I welcome the appointment of Lynn Boylan, Sinn Féin's Dublin MEP, to the security and defence committee. She will be a powerful voice in the EU for Irish neutrality and against a militarised Europe.
Irish Army personnel are renowned for peacekeeping missions around the world in war-torn countries, not for going off to fight other people's wars. They are renowned for bringing peace to areas where truces and ceasefire…
TDs / Paul Donnelly
Paul Donnelly
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
584
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
44,577
words spoken in the chamber
Across 172 contributions
426
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
135
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 584 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 172 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 33 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 37 | 12 |
| March 2025 | 53 | 8 |
| April 2025 | 44 | 8 |
| May 2025 | 25 | 14 |
| June 2025 | 48 | 4 |
| July 2025 | 39 | 14 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 40 | 5 |
| October 2025 | 13 | 12 |
| November 2025 | 23 | 5 |
| December 2025 | 32 | 18 |
| January 2026 | 18 | 11 |
| February 2026 | 38 | 4 |
| March 2026 | 22 | 17 |
| April 2026 | 42 | 7 |
| May 2026 | 15 | 13 |
| June 2026 | 17 | 9 |
| July 2026 | 19 | 1 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 13 | 3 |
| October 2026 | 13 | 7 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 67 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 Sinn Féin 29 November 2024 to now
The Taoiseach had his chance.
There is a crisis in biodiversity. We have seen a deterioration over decades, with bad planning and destruction on a huge scale during the Celtic tiger era and before it. Ironically, Ireland is known across the world as a green place, where trees, lakes, seas, beaches and countryside is pristine in terms of biodiversity but the facts do not bear that out. A substantial proportion of our EU-protected habitats and spec…
My blood is boiling after listening to that speech. Fine Gael has been in power for 15 years and Fianna Fáil supported the party for 11 of those years. It has been the same absolute waffle. Who has done great out of this in all of that time? It has been the bankers, bondholders, developers and vultures - the corporate interests. They have all been paid. They have all got their deals.
This Government will go down in …
The Government can choose that legacy today.
I commend the Palestine solidarity movement. Over the past number of years, it has marched probably a couple of hundred of kilometres at this stage. It is a testament to the Irish people and their solidarity with the Palestinian people. I would like to thank Deputy Boyd Barrett and Senator Black. The occupied territories Bill has been ongoing for eight years. I remember it took 24 hours to bail out the bankers and th…
"Europe Day is a chance ... to celebrate the community of values we represent and are jointly working to protect and nourish." That is something I read today. Yesterday, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, talked about establishing an international claims committee for Ukraine, which we support. There is rightly outcry and outrage against Russia across the EU. Russia has committed atrocities and there are quite rightly dem…
In the statement from the Minister of State, the Government claps itself on the back for doing something over the last couple of weeks even though it had to be dragged kicking and screaming into doing so. Even then, it could not get it right. Unsustainably high energy and fuel prices in this State further compound a pre-existing cost-of-living crisis that has been going on for the last number of years. We keep saying…
The cost-of-living crisis is putting massive pressure on workers and their families. Everything they buy and use, including their rent, fuel, food and meals continues to increase leaving workers unable to make ends meet. The dream that is sold to young people, that if they stay in school, do well, go to college or get an apprenticeship, they will get a job that will meet their needs, is becoming a nightmare. A lot of…
I am going to give the Tánaiste some examples of how this Government is failing our most vulnerable children. Hansfield Educate Together National School is telling us it will not be able to support children with additional needs due to the lack of SNA allocation for this September, forcing it to reduce timetables for students with additional needs. One school in Dublin West has been awarded DEIS plus status but there…
----but not in Dublin West. It is the same HSE. Why? Why is the Government failing our children?
I really just wanted to be here to show my support for this Bill and to thank Deputy Ó Snodaigh and everybody who participated in this Bill, as well as the people up in the Gallery. It is incredibly important in this day and age. I am really saddened that we are in a situation that there has been a kick back against such a positive move over the past number of years towards understanding and accepting difference. Tha…
If we ever needed evidence that the Government is out of touch, then the protests, supported by a huge majority of people in two polls over the weekend, are a wake-up call for this Government.
Unfortunately, the vote is over. However, the fight for fairness for workers and families goes on. We know from yesterday's vote that this Government is not for the people. Here is a message for the people: the next chance the…
The Minister of State will be relieved to know I am not going to name all of the football clubs in Dublin West because there are too many. It shows the strength of football in our community. The clubs exist not because of Government funding but in spite of it. Most of the money they use in their clubs is received through fundraising. They have to go through hoops to get every cent. Some of the figures are staggering,…
The garden sheds you built.
What about the time?
The Tánaiste is eating into every one else's time-----
Next weekend, many of us will be at the 1916 Easter commemorations honouring those who fought and died for Irish freedom. The Proclamation references "cherishing all the children of the nation equally". Just last week, I met the local management committee for school completion at Blakestown Community School. Like all school completion committees, it works with the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children in our com…
It is one school. One.
Absolutely.
What were the criteria?
What were the criteria?
It is not about opposing.
I ask the Tánaiste to withdraw that. This is not about opposing.
Will you publish the criteria as to how these schools were selected?