We need a debate on the fishing industry. I welcome the new Minister for fisheries, who has hit the ground running from what I can see. I ask for a debate on issues such as Rockall, bluefin tuna and the extension of the black sole fishing quota season. These issues need to be discussed here urgently. Fishermen are pleading with us for that debate and I would appreciate it if the debate could take place this week.
TDs / Michael Collins
Michael Collins
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
326
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
214,846
words spoken in the chamber
Across 610 contributions
370
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
93
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 326 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 610 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 1 |
| January 2025 | 7 | 5 |
| February 2025 | 16 | 31 |
| March 2025 | 9 | 37 |
| April 2025 | 3 | 28 |
| May 2025 | 27 | 36 |
| June 2025 | 6 | 29 |
| July 2025 | 12 | 25 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 18 | 23 |
| October 2025 | 10 | 28 |
| November 2025 | 5 | 44 |
| December 2025 | 18 | 33 |
| January 2026 | 35 | 54 |
| February 2026 | 25 | 37 |
| March 2026 | 2 | 33 |
| April 2026 | 76 | 54 |
| May 2026 | 29 | 29 |
| June 2026 | 12 | 31 |
| July 2026 | 3 | 15 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 2 |
| September 2026 | 3 | 14 |
| October 2026 | 10 | 21 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 264 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 Cork South-West 29 November 2024 to now
- party Independent Ireland 29 November 2024 to now
People are being criticised for their views here in Dáil Éireann. We are fully entitled to put forward views different from those Deputy Coppinger has put forward. We will be opposing the Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Fox Hunting) Bill. We need to get a few facts right here. Foxes are classified as a pest species. Whether we agree or disagree, that is the fact. There are 150,000 to 200,000 foxes at the moment and…
I want to begin by welcoming the statement of apology delivered by the Minister for Justice in the Dáil. It is right and proper that the State formally acknowledge the multiple failings that contributed to the tragic and entirely avoidable death of Shane O'Farrell. This apology is a long overdue recognition of the pain, frustration and injustice suffered by Shane's family over the past 14 years. It represents a signi…
The people parents trust most in the world are the doctors and surgeons who are supposed to care for their children. This is one of the most atrocious breaches of trust that can be believed. Imagine that, without your knowledge, someone who is supposed to care for your child implanted a device inside them. That should never have been allowed to happen. Compounding that, we find out that operations that were not neces…
67. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the proposals to address the estimated 4,000 roads that remain outstanding under the local improvement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26586/25]
The local improvement scheme, LIS, is very important for rural communities and rural roadways. At this time, the Minister might be able to explain the Department's proposals on how it intends to address the estimated 4,000 roads that remain outstanding under the scheme. I would appreciate if the Minister explained it to us.
I thank the Minister very much. It is a very important scheme. It is a great scheme for anyone who qualifies. The problem, as I have said, is that 4,000 applications remain outstanding and have not qualified. For all the funds that have gone into it, they are not half enough of what needs to go into it. I have spoken to Deputy Danny Healy-Rae on this issue several times. It is a big issue in his area. It is also a bi…
I appreciate that and thank the Minister. We desperately need that extra funding in some areas. The Minister said that County Cork receives the third highest amount of funding. He will be aware that Cork is the biggest county in Ireland, so we are way down the ladder if that is the case. I am not trying to be critical. The Minister is doing his best to get additional funding and we appreciate that, because there is a…
I appreciate the Minister of State saying the motion is not being opposed, but is the Government going to deliver? That is the question here, and it is a huge question. Since I came here in 2016, that has been the case - non-delivery for home care services. I thank John Campbell and Mark Nolan for helping us put this motion together. This motion is about people. It is about the backbone of carers. They are forgotten …
A report published this week by Grant Thornton, having been commissioned by the Irish Postmasters Union, predicts that more than 100 post offices could close in the next five years if they do not get an urgent injection of State funding in the region of €15 million annually. This is required to keep the network viable. The local post office, whether rural or urban, is a critical public service.
