Give it a rest
TDs / Ruth Coppinger
Ruth Coppinger
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
938
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
164,714
words spoken in the chamber
Across 1,017 contributions
371
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
239
topics asked about
Across 19 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 938 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 1,017 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 5 |
| January 2025 | 4 | 2 |
| February 2025 | 40 | 62 |
| March 2025 | 32 | 55 |
| April 2025 | 59 | 51 |
| May 2025 | 42 | 68 |
| June 2025 | 33 | 69 |
| July 2025 | 48 | 63 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 81 | 26 |
| October 2025 | 26 | 79 |
| November 2025 | 81 | 42 |
| December 2025 | 16 | 58 |
| January 2026 | 64 | 66 |
| February 2026 | 64 | 99 |
| March 2026 | 66 | 46 |
| April 2026 | 79 | 48 |
| May 2026 | 53 | 50 |
| June 2026 | 51 | 60 |
| July 2026 | 26 | 32 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 1 |
| September 2026 | 53 | 20 |
| October 2026 | 20 | 15 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 687 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 Dublin West 29 November 2024 to now
- party People Before Profit-Solidarity 29 November 2024 to now
That is what it was.
17. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the programme plan for his Department's new disability unit for 2025-2027. [63181/25]
It is very important that the Minister does not beat the rural-urban drum that he has been trying to beat on every animal welfare issue. We have greyhounds in Dublin, we have foxes in Dublin and we have horses in Dublin, and most of us living in an urban area are a generation away from a rural one anyway. The fact that €100 million is being given to the racehorse and greyhound industry is absolutely scandalous.
I will devote most of my remarks to the greyhound industry but I will mention that horse racing is endemically linked with gambling, which is a real scourge and an addiction. There have been programmes broadcast throughout the week on that.
Some €20 million is to be given to the greyhound industry. Animal welfare charities were given €6 million. Last year the ISPCA was given €1.2 million, which was €868 per dog to h…
We will divide it between us. This is a very important debate because all around the world we are seeing an increase in violence, genocide, brutality and gross inequality. That is the reason people are fleeing the countries they are from and that we are discussing tonight the measures the Government is taking, which very much fall in line with the British Labour Government and other governments around the world. Some…
In the time between this debate beginning and ending, six women will have been murdered by family members. That is a shocking statistic from the UN. I support this Bill. I support anything that will help survivors of sexual assault to have peace in their lives. It is the very minimum that is needed, though.
In a previous Dáil, I introduced a Bill to provide for no-contact orders. Anybody should be able to prevent an…
I want to raise a very important issue for people in the greater Blanchardstown area, and Dublin West in general, which is the application and granting of planning permission for parking charges and barriers in Blanchardstown town centre. This is a proposal to fleece the community in a cost-of-living crisis and to fleece people who work in the centre. It will drive online shopping, job losses and shop closures, and w…
I am just wondering why I stayed until 12.15 a.m. to hear that explanation of what a planning application is. I do understand that the Minister of State has to be careful. I do get that. I thought we might be able to have a general discussion about whether people should pay car parking charges to access community and shopping facilities. What does the Minister of State think? Does he think this is right? Does he thin…
Yes, but on a general discussion.
Survivors of gender-based violence have just held a press event calling for Government action and for people to attend global marches taking place on Tuesday, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. I welcome Natasha O'Brien and Becca Clarke to the Gallery. They are among the survivors who just spoke. I also send solidarity to the loved ones of Stella Gallagher, who was killed in Cork thi…
Please do not.
I was here on a Thursday for the last debate on gender-based violence. It was pretty empty and it was many months ago. I get Leaders' Questions once a month, so I would appreciate if the Tánaiste could focus on the issue of the counselling notes and the DPP. He did at the end there; fair play.
On the counselling notes, the Minister has drafted a Bill under massive pressure and after campaigning by survivors who shou…
I want to read a quote about this Bill:
If passed, Ireland and her Parliament will be sending a strong message, that it condemns the occupation of territories deemed illegal under international law. This Bill, at its most basic, is about upholding international law. It applies to illegal occupations anywhere in the world and not just to Israel and Palestine.
It was a member of the Minister of State's party, Deputy …
5. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on water quality will next meet. [57002/25]
23. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach for a report on the work of the shared island unit. [57003/25]
I want to raise the genocide that has been happening in Sudan. It is the forgotten genocide because so much of our focus has been on Palestine. There is a large and important Sudanese community in Ireland. I had meetings with members of the community before the election. Many of them are doctors, contributing massively to our health service, engineers and so on. They are living with the reality of trying to keep in t…
I am in a small party so I do not get as many speaking opportunities on this issue as other, bigger parties, but I have been in here many times asking for a public statutory inquiry from the word go. I have known Gillian and, particularly, Stephen for just over a year, from before the tragedy with Harvey. We have to learn lessons from this because time and again, on so many issues, parents and relatives have had to c…
I was going to address Deputy Donohoe as Minister; I do not know what to call him right now. Obviously, personally I wish him and his family well but I am here to be political. He is a very ideological person so I am sure he will appreciate this.
No, and I am proud of it. I am proud to be a socialist and there are not many of us here.
The Taoiseach is eating into my time, which is very little. I want to start with where Deputy Donohoe is going with his new job. The World Bank and the IMF usually work together. Their policies drive inequality and austerity all around the globe. They decrease workers' rights, environmental considerations and life expectancy in any country they go into. We have a situation where 1% owns more than 95% of the wealth ac…
6. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on justice, migration and social affairs will next meet. [52039/25]
It is very concerning that a violent, extremist, far-right group has threatened to attack mosques and any place where there are migrants. Its slogan is "an eye for eye", apparently. A couple of men have been arrested and charged with possession of explosives. This is a very worrying development for families, particularly since there was an attempted murder in broad daylight in Drogheda. I put it to the Taoiseach that…
This matter was recently reported in the media, but, apparently, no journalists were interested in pursuing it any further.
Sorry, it is just a factual finding. People who were working for TDs were promoting racism, so it is obviously widespread.