The review will absolutely capture all of that. It is very important. There are a lot of local companies involved in this that otherwise would not be providing quality employment and service without this programme.
TDs / Dara Calleary
Dara Calleary
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the GaeltachtMinister for Social Protection
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
0
questions asked
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them
234,885
words spoken in the chamber
234,882 as a minister, 3 as a TD
406
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
Members of the Government answer parliamentary questions rather than ask them, so this page lists none of theirs.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Contributions to debates 896 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
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| Month | Contributions |
|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 42 |
| March 2025 | 66 |
| April 2025 | 12 |
| May 2025 | 140 |
| June 2025 | 43 |
| July 2025 | 32 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 46 |
| October 2025 | 40 |
| November 2025 | 42 |
| December 2025 | 42 |
| January 2026 | 43 |
| February 2026 | 74 |
| March 2026 | 31 |
| April 2026 | 45 |
| May 2026 | 46 |
| June 2026 | 40 |
| July 2026 | 37 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 45 |
| October 2026 | 30 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 735 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Mayo 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister for Rural and Community Development 23 January 2025 to 1 June 2025
- office Minister for Social Protection 23 January 2025 to 1 June 2025
- office Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht 2 June 2025 to now
- office Minister for Social Protection 2 June 2025 to now
Bhí sé seo pléite coicís ó shín. Níl aon teachtaireacht dhifriúil agam. Beidh rudaí i bhfad níos fearr tar éis an Bhille seo agus tar éis an toghcháin ná mar atá siad ag an nóiméad seo. Beidh ionadaíocht ann le guthanna ó Chontae Chorcaí, ó Chontae Phort Láirge agus ó Chontae na Mí ar an mbord nach bhfuil ann anois. I gcomhthéacs na gceantar nach mbeidh dírithe ar an mbord, tá na coistí réigiúnacha le bunú freisin. B…
Tá a lán ama caite againn ag iarraidh go mbeidh bord níos mó ann agus go mbeidh níos mó daoine á dtoghadh. Tuigim go bhfuil brú ar dhaoine nach bhfuil mórán deiseanna acu tithe a cheannach sa Ghaeltacht. Beidh sé sin á phlé againn. Má osclaímid an bord agus toghadh don bhord go dtí daoine lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht, ní bheidh sé ina údarás Gaeltachta. Is é an dainséar anseo, b'fhéidir, nach mbeidh suim ag daoine a bhfui…
Is maith gur luadh na córais sin. Níl mé ag iarraidh a bheith greannmhar ach tá réiteach na bhfaidhbe agam: cúrsaí PAS. Tá sé leagtha amach sa Bhille gurb iad an saghas sin daoine - na daoine a bhfuil cáilíochtaí acu agus suim acu i nGaeilge, mar atá leagtha amach go hiontach ag an Teachta McGuinness - a mbeimid ag iarraidh a chur ar an mbord tríd an gcóras PAS atá leagtha amach sa Bhille. Maidir le cúrsaí toghcháin,…
Gabhaim buíochas le gach Teachta a bhí páirteach sa phíosa sin. Tá sé an-tábhachtach. Is cuimhin liom an cruinniú a bhí ag an gcomhchoiste le príomhfheidhmeannaigh na gcomhairlí contae. Chun a bheith deas dóibh, déarfaidh mé nach raibh mórán tuisceana acu. Is cuimhin liom go raibh foighne an Chathaoirligh faoi bhrú ar an lá sin. Is cuimhin liom an cruinniú sin go soiléir. Táim ag iarraidh spáis maidir leis seo. Bhí c…
Aontaím leis na Teachtaí Connolly agus Ó Snodaigh. Leag an Teachta Connolly amach na cumhachtaí atá ag an údarás ag an bpointe seo mar gheall ar Acht 1979. Tá sé in ann tithe a cheannach agus a dhíol. Leag an Teachta gach rud amach ansin, na cumhachtaí atá aige ag an bpointe seo san áireamh. Ceapaim gur dhéileáil an tAcht a bhunaigh Údarás na Gaeltachta, agus a bhronn na cumhachtaí sin air leis na leasuithe atá leagt…
Is é sin an fáth go bhfuil mé ag iarraidh cruinniú a eagrú agus cúrsaí a phlé. Beidh cumhachtaí tithíochta i gceist de bharr an Bhille seo. Scrúdóidh mé leasuithe na hoíche anocht arís tar éis an phlé seo. Scrúdóidh mé iad roimh an gcéad Chéim eile agus tiocfaidh mé ais chuig an Teachta roimhe sin. Munar féidir linn aon rud a dhéanamh, fillfidh mé ar an Teachta i bhfad roimhe sin ionas go mbeidh sé in ann na leasuith…
Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí as na leasuithe. Mar a dúirt mé cúpla am anois, baineann an Bille seo le toghcháin chuig bord an údaráis. Níl mé ag iarraidh saorphas a thabhairt do na húdaráis áitiúla. An bhfuil sé sin á dhéanamh againn? Is é sin an bhuairt atá agam.
