposed reforms to the criminal legal aid system, which include the introduction of a flat fee payment model for legally aided District Court cases. It is proposed that solicitors would receive a single payment of €455 for District Court criminal cases, regardless of the number of court appearances involved. Members of Criminal Justice Solicitors Ireland have raised serious concerns a…
I wish the Minister of State a good morning. I want to speak about roads funding following Storm Chandra in counties Wexford and Wicklow, or, should I say, the lack of roads funding. It was literally this day four months ago, namely 27 January, that Storm Chandra arrived on our shores and caused absolute havoc for people, for their homes and for the roads of the south east. At the time, it was absolutely shocking. He…
I welcome the Minister of State's reply. I note and respect it. As he stated clearly, they are getting substantial funding, but even prior to the storm, we felt that the funding was not enough, given that they are two quite rural counties. They are two beautiful counties but we have serious issues with roads. We felt we were underfunded before this, but what this is all about now is additional funding. That is the ke…
I wish to speak again about Arklow’s Eímear Byrne, who is awaiting life-saving surgery that is not available in Ireland. Only last week, Ms Byrne was made aware that she is not a suitable candidate for the treatment abroad scheme. Her only option, therefore, is to travel, at enormous expense, to the Johns Hopkins clinic in Baltimore, USA. As the treatment abroad scheme does not cover the USA, the people of Arklow and…
I am looking for an update on progress regarding the Wind Turbine Regulation Bill 2025. I am fully aware of our responsibility to reach our 2030 targets but is the construction of these monstrous turbines close to many rural villages really the best option for these communities? Should we prioritise solar panels and financially tweak the already-successful schemes so that every house, industrial premises, and farm sh…
I want to discuss a live issue relating to Gorey Hill School and plans the Department of education has in respect of lands currently being used by Gaelscoil Moshíológ and the Irish play school on the site. I preface my remarks by stating that the three schools in question play an essential and hugely positive role in the community of north Wexford, which is a credit to the management, the staff and the students. Gore…
I note that, in the programme from 2021 to 2025, there was a clear call to reverse the flow of young people moving to the city. People living and working in their own towns and villages is what we should be working for. I welcome the billions of euro that will probably be spent on our new development plan. I welcome the engagement tonight. When we see young people spending 26 hours per week in a car driving from the …
I want to talk to the Tánaiste about one of my constituents, Eimear Byrne. Eimear is a 30-year-old from Arklow, a primary school teach in a Gaelscoil and a very talented and popular young woman but she needs our help. She has an extremely rare genetic disorder which led to open-heart surgery at the age of just ten.
Three years ago, Eimear had again to undergo emergency heart surgery. The surgery saved her life but t…
I congratulate the Irish team on last night. It was a wonderful success and I wish it well at the weekend. More important to me on a local level, Ferns United is in the Leinster Football Association, LFA, final this Sunday and I wish them well - Tiny, Terry, Paul and the girls. I went to see them a few weeks ago and I was taken aback by the family and community spirit there. The club is not even in the town of Ferns …
Those people have to be recognised and we wish them well.
I welcome the package presented on Sunday and recognise we are living in unprecedented times. We simply cannot forecast where this is going or predict where it will end. When the first fuel package was released, the response to the agriculture sector was simply insufficient and an insult to a critical cornerstone of our economy. Many members of the agriculture sector were on their knees long before this fuel crisis. …
I seek an update on the applications from Wexford County Council and Wicklow County Council for emergency funding for urgent road repairs following Storm Chandra. I strongly commend both councils' teams on their work to date. I welcome the Taoiseach's visit to many of the affected areas in days following the storm. However, this week, almost two months on from the storm, many roads remain closed or simply impassable.…
We are all deeply concerned about this escalating conflict and the scale of the damage we are witnessing. Now is the time to focus on de-escalation, and this can only be done through dialogue and diplomacy. Only yesterday, we learned that 23 sites of both gas and oil have been destroyed in Iran. These are sophisticated structures and will take time to be rebuilt. This will prolong the fuel crisis we are going through…
I want to speak to the Tánaiste about the tragic case of Claire Cullen from Riverchapel near Courtown in County Wexford. Claire was killed in a hit-and-run incident while attending her brother's wedding in the Dominican Republic approximately five months ago. Claire is survived by her husband Ronan and her three kids. Claire was an extremely kind, popular and talented young woman and her death has left a huge void in…
100. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Transport for an update on progress of the Arklow to Shillelagh greenway; to outline the next steps in the process, and a timeframe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15349/26]