532. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he plans to implement new draft wind energy guidelines;and if he will make a statement on the matter.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60285/25]
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
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 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
533. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he plans to implement new draft wind energy guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60322/25]
The current wind energy guidelines date back to 2006. In 2006, turbines were 80 m high. Today in east Galway, communities are fighting applications against 180 m industrial structures using rules from two decades ago. It is regulatory negligence to apply 2006 rules to 2025 technology. My argument is simple. The guidelines must protect people first, through strictly increased setback distances and noise regulation. On…
I appreciate the update and that the Department of energy and climate is working on the noise aspect. The speed at which this is dealt with is vital. Right now, there is a gold rush and a race to get planning applications through for these wind farms. I am speaking on behalf of the people of east Galway in Killimordaly, Barnaderg, Shancloon, Laurclavagh and Clonbern. There are 27 proposed wind farms in north Galway a…
Recently I had the privilege of walking one of the proposed sites in Shancloon near Caherlistrane in County Galway, where what was before me was beautiful open landscape. What amazed me was that this windfarm was proposed to be built on a bog. In order to build a turbine on a bog, a significant amount of peat has to be excavated in order to put in the concrete base to allow for the turbine to go up. The problem here …
93. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department is liaising with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the new draft wind energy guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59827/25]
Is the Department of climate working with the Department of housing on the delivery of updated wind energy guidelines? I would be grateful for an update on same. Is there any anticipated timeline for when we can expected updated wind energy guidelines? It is of huge concern to the people of Galway East. I appreciate any response.
Schools in Galway East and right across the country are waiting on critical upgrades and critical building upgrades. I am talking about new classrooms, special education spaces, safer buildings and modern facilities. I am thinking about Carrabane National School, Gort National School, St. Brigid's College in Loughrea, Gort Community School, and Coláiste an Eachréidh in Athenry. Over recent months, we have seen very f…
I welcome the opportunity to speak on men's health. I commend the Minister of State on the investment she made in August to provide more than 15,000 free counselling sessions to men. This is really welcome because quite often men, and particularly young men, are afraid to speak about how they are doing, how they are coping with the pressures of life and how things are going. It is important that young men, and all me…
I am delighted to rise in support of Deputy Malcolm Byrne’s Bill to make the title "accountant" a protected title. As a chartered accountant, I know what it takes to go through the rigorous training process, the ethical standards and the requirements to pass examinations to become a qualified accountant. We have seen the consequences of the loophole. Across communities and small businesses, people have been misled an…
It is a privilege to speak on my first budget in my term as a TD. It is very clear what the budget is about. It is about investing in the future of this country and securing the jobs that fund it and ultimately make it a success. When we talk about investing for the future, we have to be realistic about the investments that needs to be made in infrastructure, energy, grid capacity and the security of the country. Als…
95. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current cost of the bovine TB eradication programme; if he will address the concerns regarding funding shortfalls in the bovine TB compensation scheme for affected farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54860/25]
What has unfolded before our eyes in Gaza is nothing short of catastrophic. It is a stain on humanity and it demands our unflinching condemnation. Since the war began, over 65,000 people have lost their lives, tens of thousands more have been injured and millions are displaced and starving. Children are buried beneath rubble, hospitals and schools are destroyed and an entire people are being deliberately deprived of …
I welcome this debate. The one thing I have to say about sports capital funding and the one thing that is heartwarming about it is that it is the most efficiently spent money in the country. When the grant is devolved to our local clubs and teams, we see them go to the ends of the earth to spend the money as efficiently as possible to yield the very best results for their communities. That always needs to be remember…
6. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the action he is taking to simplify business regulation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51027/25]
Red tape is a huge issue for small businesses. When I am out meeting business people, one thing that comes up consistently is red tape. What is the Minister of State doing to cut through red tape and simplify business regulation?
Go maith agat. I really welcome all that is being done in the Department to try to simplify business regulation.
From my dealings with the Department, that is definitely the thinking. It wants to make life better for businesses. It wants to make Ireland a better place to operate a business. To reiterate how important this point is, the IBEC CEO Survey 2025 ranks sensible regulation as the third most important issue …
Part of what will make our business environment better to do business in is something that falls within the Minister of State's brief, namely digitisation. Ultimately, the question the Department needs to be asking is whether every grant application, licence permit, etc., can be processed by it digitally? It is important for every Department to look at this because if somebody cannot easily deal with a Department in …
9. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of investments IDA Ireland is targeting in the west under its current strategy; its performance in investments in the west under the previous strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50584/25]
The work of IDA Ireland cannot be underestimated. It has a proven, serious track record of delivery right across the country and of bringing in business and creating jobs. Under the current strategy, how has IDA Ireland performed in the west of Ireland, what is the plan for the future and where are we going from here? Ultimately, it is vital that we make a success of the west. I would appreciate it if the Minister co…
Over 31,000 people are employed by IDA companies in the west of Ireland, as the Minister outlined. I welcome the fact that the ambition is going up, from 76-IDA backed investments in the last plan to a target of 100 investments over the lifetime of this strategy. I welcome the publication of the strategy.
I attended the opening of the Medical Technology Ireland conference yesterday in Galway and saw for myself the t…
I really welcome that and I assure the Minister that, when he goes to Cabinet with that memo, he will have my full support. We must make sure that site is unlocked and the potential is realised. What is notable about that semiconductor site, adjacent to Oranmore, is its scale. It is going to be huge and the impact will secure the future of the west of Ireland for the next 20, 30 or 40 years. Something like the advanc…
Today, I welcome the introduction of My Future Fund. This is Ireland's new system of automatic enrolment into pensions. This is one of the most important social reforms for a generation. For too long, too many workers, particularly in the private sector, have faced the prospect of reaching retirement with only the State pension. We know that only about a third of private sector workers currently have a supplementary …
We have a duty and a moral obligation to protect the long-term health of our young people. Right now, too many children and teenagers are being targeted in the context of, hooked on and harmed by vaping. Let us be clear; nicotine is addictive. The long-terms health effects of these products are still unknown, and yet an entire generation is being lured in by colourful packaging, candy-flavoured liquids and the false …
The programme for Government sets out a clear commitment to bringing in an unsewered villages scheme. In 2022, a fantastic investment of €50 million was announced to bring some of these villages that do not have sewage facilities back into use, such as Craughwell and Clarinbridge in Galway. These were fantastic announcements. Three years on, however, we do not have plans, sites or, ultimately, execution. When is the …