The Department has information about children and is going through that information. It has not come to any final decision and there will be quite a few more announcements to be made. It is about the children and their constitutional right to be educated, which we are proud to have in this country. It needs to be implemented and the Department and the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, work every day of the week to …
TDs / Thomas Byrne
Thomas Byrne
Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and at the Department of Defence
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
12
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
76,972
words spoken in the chamber
68,043 as a minister, 8,929 as a TD
268
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
11
topics asked about
Across 6 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 12 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 314 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 4 | 7 |
| March 2025 | 3 | 15 |
| April 2025 | 0 | 6 |
| May 2025 | 4 | 27 |
| June 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| July 2025 | 1 | 36 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 0 | 5 |
| October 2025 | 0 | 2 |
| November 2025 | 0 | 20 |
| December 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2026 | 0 | 53 |
| February 2026 | 0 | 12 |
| March 2026 | 0 | 4 |
| April 2026 | 0 | 37 |
| May 2026 | 0 | 19 |
| June 2026 | 0 | 20 |
| July 2026 | 0 | 11 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 0 | 40 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 113 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 Meath East 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Foreign Affairs and at the Department of Defence 29 January 2025 to 25 March 2025
- office Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and at the Department of Defence 26 March 2025 to now
On the individual case, I strongly urge the Deputy to give the details to me or directly to the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan.
The Government is committed to the provision of additional special places for children with special educational needs. There is funding, as I said previously, for 3,000 new specialist places and the NCSE today is currently examining where those are best located for the 2026-27 s…
We have to guarantee those places for children. The Government is acutely conscious of that. Work is ongoing to ensure that this guarantee, which, in my view, derives from the Constitution, is fulfilled for every child who needs a school place. The Department continues to engage intensively with the NCSE to forward plan for new special provision to get a place for every single child in the setting that best suits the…
I thank Deputy Cummins for raising this matter. The Minister for Education and Youth has asked me to set out the position with regard to youth work provision and the funding supports available. Supporting youth services and youth work is an absolute priority for the Department of Education and Youth. The Department is committed to ensuring that young people in Ballyfermot and everywhere else in the country have acces…
Deputy Cummins can be assured that the Department, Minister and officials will continue to actively engage with City of Dublin ETB, youth services and young people to ensure that there is appropriate provision for young people in Ballyfermot. The Department's commitment builds on the significant work already undertaken through targeted funding and collaborative initiatives, which have strengthened youth services and …
Sorry, I was agreeing with the Deputy. It was the idea of ordering a coffee on a drone.
It is unimaginable where I live, so-----
I had no idea people ordered coffee. I am in a lot of sympathy with the Deputies but that only shows there are many people out there very happy to order coffee by drone. That is part of the public view as well.
They are people who want coffee. They are voting with their orders as well.
The Minister sends his apologies that he could not attend the latter half of the debate. I am happy to be here and respond to this important debate on behalf of the Government. The Deputies have made good contributions. Deputy O'Gorman has done incredible work bringing this to the House. We acknowledge the work that he has done.
From a safe…
Each to their own.
It does not.
Backing their constituents.
Tell that to the workers in Eli Lilly. Tell that to the farmers working in your own constituency. You know what you are doing with your language.
Go down to Valeo in Tuam and give that speech.
You will not go to Tuam and give that speech-----
-----to the car factory.
Because some of them spoke to workers.
They were discussing with your constituents who work in factories in your area. That is probably why they had a different view.
I regret the term “traitors” being used in relation to MEPs who take their own democratic decision and who have taken into account their constituents and broad interests. There are two sides to this story. The Government did oppose Mercosur at the Council of the European Union, but it is also the case that the Government has acknowledged that certain sectors would benefit from it. MEPs are entitled to vote and make t…
And in Russian - let us face it.
And the Russians as well.
As well as the people of Venezuela.
That is not true.
Can we take a few questions and I will respond and then take a few more?
If that is okay. I do not want to forget any question if I can avoid it.
On Gaza, significant aid was announced by the Minister this week. The European Council discussed the Middle East at some length during the meeting in December. The Irish Government is focused on support for the people there. That is important and the European Council supported the ceasefire, supports the commitment the EU has to a just and last…