I thank the Deputy for the question. I know that, like others, he has had a considerable ongoing engagement with all aspects of fisheries, and his input is welcome and being considered.
I am very aware of the challenges facing inshore fishermen and fisherwomen and have met with representatives of the sector, including the National Inshore Fishermen's Association, NIFA, on a number of occasions in recent months and h…
TDs / Timmy Dooley
Timmy Dooley
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
102
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
78,869
words spoken in the chamber
73,967 as a minister, 4,902 as a TD
290
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
33
topics asked about
Across 15 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 102 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 266 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 1 |
| January 2025 | 1 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 75 | 12 |
| March 2025 | 2 | 1 |
| April 2025 | 3 | 5 |
| May 2025 | 0 | 14 |
| June 2025 | 0 | 3 |
| July 2025 | 0 | 9 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 0 | 31 |
| October 2025 | 0 | 12 |
| November 2025 | 0 | 2 |
| December 2025 | 0 | 27 |
| January 2026 | 2 | 24 |
| February 2026 | 5 | 24 |
| March 2026 | 4 | 10 |
| April 2026 | 5 | 30 |
| May 2026 | 2 | 16 |
| June 2026 | 3 | 22 |
| July 2026 | 0 | 5 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 0 | 11 |
| October 2026 | 0 | 7 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 168 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 Clare 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications 25 February 2025 to 1 June 2025
- office Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment 2 June 2025 to now
I assure the Deputy that it will happen as quickly as possible. Later today I will be meeting with Michael Berkery, the independent chair, to continue the discussions we have had about establishing this as quickly as possible. There is concern among the representatives of inshore fishermen and fisherwomen that the task force is a response to the large quota cut for the pelagic sector. That is true, but because we are…
I am very conscious of the impact the small inshore fishermen and fisherwomen have on their communities. Sometimes it is just a living for their own families, but it is also part of the cultural life of some of these little villages and hamlets along our coast that many people take the opportunity to visit as part of their getaways from the larger cities, a tourism component. At the heart of it, however, are the peop…
As the Deputy knows, the Hague preferences are negotiated annually. Over the years, many member states have objected strenuously to their application because the additional quota for Ireland comes from their allocations. These objections have intensified in recent times, arising from reductions in quota due to quota transfers under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and scientific advice based on a considerabl…
I understand that the Deputy comes from an area where fishing is important. To be clear, the quota reduction, based on the scientific advice, applied across the board regardless of the member states involved. It did not seek to penalise Ireland in favour of any other state. It sought to try to protect, insofar as possible, the future of certain species. The Deputy is right in the sense that Ireland has a significant …
The task force will be part of the Food Vision strategy. Later today I will be meeting with the independent chair, Michael Berkery. We have a draft of the terms of reference, which I hope to have agreed shortly. I hope that the first meeting can take place within the next two weeks. We have a clear agenda about the necessity to address the crisis in light of the fishing opportunity that has been lost for 2026. I also…
Give it up.
Can you imagine if another leader came over to tell us what to do?
That is why Deputy Tóibín left Sinn Féin.
The Deputy should be careful.
I thank Deputies for their contributions to the debate. The Government welcomes the considerations and contributions on this Stage. I look forward to what I think, based on what I heard, will be the Deputies' support in progressing the Bill through the House. The Gas Safety (Amendment) Bill 2026 will make crucial and long-sought changes to our regulatory regime for natural gas and liquified petroleum gas, protecting …
-----and that is something that will come on board through Gas Networks Ireland. I am pleased we are making significant progress in that area.
I am sorry I did not get to answer my good friend, Deputy Heneghan, but he and I will have a conversation again about the whole offshore piece in another forum I am sure.
I move:
That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy pursuant to Standing Orders 103 and 188.
I begin by reiterating that the Government rejects entirely the arguments and assertions put forward in the Sinn Féin motion. As stated by the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, the motion does not at all acknowledge the serious and diligent work undertaken by the Government and by numerous Government Ministers at European level with like-minded EU member states to oppose the EU-Mercosur agreement and to defend the …
When at some point Sinn Féin gets an opportunity to be in government - it has experience north of the Border - it will know how diplomacy works. When people have the privilege and obligation to work on behalf of the people, they do so behind the scenes and they work generously. We set our frame forward when we entered government with a programme for Government that set out clearly that we were against the Mercosur ag…
Yes, because others worked together to block us. The Deputies opposite know the facts of this.
They know full well that this decision does not diminish Ireland's commitment to trade with the European Union or to the international engagement. Rather, it reflects a careful, evidence-based judgment that trade policy must be fair, sustainable and balanced. The Government will continue to engage constructively as the process moves forward, including ahead of the European Parliament vote. We will continue to advocat…
-----or the reopening of market access for beef to the Chinese markets. This Government has shown time after time a commitment to rural communities. Time after time, it has delivered for rural communities. We can all get up here and shout and roar, but the reality is that I, as someone who was born and bred in a rural community and brought up on a small farm,-----
-----know how much agriculture has changed over the past 50 years. I know what engagement within the European Union has meant and I am shocked by some of the utterances, that some people say our future would be better - I am not saying Deputy Kenny said this but it is part of this narrative - outside the European Union.
Sadly, the Deputy and I know that is not the case.
Which European treaty did Sinn Féin support? We would not be there today if it was up to Sinn Féin.
Every day.
It would have passed either way.
That is the European Parliament now.
My understanding is that he has been away all week in Strasbourg. He has been involved in issues relating to the Irish Presidency.