23. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the economy, trade and competitiveness will meet next. [64289/26]
TDs / Albert Dolan
Albert Dolan
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1,557
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
45,779
words spoken in the chamber
Across 211 contributions
416
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
209
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
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Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Questions asked 1,557 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 211 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 3 | 7 |
| February 2025 | 85 | 6 |
| March 2025 | 68 | 5 |
| April 2025 | 49 | 3 |
| May 2025 | 132 | 17 |
| June 2025 | 125 | 16 |
| July 2025 | 149 | 5 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 100 | 13 |
| October 2025 | 97 | 6 |
| November 2025 | 138 | 11 |
| December 2025 | 53 | 14 |
| January 2026 | 71 | 16 |
| February 2026 | 38 | 14 |
| March 2026 | 92 | 12 |
| April 2026 | 55 | 10 |
| May 2026 | 65 | 11 |
| June 2026 | 131 | 15 |
| July 2026 | 51 | 0 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 21 | 20 |
| October 2026 | 34 | 10 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 157 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 Galway East 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
Mishnóc leather, a Galway business, has highlighted that it can no longer sell across Europe because of the regulatory burden associated with packaging compliance. Under the EU's packaging waste regulations, small retailers face separate extended producer responsibility registration requirements in different member states. Will the Taoiseach push for a single EU-wide, one-stop shop for packaging compliance similar to…
99. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health the action she is taking to ensure that all newly qualified nurses and midwives graduating in 2026 are offered permanent HSE contracts in accordance with existing national policy; the reason contracts are being withheld in some health regions despite significant nursing and midwifery vacancies, including at University Hospital Galway; and if she will make a statem…
I appreciate that clarity because I do not think the Minister could be any clearer. The north-west region appears to be over budget on the basis it has so many agency staff. That provides no solace to our young graduates who worked for the past four years to get qualified. I met them this morning in the audiovisual room and there were tears and upset. There is huge desire among young nurses to get into the workforce …
There is no disagreement here on the importance of how we treat our nurses, especially new people who want to enter the system. It is worrying that this is their first engagement with the HSE bar their training and placements and that their relationship with their employer has started in this vein. I understand the Minister cannot engage in micromanagement but it is important she continues to engage with the north-we…
I welcome the Bill and the proposals the Minister is bringing forward to strengthen gender pay gap reporting. The gender pay gap has real consequences for women throughout their lives, in their earnings, opportunities for promotion and pensions. Requiring employers covered by the legislation to report through a central portal will make that information more accessible. It will help people compare employers, assess pr…
I want to raise the very significant delay in progressing the redevelopment of Athenry town square. This is a prime example of where all of the groundwork has been done bar the actual groundwork. Back in 2023 when I was a member of Galway County Council, the project for the redevelopment of the Athenry town square, for Cross Street and North Gate Street in Athenry, received Part VIII planning approval. Following that…
I welcome the engagement that took place on 5 October between the Department of rural and community development and Galway County Council. It is promising to hear that the enterprise hub will be going to tender. In fairness to the council, it moved quickly to acquire that run-down building in the centre of Athenry town, but that was almost two years ago. It is a frustration that Members across the House share. The Go…
I raise the very serious and concerning issue of the recruitment of nurses in University Hospital Galway. It is absolutely unacceptable that so much money has been spent to train up these highly qualified nurses only for them not to be recruited by the HSE. We had the HSE in the public accounts committee last week. It was focused on the fact that it is trying to reduce its agency spend so that it can move people over…
The CEO of the HSE is aware of it. It just needs to be signed off.
I read in the Business Post that Europe has spent over €100 billion extra on energy this year since the start of the Iran War, and that is just in a European context. That is the amount of money that has been spent on energy, with no extra energy really delivered. That figure is just the increase in what Europeans have had to pay across the board. Somebody is definitely profiting, so there has to be consideration giv…
I want to use this debate to make a very simple point, which is that if the NTA and the Department of Transport are going to ask people to pay more for public transport, then people are entitled to ask what they are getting for it. For the people I represent, that has to mean two things: capacity and connectivity.