Only in the last few …
This is not a numbers game but rather a humanitarian catastrophe. The whole population of Gaza, including 930,000 children, are now in famine. With our own history of an enforced famine at the hands of an occupier, the Irish people have a unique understanding and empathy for the people of Gaza. Some 66,000 children suffer severe malnutrition and 14,000 babies are potentially facing death within 48 hours if aid does n…
Communities throughout Ireland are in huge fear as they await flood relief schemes. Many of these communities just need simple river cleaning before their houses are flooded again. The bottom line is that we need a debate. I have been promised it might happen soon but I have been looking for a debate for the past number of weeks. We need an urgent debate. We never know when a flood will strike. The sun is shining rig…
It is 23 weeks and four days since the general election took place and almost four months since junior Ministers were appointed to their positions. However, powers have yet to be delegated to more than 50% of junior Ministers by this Government. The Taoiseach knows well the major housing crisis we have and the major challenges faced by small businesses, by communities that do not have flood relief schemes and by youn…
Our children with additional needs deserve our unwavering support and immediate action. Over 15,000 children are currently waiting for an assessment of needs, which is a crucial step in identifying their health and educational requirements as outlined in the Disability Act 2005. Our system is failing these children and their families. The HSE projects that without additional funding and resources this waiting list co…
112. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will reconsider the nitrates stocking rate map and make an adjustment to the Timoleague catchment stocking rate (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25786/25]
The recent changes made to the nitrates stocking rate map need to be reconsidered. Lowering the stocking rate to 220 kg N/ha in additional areas in west Cork will have minimal, if any, impact on water quality. The Timoleague catchment has demonstrated nitrates concentration in water does not proportionally increase when the stocking rates increase. Will the Minister please reconsider the map and make adjustments? I s…
I thank the Minister. This valuable catchment, which provides important research findings to the rest of the country through the agricultural catchment programme, will be subject to the stocking reduction of 220 kg N/ha from 1 December. This will make it impossible to decouple and quantify the impact of agricultural measures on water quality from a reduction in stocking rates.
In fact, critics of the sector will con…
I thank the Minister. I know he said he met the farmers in Timoleague. I think the Taoiseach has met them and the previous Taoiseach met them. The farmers there are doing everything and their utmost, and farmers who pull out all the stops need to be rewarded. It is within the Minister's remit to make changes here and make sure they do not end up in a situation where they are down to 220 kg N/ha on 1 December. It woul…
This is my first chance to welcome the Minister to his new role and I wish him the best going forward. I also welcome the IFA president, Mr. Francie Gorman, who is here with us. I acknowledge the volunteers on the ground in farm organisations, such as Mr. Tadhg Healy and previously Mr. Donal O'Donovan in west Cork. Tadhg is my right ear most weeks on farm issues and Mr. Dermot Kelleher, of the ICSA, is my left ear. I…
This Bill aims to improve workers' rights, but it also brings some challenges for small businesses, which would cause me to be concerned. I see Independent Ireland supporting this Bill going forward, but I want to raise concerns we have because there are a lot of concerns for small businesses in particular. Small businesses would no doubt have more paperwork and formal tasks like negotiations and dispute resolutions.…
The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, said on 1 May, "The current delays in the driver testing system are simply not acceptable." He also said, "People deserve a national driver testing service that they can rely upon", and that he will continue to hold the RSA to account until we see meaningful progress. To be honest, we are all fed up of hearing the same old line over and over again. I have young adults and their p…
As my colleagues mentioned, 14-year-old Cara Darmody is coming to sleep outside the Dáil next week for 50 hours to raise awareness not only for her own family, but for other families throughout this country. We need to put together a joint motion and we need to time to discuss this matter at great length next week because we are breaking the laws in this country, the laws we said we would stand by. It is taking a 14-…
I will begin by wishing Deputies Harkin and James Lawless the very best in their positions going forward. This is the first opportunity I have had to wish them well.
We have situations where there is a rural-urban divide in higher education. My concern is that Skibbereen Adult Education Centre and Kinsale Further Education College are doing an excellent job but the problem is that we sometimes do not come up with th…
If we got a euro for every time we spoke about housing since I came to Dáil Éireann, we would have a hell of a lot of houses built. We have a massive problem. We know that. I cannot understand why Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats and Labour have thrown out figures for delivery of housing which they know they can never deliver. Go down to my patch in west Cork and you cannot build a house there.…
I start by thanking Deputy Micheál Carrigy for bringing students from Scoil Samhthann in Ballinalee in County Longford to the Public Gallery here today. Many of them are there behind me, including my own cousin, who has very strong connections with west Cork. Aisling Hennessy is here with her fellow students and teachers. They are most welcome.
The private nursing home sector provides an invaluable service to the St…