I would love to do that because it is very important to support that organisation. The Deputy raised that already.
The reality is that we have seen - for example, in the community services programme - an increase of €4 million to €59.4 million this year. We have seen a 6% increase in the budget. We will reflect on the articulation by the community and voluntary sector in terms of the preparation of the strategy and …
TDs / Jerry Buttimer
Jerry Buttimer
Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and at the Department of Transport
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
21
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
121,393
words spoken in the chamber
121,360 as a minister, 33 as a TD
395
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
17
topics asked about
Across 8 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 21 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 432 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 9 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 12 | 16 |
| March 2025 | 0 | 17 |
| April 2025 | 0 | 9 |
| May 2025 | 0 | 15 |
| June 2025 | 0 | 24 |
| July 2025 | 0 | 20 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 0 | 23 |
| October 2025 | 0 | 17 |
| November 2025 | 0 | 23 |
| December 2025 | 0 | 21 |
| January 2026 | 0 | 17 |
| February 2026 | 0 | 31 |
| March 2026 | 0 | 24 |
| April 2026 | 0 | 38 |
| May 2026 | 0 | 46 |
| June 2026 | 0 | 37 |
| July 2026 | 0 | 16 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 0 | 22 |
| October 2026 | 0 | 16 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 363 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Asked about similar topics
Not enough questions on record to compare.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Cork South-Central 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fine Gael 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and at the Department of Transport 29 January 2025 to 1 June 2025
- office Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and at the Department of Transport 2 June 2025 to now
Gabhaim buíochas leis Teachta Ó Murchú. As the Deputy knows, the process of the development of a new strategy to support community and voluntary sector as a successor to Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities is well under way. It is being informed by an extensive public and stakeholder consultation process. This process has included an in-person consultation event, which took place in Tullamore last July a…
The new strategy will take into account the new challenges facing the community and voluntary sector. It is evolving and changing and we are not oblivious to that. Richard Bruton, in the social enterprise space, will certainly drive and hold us to account. The previous strategy delivered significant progress in terms of a variety of metrics. Our future direction, policy and decision-making will be a reflection of our…
The important point where we have shared commonality is that the Government is committed to supporting the implementation of a new strategy. The community and voluntary sector is an important pillar and we look forward to working continually to ensure that relationship is not just strengthened but that it is a partnership between the Government and the sector. I could list the Deputy a whole raft of projects, which I…
Yes. We will continue to do that but we must also recognise that we have seen a 6% increase in the budget. We have seen an increase in terms of the community service programme, which reflects that we are in an evolving and changing world and as needs change challenges must be met. This is not something we are oblivious to. We have an open-door policy. There is engagement. We are not living in an ivory tower. If the D…
I move amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:
"notes that:
— the Government is committed to the delivery of major public transport projects, as evidenced by last year's review of the National Development Plan (NDP) allocation of €24.3 billion to transport projects from 2026 to 2030;
— the NDP Sectoral Plan for Transport 2026-2030 involves a funding ratio of at leas…
Deputy Bacik should come down to the Dunkettle roundabout. Deputy Eoghan Kenny will tell her about the investment in Dunkettle.
I do not think he claimed that, to be fair.
I thank the Deputy for raising this very important matter. He has been consistent in raising matters relating to public transport in the House.
I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Transport. The DART+ programme comprises five different rail projects in and around the greater Dublin area, extending the existing DART network to Maynooth, M3 Parkway, Hazelhatch and Celbridge and Drogheda and improving…
I went to college in Maynooth, and Deputy Joe Neville has been on to me, as has Deputy Farrelly in the past, to be fair. Again, on behalf of the Minister for Transport, I thank Deputy Farrelly for raising this matter. This is a very important issue and I am familiar with the Kilcock issue, which Deputy Farrelly has spoken about. I do not have a definitive answer on the public consultation but I will ask officials to …
I thank Deputy Whitmore for raising issues of local transport in County Wicklow. As Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for rural transport, I clearly reaffirm Government's commitment to strong and ongoing enhancement of our Local Link services right across rural Ireland, particularly in County Wicklow.
