The title of this session is statements on a world-class education system. We must begin by saying we do get very good outcomes in many ways given Ireland is near the end or in the lower part of the OECD in terms of education spending, which is about 8% below the average. However, we would be wrong to think we have a world-class education system. We have an education system that is quite ableist, driven by results an…
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
The Israeli finance minister stated, “We are annihilating everything that remains in the Strip”, “we are conquering, clearing and staying”, and “the world still hasn’t stopped us”. That is the Israeli finance minister admitting in plain sight that Israel is carrying out a genocide. Food trucks are sitting by with baby food and baby formula, and 14,000 babies are set to face death in the next 48 hours, according to th…
The Tánaiste said global momentum is building, but what happened yesterday with the EU? Those concerned sat on their hands as this information was brought to their attention.
The EU and UK are feeling the pressure because half a million people took to the streets in London and there were huge marches all over the globe. The global movement of ordinary people is the only light that shows humanity still exists. The sa…
-----and stop the Central Bank of Ireland from processing bonds in Ireland.
The belief that zoos are necessary to preserve rare animals and biodiversity is the only justification for maintaining them. Why would we think it is okay for some animals to suffer to maintain biodiversity? In any case, it is not true because zoos do not lead to that. I have heard the Minister of State's great credentials. I am asking him to be the first Minister of State to look into Dublin Zoo. I have spoken to a …
I also do not support the change to this scheme or the amendment proposed. Let us put this in context. Some 91% of the people who are participating in hosting refugees under this scheme have never been landlords before. It is not true that this scheme will interfere or has interfered with the housing market because nine out of ten of hosts never would have been landlords. I do not understand why this argument is bein…
11. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Justice, Migration and Social Affairs will meet next. [25530/25]
The Government's new policy on justice and migration is to increase the number of deportations, particularly by using chartered flights. The Minister goes on social media to announce that a charter flight has taken place. Is this not virtue signalling to the increased racism that there is in society and to the far right? We have already seen this week the backing down from a migration centre in Coolock. Is it any won…
Chartered flights.
30. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that deals with rural affairs and community development will next meet. [25531/25]
Community development is also important in large suburbs and urban areas. As the Taoiseach knows, there has been massive development in Dublin West, in many cases without the necessary transport and schools.
We have large populations but now we have no transport links between many of the suburbs. Could the Taoiseach look into a situation? There are 11 families in Tyrrelstown who cannot get into their local school, L…
Yes.
Yes.
I too pay tribute to Cara and her father and all the campaigners and the people who have already slept outside the Dáil this year, Families Unite for Services and Support, FUSS, Equality in Education, ASD15 and the myriad local groups that have been banging on about this issue for a long time. One thing I have learned about neurodivergent, autistic and disabled people is that they hate social pretence and falsity. Th…
Ireland's agricultural industry is an environmental laggard. Agriculture here and in the EU is based on a capitalist economic model of industrial-scale farming that is hugely unsustainable, produces environmental destruction and fails to provide sustainable and secure incomes for small and medium farmers in Ireland and globally into the future. CAP is part of that unsustainable global system of agriculture. It is a p…
Once again, this is a Bill that has had to be brought before the Dáil because the Irish Government persists with this illusion that people have the right to union representation. It is Orwellian that you have the right to join a union but your employer does not have to recognise it, so you really do not have a right. If the Government is serious about workers' rights, this is a key one. In the early 1980s, about 60% …
We cannot wait.
Survivors of sexual and gender-based violence have been for many years seeking a ban on counselling notes being used in trials because it is so traumatising and damaging. This weekend, Jacqueline Connolly, the sister of Clodagh Hawe, who was murdered along with her children by her husband, spoke about a priest who pleaded confessional privilege who had vital information relating to those crimes but was able to not gi…
We need an end to this practice, not to leave it in the hands of a judge.
The mere fact-----
-----one's counselling notes can be seized is what is traumatic and damaging.
I am just finishing the sentence.
I was interrupted because they were all talking during it.
I was not sure if the Taoiseach could hear me, so I stopped.
And it is not good enough. It is not ending the practice. It is just-----