This debate is particularly important because it is about the health and safety of the children of our nation, particularly our most vulnerable children. The test for the State has to be how we treat our children. I find the Minister to be incredibly empathetic. She puts the interests of the patient first in all of her approach to dealing with this issue. Based on her remarks, she is putting the children, the patient…
TDs / Malcolm Byrne
Malcolm Byrne
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
1,895
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
92,967
words spoken in the chamber
Across 348 contributions
416
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
356
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 1,895 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 348 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 81 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 42 | 16 |
| March 2025 | 71 | 12 |
| April 2025 | 50 | 21 |
| May 2025 | 72 | 28 |
| June 2025 | 46 | 22 |
| July 2025 | 94 | 15 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 68 | 15 |
| October 2025 | 95 | 13 |
| November 2025 | 179 | 22 |
| December 2025 | 111 | 12 |
| January 2026 | 143 | 28 |
| February 2026 | 183 | 31 |
| March 2026 | 136 | 16 |
| April 2026 | 94 | 22 |
| May 2026 | 121 | 18 |
| June 2026 | 102 | 19 |
| July 2026 | 128 | 16 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 45 | 13 |
| October 2026 | 34 | 9 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 258 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 Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
This is an important debate. Any decision that we make with regard to defence, security or foreign policy must be in line with our values, which are consistency with international law and respect for human rights, for the rule of law and for democracy.
This country has always been very committed to multilateralism. The parties on this side have always been strong supporters of the United Nations, and only the partie…
18. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the economy, trade and competitiveness will meet next. [66897/26]
I welcome the establishment of the Cabinet committee on artificial intelligence, which the Taoiseach will chair. I commend the Government on the hosting of the International AI Summit last week, and particularly our colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Niamh Smyth, for all of her work. Given the success of the summit, will the Taoiseach commit to it becoming an annual event for Ireland to host?
I welcome many of the measures within this Bill, particularly the research and development tax credits. I note that there are provisions here to tighten some of the rules around high net worth individuals making donations, for instance, for sporting purposes. There is an anomaly that exists, almost at the other end of the scale, if somebody chooses to donate a piece of land to a sporting or cultural organisation. If …
104. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the development of the planned new primary care centre for Gorey, County Wexford. [72409/26]
I ask the Minister for an update on the planned primary care centre for Gorey, County Wexford. Since tabling this question, there has been progress and we are about to hear the announcement, so I thank the Minister for her work on this.
I thank the Minister. It was fortunate I got to meet with the HSE on Friday after tabling this question and it confirmed the position. I am grateful for the Minister's work on the matter. It is critical that construction starts as soon as possible after the tender is awarded.
We look forward to inviting the Minister to Gorey to cut the ribbon in the not too distant future.
I commend the Minister and the Government on the continued investment in the Defence Forces and a significant increase in the budget and in cybersecurity. We know about the threats we face, including from the Russian shadow fleet operating in Irish waters. Will the Minister give us an update on the naval defence capability development plan? Might the Government consider Harland and Wolff in Belfast, now owned by the …
I am strongly in support of any individual who wants to come to Ireland, make a home here, work and contribute to our society. I count many such among my friends in my community. People who have come from Europe and beyond have found a home in my home town of Gorey, which is a wonderful place to live. They have made a life here. When they want to become a citizen, they are quite keen to contribute. They want to make …
I move:
That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to prohibit the making available of certain artificial intelligence companion services to children, to provide for age-assurance measures and to confer functions on Coimisiún na Meán; to amend the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022; and to provide for related matters.
This should be the best and safest country in the world in which to grow u…
I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."
14. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on EU and international affairs will meet next. [66896/26]
I welcome the closer relationship between Ireland and the European Union on one side and Canada on the other side. I ask the Taoiseach to outline to the House how he envisages the proposal of associate membership of the European Union for Canada operating.
Will he outline when he expects full Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA, ratification to proceed here in Ireland? In practical terms, does he see th…
I am grateful to the Minister of State for taking this issue on behalf of the Department of Health. It concerns the digitisation of health records. The current situation, which has existed for quite a long time, is not acceptable. We do not have link-ups between GPs and hospitals in terms of health records; we do not even have links between hospitals. If one health venue or health centre has to get the records for a …
I thank the Minister of State. I totally agree with him. The ambition is to follow wherever the patient receives care. We have to ensure that by 2032, whether you are in a GP surgery, a hospital, a community care setting or a nursing home, the medical records are easily accessible. I am concerned that we are talking about six years; it should be done more quickly. The timeframe has continued to be pushed out. In an e…
Once again I am raising the question of the continually poor service on the Dublin to Rosslare rail line. In terms of Topical Issues, Commencement Matters and parliamentary questions over the last six or seven years, I do not know how many times I have raised this issue. I appreciate that the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, is taking this on behalf of the Department of Transport.
The rail line between Westland Row…
I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I appreciate that he is taking the matter on behalf of the Minister but there is not an awful lot that is new in what he said. Essentially, the response with regard to new carriages is that when we put new carriages on some of the other lines, the hand-me-downs may be passed on to the Rosslare rail line. In the response, there are no plans for improvement with regard to th…
I very much welcome the Government's intention to proceed with a youth culture card, as committed to in our manifesto and in the programme for Government. This will help to build youth audiences for the arts. I would be grateful if the Minister could outline the timeframe for the introduction of the youth culture card and when applications will open for the proposed arts capital programme.
I share the Minister's ambition that this should be the best country in the world in which to be a child. That should apply to every child and they should be able to access whatever services are needed as quickly as possible. I disagree with some of the arguments being put forward about a Government effort to massage figures. If we look at the figures, which are widely available, the scale of need has grown. When the…
I move:
That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts 2002 to 2024 to prohibit the sale and supply of tobacco products, nicotine products and nicotine inhalation products to persons born on or after 1 January 2009; to provide for related offences, enforcement and penalties; and to provide for related matters.
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this. T…
I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."
I welcome this debate. As I indicated during the discussions on Irish unity last week, we should always be open to discussing any possibilities for new constitutional arrangements or co-operation on this island or between these islands. At all stages, it is critical that the discussion be evidence based, fully transparent and honest. It cannot just be a discussion purely about the economy. It has to be about society …
As we are moving towards the recess, I thank the Ceann Comhairle, and indeed, the officials in her office and all of the staff across the House for all of their work during the year that has made this place run so smoothly.
I wish to raise the question of Bunclody Community College. I have had to do it on a number of occasions. This is an excellent and very inclusive school in Bunclody, County Wexford on the Wexford…
I appreciate the Minister of State is responding on behalf of the Minister but the response provides nothing new. It is almost a carbon copy of the response I received when I raised this issue in January last. We talk about the NDP allocation, and the Department's response refers to "a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs" and those who are disadvantaged. This is a DEIS school with…