Under the Programme for Government: Securing Ireland's Future, we are del…
I know Deputy Whitmore and Deputy Timmins have raised this before. We are engaging with the NTA. We are awaiting the service plan. As the Deputy will know, we do not announce routes in part. It is part of the whole national service plan. The Department has made a commitment. The NTA has advised us that the procurement process for Transport for Ireland route 199, Glendalough to Bray, is complete. We are awaiting the s…
The real facts are that the plan is imminent. To put this in context, the budget was in December. The Department gave the NTA its allocation. To be fair to it, it is working through the process. This is the first week of January. The Deputy used the word "trust". Look at the Government's commitment in terms of its investment in rural transport. Some €84 million has been invested and there has been a 36% increase in t…
I thank Deputy Keogh for raising the issue. As Minister of State in the Department of Transport with special responsibility for rural transport, with my colleagues, the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, we are, as I told Deputy Whitmore, investing considerably in services throughout the country under the NTA’s flagship Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan, supported by funding allo…
I will conclude on this. There is €31 million ring-fenced for rural transport, a 38% increase on funding from last year.
The map paints a very good picture and I accept there are challenges. There are the provisions we have to bring and we want to see a further enhancement of the service. As I said earlier to Deputy Whitmore and I will say again now, we await the NTA service plan. As the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, said to Deputy Carthy in terms of road funding, we will listen to all requests. We have a finite budget, as the Deputy will …
The Deputy is right that it is about boxing clever and TFI Anseo is a success. I fundamentally agree with her. She mentioned Knockrooskey. It is about that joined-up approach in terms of the local authority with footpaths, the NTA and Bus Éireann. What I would like us to do further as a Department is better linkage in terms of more accessibility and highlighting what the Deputy referenced in terms of the child who wa…
The Minister, Deputy Naughton, sends her apologies. For my part, I was a teacher for 17 years. I fully concur with many of the comments the Deputy has made. She is right that the importance of this issue is such that it requires a rigorous and methodical approach and evaluation by everybody. I have always been of the same view as the Deputy that it is about following the student. She is right about that and I agree w…
I thank the Deputy for raising many pertinent points, which I do not disagree with. She is right that it is not just about funding. During my own career, it was not just about funding. This is about that wraparound service and that engagement. It is not just about being able to measure but being able to have students reach their full potential. It is not just about literacy and numeracy. The Deputy mentioned the arts…
I thank the Deputies. I am taking the matter for the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, who apologises that he cannot be here. As both of them know quite well, the Minister has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport, but neither the Minister nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operations of the public transport service. That rests with the NTA, which both Deputies articulate…
Deputy Murphy might forward that to me because it is important that we bring feedback to the NTA. I assure the Deputies that the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and I, and the Department, fully recognise that transport connectivity is hugely important for people who live, work and study. Deputy Boyd Barrett mentioned the link to Heuston Station. It beggars belief that there is no link …
Please do. I encourage the Deputy to do so. If we do not take the experiences of the travelling public on board, then we cannot learn. There are mistakes and gaps. I would be the first to say that. I see it in my city of Cork. I am not living in an ivory tower. I use the bus in Cork. I recognise this when I meet people. Going back to the Deputies' fundamental point, it is crazy, in a world with the technology we have…
Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí Sherlock agus Boyd Barrett as an ábhar tábhachtach seo a thabhairt chun cinn.
I agree with Members that our identity and reputation are so inextricably linked. I am taking this matter on the behalf of the Minister, as the Deputies know. This Government places great value on culture and the arts sector. As outlined in the programme for Government, we recognise that they are essential…
I hear what the Deputies are saying and will bring their contributions back to the Minister and the Department. It is fair to say that the Minister is supportive of investment in physical infrastructure for cultural and arts venues at a regional level and in regional locations to ensure support for vibrant local cultural life with high-quality programming. The Department has an extensive grant programme as a contribu…
I thank Deputy McGreehan for raising this very important matter. I thank her for speaking up, advocating on behalf of volunteering and referring to the forthcoming second national volunteering strategy. As the Deputy rightly said, in Irish society volunteering is part of who we are. It is woven into our communities, our culture and our sense of identity. From the GAA pitch to the soccer pitch to the parish hall and f…