I am tempted to talk about child school places, but I want to talk about adult disabled people because it has been almost one year since the care referendum this Government lost because disabled people got organised online and actively and defeated the care referendum whether we like it or not. They then went on to defeat the Green Paper which was another Thatcherite plan of the previous Government to force people in…
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
77. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the minimum standards contractors engaged by his Department and its agencies are expected to comply with in terms of workers’ rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6617/25]
What are the minimum standards expected of the Minister's Department and the agencies connected to it in respect of workers' rights, union rights and the right to join a union? Government policy is now to outsource in relation to energy, waste and water. A number of union-busting companies, such as Veolia, are looking to get contracts with this State and other states. It is engaged right now in a strike in Sheffield …
Veolia is a very large French multinational that specialises in extracting money from public services in various countries. In Sheffield and in the UK, 78 workers have been laid off for their right to join a trade union and to have their union, Unite, recognised by their employer. I am hoping this means we will have no such relationship with Veolia into the future, although this State has not had a good record of che…
I am sure the Minister of State will join me in sending solidarity to those workers who are making a huge sacrifice for their jobs, pay and conditions, and in calling on Veolia to clean up its act and recognise the union. I hope this State will not have contracts with Veolia. It is important to put that on the Dáil record, so this does not happen in this State.
Connolly Hospital serves a massive catchment area of about 331,000 people in Dublin west, north and mid-west and counties Kildare and Meath. These are areas where the population of this country has increased so enormously. The hospital also takes all the road traffic accident cases from the M50. Connolly Hospital has one CT scanner. It broke down last Thursday, so for six days patients were being ferried and shuffled…
-----and staff were spending money. That hospital has asked since 1998 for a second CT scanner. Will the Minister get a second CT scanner for Connolly Hospital?
Will that include the CT scanner? It would be nice if you mentioned that, the actual subject of the question.
Some Deputies have said they are not from rural areas but we all eat food so we are all entitled to speak on the topic. Also, the animals which provide the food are everybody's concern. No special privilege is afforded if you are a rural dweller or a farmer. We talk about the food economy but what about the welfare of the animals in that food economy? Nobody wants to eat food that is based on cruelty but that is happ…
The Minister should be here.
It can.
Half a million young people are living with their parents, including two thirds of under-35s. The Government has said today that people can go from the back bedroom to the back garden or alternatively to Boston, Berlin or wherever. Young people in my constituency told me when we were out canvassing that we would not see anyone over 23 in the area and that young Blanchardstown is in Australia. I will be parliamentary …
With respect to the Social Democrats, they should not have started the debate with the likes of that.
Deputy Troy can answer after my time.
People who are profiting from the housing crisis are coming in to answer about it. It is unbelievable. Not everyone had a chance to buy a gaff when they were 20, like the Minister of State. He said he was not a person of privilege, but he is. I want to go back to the Government itself. It wants to pivot to the private sector. IRES REIT profits have increased 3% since the statement by the Taoiseach on Monday. Landlord…
I am wondering why the NCSE is to spend up €100,000, reportedly, not on extra help for schoolchildren or on research but on researching why there is an exceptional increase in the demand for special education. It is quite incredible the council is going to outsource finding that out to a consultant. I will give the Minister some of the reasons now without her wasting the money. The reason for the increase in demand i…
I thank the Ceann Comhairle. What are the Taoiseach's intentions in relation to the traditional St. Patrick's Day visit to the White House? This morning, we read that the Taoiseach intends to send a high-powered delegation, particularly focused on business. Is there anything that President Trump can do that will change that and prevent the Taoiseach from going? Is there any fresh hell President Trump can actually unl…
Is there some reason the Taoiseach cannot hear me? I said "fresh hell" that he can unleash.
President Trump actually announced his intention to unleash hell on Gaza over the weekend.
Ireland does not have a lot of power globally. However, we do have the power not to give President Trump a photo op on an important day for Ireland globally and not to normalise what he is doing. Does the Taoiseach agree that what President Trump is proposing for Gaza is ethnic cleansing and that it would amount to a war crime…
The Taoiseach did not answer the central question I asked. Does he agree that Trump's plan for Gaza is ethnic cleansing? Yes or no. Can he answer that question? I do not agree that we should have an economic policy that is dependent on staying silent on genocide. An economic policy which requires that is a flawed one.
When the Taoiseach refers to consolidating the ceasefire, what Trump has announced does not consoli…
The Taoiseach pointed to the roof after 7 October.
Is Trump's plan ethnic cleansing or not?
The Taoiseach has six second left. Is Trump's plan ethnic cleansing or not?
The Taoiseach is refusing to answer the question.
He has all the time in the world today.