I thank both Deputies for their contributions. I think every TD has received correspondence from young people or parents in the same position. I received an email last week from a parent about their son, whose test has been postponed eight times since he applied for it. The dates have been shifted out. That is not acceptable to anybody.
My meeting with the RSA leadership last week focused on the need to reduce the c…
TDs / Seán Canney
Seán Canney
Minister of State at the Department of Transport
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
65
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
81,563
words spoken in the chamber
81,563 as a minister, 0 as a TD
343
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
39
topics asked about
Across 9 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 65 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 220 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 4 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 5 | 21 |
| March 2025 | 4 | 12 |
| April 2025 | 4 | 5 |
| May 2025 | 2 | 33 |
| June 2025 | 8 | 15 |
| July 2025 | 7 | 2 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 8 | 0 |
| October 2025 | 2 | 8 |
| November 2025 | 5 | 50 |
| December 2025 | 4 | 0 |
| January 2026 | 1 | 13 |
| February 2026 | 4 | 6 |
| March 2026 | 2 | 2 |
| April 2026 | 3 | 19 |
| May 2026 | 2 | 1 |
| June 2026 | 0 | 4 |
| July 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 0 | 25 |
| October 2026 | 0 | 4 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 164 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 Galway East 29 November 2024 to now
- party Independent 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister of State at the Department of Transport 23 January 2025 to now
To respond to Deputy Crowe, as I said earlier, nothing is off the table. In the past, we have used private instructors to do testing, so nothing is off the table as far as I am concerned. Turning to Deputy Burke, what he said is exactly the point. I want to see what is going to happen on a weekly basis, how the numbers are going to be reduced and how the additional testers will be put in place. I need to see the work…
My apologies, I was not here at the very start. I thank Deputy Brady for raising this matter.
The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding regarding the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, and in line with the national development plan, the operation and management…
A benefit of doing this project will be to improve the congestion issues faced by road users by increasing capacity on the existing route and identifying opportunities for bus priority measures. This will allow for more reliable and safer journeys for commuters and vulnerable road users. It aims to reduce the frequency and severity of collisions along this route. The proposed project will improve connectivity between…
The current status of the project is to provide for the bus priority measures, active travel, junction safety and strategic network resilience on the N11-M11 between junctions 4 and 14. This major scheme is at the options selection phase - preferred route open selection. It is important that we look at this in the context that it is being delivered by TII in conjunction with Wicklow County Council. Wicklow County Cou…
I am glad the Deputy raised this question because it is a problem throughout the country. I understand his frustration.
I will first provide an outline. The Road Safety Authority Act 2006 gave statutory responsibility for the national driver test service to the RSA. At the end of April, the average estimated time for invitation to test for a candidate was 25 weeks. I am told the waiting time for invitation to test i…
I recognise and feel the Deputy's frustration because I know and feel it myself in my own constituency. People contact me to say their test has been postponed up to five or six times. They are young people, healthcare workers, the whole shooting match. I assure the Deputy that I am treating this as an emergency. I met RSA representatives last week and asked them to come back to me next week with firm proposals on wha…
I am delighted that Deputy Gogarty is talking about coming to Galway. We want people to come to Galway.
At the outset, I wish to clarify that while the Minister for Transport, Deputy O’Brien, has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport, neither he, the Minister of State or our officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The statutory responsi…
The Deputy makes a strong case. I am listening. I assure him that the Minister for Transport recognises that transport connectivity is hugely important for people who live and work in Ireland and that expanding the public transport network and increasing service levels throughout the country will lead to more balanced regional development and greater connectivity. The Deputy spoke about Lucan and places like Adamstow…
I thank the Deputy for his very precise request and for raising this topic, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy O’Brien. The Minister has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, neither he nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The statutory responsibility for securing the provision of publi…
Let me bring some balance to this.