Tagaim ar ais go dtí sin. Níl sé, agus ní raibh sé riamh i gceist, go leasófaí an reachtaíocht phríomha iomlán, aidhmeanna uile na heagraíochta nó go…
Tá sé tábhachtach go n-aithníonn an Teachta go bhfuil airgead breise tugtha agus leasuithe breise déanta maidir le cúrsaí pleanála teanga an údaráis nach raibh ann roimhe seo. Rinneadh infheistíocht sa phróiseas pleanála sin. Tá ról an údaráis difriúil ón ról a bhí aige. Tá suim mhór agam in infheistíocht i gcúrsaí fiontraíochta an údaráis freisin. Tá taithí orm ar an údarás agus tá an-suim agam ann. Mar Aire Stáit s…
Táimid ar ais ag an agóid céanna idir bhord Stáit agus údarás. Tuigim an pointe a rinne an Teachta Ó Snodaigh go bhfuil coistí Oireachtais in ann dul go dtí seisiún príobháideach. Bhí an Teachta McGuinness ag lorg sampla d'aon áit ina bhfuil daoine tofa ann ach nach bhfuil ceamaraí ann. Bhí mé ag déanamh machnaimh air, agus smaoinigh mé ar Choimisiún Thithe an Oireachtais. Ní dóigh liom go mbíonn ceamaraí in úsáid ag…
Were this vote to succeed this evening and the Ceann Comhairle to lose the confidence of the House, a new Ceann Comhairle would have to be elected. We all have to ask ourselves, had anyone else sat in that Chair last Tuesday, would it have been different? It would not, because what happened was definitely orchestrated, organised and determined.
The criticisms that are being made of the Ceann Comhairle and how she ma…
I move:
To delete all the words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:
"commends the rapid response by local authorities, Electricity Supply Board (ESB) Networks, Uisce Éireann, Community Welfare Officers, Department of Social Protection staff and others, following Storm Éowyn, and this response, supported by the Defence Forces, Government agencies, Civil Defence and the Voluntary Emergency Services, wo…
That is covered.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as a ceist.
Working to address economic and social inequality in urban and rural areas is a core part of the work of our Department. The Department’s budget for 2025 is €472 million. Of this, €212 million is allocated to the rural development programme, supporting our rural areas to thrive socially and economically. The funding supports a wide range of schemes that can help the rural…
To give the Deputy an example regarding the community services programme, we are working with various companies around the country. We are contributing wage contribution to fund more than 2,000 positions in 430 community organisations. With regard to community centres, we have just finalised funding announcements for community centre refurbishments. That was community-led, rather than us setting a target, and that wa…
To build on the previous figures regarding SICAP, we delivered funding of approximately €51 million, which supported 2,500 community groups and 27,000 individuals in 2024. I have already spoken about the community services programme. As LEADER relaunches this year, 46,000 people have completed LEADER-funded training, which allowed 16,000 jobs to be sustained in rural areas. We provided €7.5 million to the Dublin nort…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta McGuinness as a bheannachtaí. Táim ag tnúth le hobair leis ar chúrsaí a bhaineann leis an Roinn seo agus leis an nGaeltacht. Our Rural Future was launched in 2021 and over its five year duration has provided vital investment and support, strengthened local economies and improved the lives of many people across rural Ireland. The programme for Government includes a commitment to publis…
I am anxious to get the views of younger people in rural areas. Part of the consultation will be specifically focused on them and getting them to engage with the review. Housing is a major issue. Táimid ag plé cúrsaí tithíochta i gcomhthéacs cúrsaí Gaeltachta freisin ach ní fadhb Ghaeltachta amháin í. Is fadhb í i ngach ceantar agus i ngach baile, rural agus urban. We will be looking at that.
The outgoing strategy h…
We agree on a lot. I also point out that, as the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, has just said, the RRDF is helping in terms of building community revitalisation to assist in housing as well. We announced 30 RRDF projects last year, worth €164 million. A total of €20 million was spent under the town and village renewal scheme. That window is open again this year. We are looking at how we build infrastructure to e…
I thank Deputy Quaide for the question. There is no doubting the importance of playground facilities in communities. That is the reason my Department supports such facilities through the CLÁR programme, the local enhancement programme, the LEADER programme, the community recognition fund and the town and village renewal scheme.
The CLÁR programme provides funding for small-scale projects in rural areas that have exp…
I welcome the fact that the initiative has been taken locally. The funding options are available to Cork County Council to support and fund that work. I direct the Deputy to the town and village renewal scheme, which is currently open. As it has funded playgrounds, skate parks, MUGAs, etc. in the past, it is definitely worth having a look at that. I encourage the Deputy to engage with Cork County Council on that. He …
I could not agree more with the Deputy. Parents are very busy, but it is not the job of the Department either. We have put the funding initiatives in place and the local authorities can engage with us on them. They are best suited to that role in such developments given their skills and knowledge of what is needed in each area. Under CLÁR alone, we funded 17 projects in Cork in 2023. In 2024 we funded 23 projects. Th…
I thank the Deputy. Having just transferred from the Department of enterprise, I understand the rationale for his question. The Department of Rural and Community Development has had policy responsibility for social enterprise since the Department was established in 2017. Trading for Impact: National Social Enterprise Policy 2024-2027 was launched in July 2024. This policy was the successor to the first national socia…
The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I look forward to working with the Local Development Companies Network, which has just rebranded. This will be a key area of focus. The Deputy touched on the issue of management capability.
People have really good ideas but, unfortunately, the execution of this can often be a challenge and can often intimidate people from taking the step. I certainly want to work in that s…
The Deputy need not worry; the Minister, Deputy Browne, has promised me a coffee down there any day. It sounds like a fabulous project. Those are the kinds of projects we want to see. They sound very much like community services projects that support 430 community-based organisations to provide local economic environmental services with 1,700 full-time posts and 340 manager posts, supported by the Department. Last ye…