93. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to ensure the survivors of institutional abuse who recently ended their hunger strike receive their HAA card and full contributory pension. [11582/26]
TDs / Jen Cummins
Jen Cummins
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
895
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
102,602
words spoken in the chamber
Across 269 contributions. Plus 67 contributions from the chair, not counted
406
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
168
topics asked about
Across 18 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 895 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 269 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 1 |
| January 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 11 | 8 |
| March 2025 | 35 | 18 |
| April 2025 | 100 | 12 |
| May 2025 | 49 | 18 |
| June 2025 | 49 | 16 |
| July 2025 | 69 | 15 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 55 | 8 |
| October 2025 | 22 | 11 |
| November 2025 | 65 | 12 |
| December 2025 | 44 | 23 |
| January 2026 | 58 | 12 |
| February 2026 | 22 | 18 |
| March 2026 | 46 | 8 |
| April 2026 | 90 | 18 |
| May 2026 | 64 | 20 |
| June 2026 | 34 | 15 |
| July 2026 | 29 | 17 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 18 | 6 |
| October 2026 | 35 | 13 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 133 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 South-Central 29 November 2024 to now
- party Social Democrats 29 November 2024 to now
I congratulate the Minister on her role. I have not seen Deputy Naughton in the Chamber in this capacity. I wish her the very best of luck.
I wanted to discuss those people who were on hunger strike for 51 days before Christmas. Lots of promises have been made and negotiations have happened but there has not been much action. I want to remind people why they were on hunger strike. It was because when they were child…
While that is welcome and the survivors, with whom I have spoken, are happy the things being outlined are going to happen, the problem is around when they will happen. When will there be the apology from the Government about the criminal records given to these children? The Taoiseach promised these things in the letter in November. When will the apology from the Government about the boarding out of the children happe…
I appreciate that, and I know they do as well. Going back to the human level, however, that Act was enacted in July and they were on strike in the autumn. It is now springtime. They have had decades of recurring trauma based on how this country treated them as children. Some of them are of advanced age and some are not but, with the toll it has taken on them - not only the hunger strike but the entirety of their live…
The issue in respect of SNAs is coming up in my constituency. When the review from the NCSE comes along, there is a downward turn in respect of the numbers of SNAs. That is despite the fact that when the new students arrive, schools must again increase the numbers of SNAs. Long-term staff are being let go and rehired by another school, or reappointed when the new students come. Everything is a little topsy-turvy.
On…
I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for letting me come in. I agree with Deputy Lawless and the Minister of State that the planning is most welcome because there is then an opportunity to foresee what is going to come down the tracks. However, I have raised several times that the 1 October cut-off point has been very detrimental to parents and I am still hearing they are not being given letters of eligibility and are…
Maud Coffey was killed by her partner who was suffering from a severe and enduring mental health condition three years ago. They were a loving couple and life was looking very positive for them. Maud was a lovely, kind, creative person who loved her family. The family have only her best interests at heart in the context of what they would like to see happen. I grew up with Maud Coffey and her family, and I count them…
We cannot help it. We are all very excited about this Bill.
We did not think we would be this excited, to be honest, as Deputy Gannon said. I nearly had a heart attack when I thought I was going to be talking on public procurement because it is not something you think about every day but, as the Deputy says, it is vitally important.
As education spokesperson, I have to say we can see this in our schools every day. Where we see that is when, for example, €5 billion has been s…
I have spoken many times in this Chamber about flood prevention and future planning. Climate change means that Ireland will be more prone to flooding due to adverse weather conditions. In my constituency, there are a number of rivers that have either caused or threatened to cause flooding. The River Poddle flows through Kimmage, Crumlin and Harold's Cross. I am happy that a flood alleviation scheme is happening there…
The starting point has to be numbers because the political debate has become completely detached from reality. Last year, Ireland granted family reunification to just 669 relatives of people with international protection status. That is the full scale of what we are talking about. These are not people who arrived yesterday or who have bypassed the system. These are people who have already met one of the highest legal…
Road safety is an issue in every part of the country. In recent weeks and today, we heard of yet more tragedies. I welcome any measures that can be taken to make road safety better but I will not hold my breath.
These are some examples from my constituency, Dublin South Central. Calm Crumlin Road was set up a few years ago because of the absolute danger zone that road is. Two years ago, a woman was tragically killed…
Thank you, Deputy.
This Bill is deeply flawed. It says it is going to protect security of tenure, but it is like I am living in a parallel universe. I am hearing two sides. The Minister's story is one thing and the reality for our constituents is different. The suggestion is that the Bill will protect existing renters from rising rents. Apparently, it is going to protect renters and set rents at market rates. It promises the sun, moon …
In accordance with Standing Order 85(2), the division is postponed until the weekly division time on Wednesday, 11 February 2026.
I thank Deputy Healy for bringing forward this motion. It is timely that we are discussing a cost-of-living Private Member' motion. The Social Democrats have brought forward a number of measures to try to support people with the ever-increasing rise in the cost of just existing, due to the cost of so many things. I want to focus on a number of areas and the first is poverty. We have been hearing for a very long time …
85. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to support students that are estranged from family, to access SUSI and other supports on campuses. [7275/26]
I would like to discuss a sensitive issue with the Minister. How is he planning to support students who are estranged from their parents? How can such students access SUSI grants and other supports on campus? A number of students who are in quite challenging situations due to estrangement from their parents have contacted me. Their circumstances leave them financially vulnerable and potentially prevent them accessing…
The number of people involved is not huge. I accept that in cases where people might be taking advantage of that potential, it would have to be ruled out because we have to protect taxpayers' money. However, I am focused on the small number of people who are estranged from their parents, for whatever reason. There has to be a trauma-informed mechanism in our education system and through the SUSI grant to support thos…
We hear from students and groups who support them that the current system cumulatively creates hardships for those students. It is bureaucratic and burdensome. The proof requirements are narrow and assumptions about family supports perhaps do not match the student's reality. Given that there are so few of these students, could a body be set up to meet these young people and take a trauma-informed approach? I am not t…
Despite repeated assurances from the Government, there is still a crisis in special education. Children are travelling miles outside their communities and some are still without a school place. Assurances were given to me that the closing of the portal on 1 October would not mean that any child would be shut out. However, children are being shut out because the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has failed…
I am raising this issue on behalf of Ballyfermot Youth Service, which I visited recently. It has a fantastic facility in Ballyfermot. I am not sure if the Minister of State has ever been to Ballyfermot. It is an area of Dublin which has faced a lot of difficulties over many decades but there is a great sense of community in it, and that can really be seen in the skate park facility that has been built there. It is ab…
I am delighted to hear that the Government values the work being done in Ballyfermot. If the Minister of State or the Minister ever gets an opportunity to visit, they should take it because the model there is fantastic. I spoke to the community garda in Ballyfermot who said that Ballyfermot Youth Service safeguards vulnerable young people. The role it plays in diverting young people from crime and anti-social behavio…
We would prefer if Deputy Coppinger did not mention any company that is not here and cannot defend itself.
Others have not done it, so it would be great if Deputy Coppinger could also not mention company names because they are not here to defend themselves.
I know, but other Deputies have refrained from doing that so it would be very helpful. It is because the company is not here to defend itself. I ask that the Deputy refrain from doing that.