Single fares for some routes will be reduced significantly. Drogheda to Dublin Connolly will drop from €11.95 to €6, which is a 50% reduction. Conversely, some fares will increase, most notably in Greystones, Sallins and Naas, and Skerries, which fall outside the city zone. Within the Dublin city zone - the 25 km radius from the city centre - the fares determination will see a sing…
I want to express my total confidence in Deputy Verona Murphy as Ceann Comhairle of this House. She is a woman of great vision and strength, and it is important that she be allowed to continue as the first woman to serve as Ceann Comhairle here.
People have talked about last week and the scenes that were in here in the Chamber. I am not going to repeat them. Suffice to say, the people on the ground who I represent i…
As the Deputy may be aware, a number of significant improvements are planned across Ireland's rail network over the coming years, including on the Dublin to Rosslare line. Last year, some changes to timetables on the line were introduced, including a new late evening service between Wexford and Gorey. I look forward to similar such timetable improvements being introduced in the coming years. My Department is also wor…
I hear the Deputy's frustration when he suggests there should be better and more frequent services. This is where the all-island rail review comes into focus. Improvements in the line to Wexford and Rosslare are part of the overall plan. Some of the infrastructural investment that has to go in will be a challenge, considering where the line is and the infrastructure that will be required. It is important we have conn…
We are on the same wavelength here. We need proper investment and to deliver infrastructure that suits people's demands.
On the Dublin-Belfast issue, the popularity of the train service has created additional demand. That is a good thing. It means it is working. We have to keep it working right across the country and put investment into it. We also have to provide a good passenger experience to retain long-term cust…
I thank the Deputy. As she may be aware, the NTA published the final new bus network design for Galway in December 2023. The redesign of the bus network is one of the key elements of BusConnects Galway, which aims to transform the city’s bus system, making public transport more useful to more people.
This new Galway network redesign involves extensive analysis and public consultation. The NTA carried out a detailed …
I, too, question why we have to wait two years to get it implemented. It is something I will be going back on because it is important that we deliver infrastructure faster. The Government's approach is to implement things rather than strategise them. We have enough of the paperwork done. We need to get it going.
We have a huge problem with traffic in Galway city. We need to push on with the projects we need in the c…
The Deputy is not the first public representative to talk to me about Mervue, so I am well aware of it.
On the detail the Deputy is looking for as regards the running of the bus service and the contracts that will be in place, that is information I do not have now.
I will come back to the Deputy because it is something I need to know about myself. As I said, I am just into the job so I will be finding out.
I thank the Deputy for her kind words. As she is aware, the National Transport Authority published a light rail feasibility study for Galway last October for information. The study was prepared as part of a mode-specific analysis undertaken for the development of the Galway metropolitan area transport strategy, which the NTA is developing, in conjunction with Galway City Council and Galway County Council. A strategic…
I understand the Deputy's frustration when she talks about this particular problem we have in Galway. I hope we will be able to find solutions. One of the frustrations is that we spend a great deal of time on strategies and plans when we need to spend a little bit more time on implementation so that we can actually see the improvements reaching people on the ground. The light rail feasibility study was published for …
The Deputy is right. I mentioned earlier that rail infrastructure in Galway is being developed with the development of Ceannt Station and the granting of planning permission for the passing loop at Oranmore. It is important that we create better connectivity into the city but also that we create a city in which you can move around in comfort. On the issue of the park-and-ride facilities that were planned and approved…
As the Deputy is probably aware, this is a project I have been pursuing for a long number of years. The final report of the all-island strategic rail review was published in July last year, following extensive public consultation. The report sets out 32 recommendations to enhance and expand the rail system in Ireland and Northern Ireland up to 2050, aligning with decarbonisation commitments in both jurisdictions.
Th…
There is a timeline. I said that the all-island rail review mentioned a start date of 2030. However, with the review of the national development plan, and in view of the fact that the project does not need planning permission or a rail order, it is a project that can be implemented a lot quicker than that. I hope to talk to and continue to engage with officials. In the context of the national development plan, we hop…
I will take this matter on behalf of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Peter Burke. I thank Deputy McCormack for raising this important matter. The Minister, Deputy Burke, and I share his deep concern for those staff and their families in County Offaly who are impacted by the decisions of the companies.
In January 2025 , Nelipak Healthcare of Clara, County Offaly, announced that it had undert…