There are three practical examples in Galway East where we need to see delivery. The first is on the tr…
Across east Galway and, indeed, the country, families and farmers are putting their own money into solar panels. They are looking at the electricity bill, they are looking at the roof on the house and the farm shed, and they are making a decision to invest. That investment is something that should help them for years to come. Even with grant support, that is still a substantial commitment. People use savings and some…
I really appreciate the clarity provided in that detailed response. It definitely raises the question about looking back at what has happened in that time since the CRU stopped regulating energy. There are a lot of energy providers and competition in the market. There is also a lot of renewable generation happening. The most concerning thing in the response was the statement to the effect that "price setting by elect…
There are families in east Galway right now who are really worried because they cannot afford the cost of putting a fill of oil in the tank this winter. The reality is that the Government reduced the price on diesel and petrol but it is fair to say that it has not done anything yet to help families with the cost of home heating oil.
In this budget there needs to be a serious measure put in place to support the famil…
As we work to mark World Pharmacy Week with World Pharmacists Day tomorrow, I want to thank pharmacists and their teams across Galway East and throughout the country for the work they do every day. In towns and villages across my constituency, the pharmacy is somewhere people know they can turn to. They can walk through the door, speak to someone they trust and get professional advice about something that is worrying…
I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. Supporting people with disabilities and their families is a priority, particularly for me as a TD for Galway East, to ensure the people of Galway East receive the services they deserve. I want to see a system that supports their needs close to home and gives families confidence for the future.
I start by acknowledging the work Government has been doing.
It provided €…
6. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment when the successor to the current regional enterprise plan for the west will be launched; and whether additional measures are being considered to support enterprise development in regional and rural areas. [67196/26]
The western regional enterprise plan has been a successful endeavour. Regional enterprise in the west has continued to go from strength to strength. However, the plan ended in 2024. I accept that it was extended to 2025 for an independent review. However, we are now in September 2026. When will we see a revised, updated and ambitious western regional enterprise plan?
I welcome the report and that the plan will be published in the coming weeks. That is a huge step forward and will allow us to take things to the next level in east Galway, the rest of Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. Let us consider the reality of what has been achieved in just the past two years with the Dexcom facility in Athenry. There are more IDA Ireland lands in east Galway from Athenry to Tuam and Loughrea. We wan…
I welcome that commitment. It is important to say that we in Galway have an ability to deliver life sciences like no other area of the country. It has become what we are known for. Galway is seen as a medical devices and medical technology hub and we should pursue that by continuing to attract more talent from across the globe to that region.
I do not need to explain this to the Minister of State, but none of that c…
Last week in Galway, a meeting was held by IBEC with all the Oireachtas representatives from right across the political spectrum with the site leads in Galway and some of the CEOs of the organisations. It was a fruitful meeting. Competitiveness was the lead item on the agenda so I would appreciate an update on the implementation of the action plan.
I welcome that the actions are being implemented. I believe the Minister of State said that 24 have been completed to date. That is welcome, but there are 85 actions included in that implementation programme so there is work to be done. I know it is a body of work that will be worth doing.
The companies we met with outlined something to us. From small and medium enterprises right up to the largest of enterprises, wh…
One other thing that the Minister of State and all of the Ministers in the Department of enterprise will be aware of is that multinationals and Irish companies that are competing on a global scale are also competing internally. They are competing with sites in the US, sites in Asia and other European sites. We have to be conscious of that internal competition that is taking place. Part of the success story of the med…
I want to raise the issue of generational renewal and, specifically, the need for a farm succession scheme. We have been talking about the age profile of Irish farming for many years but the figures tell us that we simply have not shifted the dial. Only around 4.3% of Irish farm holders are under the age of 35 while almost 38% are over 65. This should be a concern to all of us who want to see the future of the farm f…