I appreciate the Deputy's understanding of the situation in relation to the Minister of State, Deputy Troy. My understanding is that the Commission is aware that the Government intends to move ahead with the dissolution of NAMA in 2026 and that there has been a discussion in that regard. I will ask the officials to prepare a more comprehensive response that addresses Deputy Doherty's question. I thank him for facilit…
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 thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. He has been in touch with me on a number of occasions to discuss the matter as it relates to operators in his constituency and further afield. I had an opportunity during the summer to visit Quinlan's Kerry Fish with the Deputy and see at first hand the implications of the issue.
As somebody new to the Department, I recognised from the first that there is a signif…
I thank the Deputy. He has raised a really important issue, which is that fishing is really about protecting and preserving our coastal communities through gainful employment by way of the natural resources available to those communities. The reality is that the scientific advice clearly indicates that wild stocks are being depleted for a multiplicity of reasons. These include overfishing by third countries, particul…
I will try not to use my full time because I am conscious that a number of Members want to contribute, and I will facilitate that. I thank the Deputies for seeking the opportunity for statements on fishing. It is timely considering the recent developments in the discussions and negotiations for fishing opportunities for 2026 but also as a chance to discuss other important issues and concerns affecting the fisheries s…
I thank Deputy Gallagher for raising this important issue. I also thank him for his guidance through this. As somebody with vast experience of the sector and an intimate knowledge at European level, he has been a source of good and wise counsel to me over recent months on this issue. He has identified the scientific advice now providing the backdrop to this and which will guide the total allowable catch for the pelag…
I thank Deputy Gallagher for his continued support. I have made it very clear to officials who negotiate on our behalf in advance of Council meetings that it cannot be business as usual. Today I instructed officials to vote against any access to blue whiting in European waters for Norway. I intend to maintain this position throughout. I accept we do not have a veto and that a blocking minority will be difficult. Notw…
I know the Deputy has a significant interest in this area. He has been in regular contact with me about the matter. As he will know, on 30 September, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea published its advice for widely distributed pelagic stocks for 2026. The ICES advice forms the basis of the scientific advice used by the European Commission in proposing total allowable catches and informs the EU…
The Deputy is right. Over the past five years, 1 million tonnes more than advised was caught. If you go back over ten years, I believe it would be 2 million. It has been consistent. The Union has accepted it and, as a result, we are seeing destruction prevail. The word "Armageddon" has been used and it is hard not to accept that when you consider the impact on Ireland, particularly with regard to pelagic stock and th…
As the Deputy will know, a review of the Common Fisheries Policy has been initiated. That may lead to changes in time. The issue of Norway's unilateral grab of quota certainly has to be prosecuted outside of DG MARE and the discussions around fish quotas. It is often raised with me by those within the sector that, where mackerel is used as a feedstock for the production of fishmeal, it finds its way back into the Eur…
I thank Deputy Gallagher for his interest in this matter. It is something he has been in regular contact with me about both in advance of the scientific advice being released and since then. I know, in particular, of his interest in the Killybegs area and the significant shock this will bring to the community of Killybegs, not just to those directly involved in the processing and catching sectors but also to all of t…
I full concur with the Deputy's analysis and vast experience. His name is regularly mentioned at the Council and in the European Parliament regarding the interest he has had not just for the Irish fishing sector but also for the sector at a wider European level. His insights were of particular importance. He is right in identifying that the fishing sector paid a particular price with the transfer of 26% of the macker…
I am conscious of the economic impact on our coastal communities. In successive programmes for Government, we set out a desire to continue to support coastal communities. The Deputy is right; it is through allowing fishers to catch and process fish that we support those communities. I will have to be guided by the scientific advice, as other Ministers have been previously. I know the sector does not want handouts or …
I thank Deputy Connolly for raising this issue. I know of his great interest in the angling sector. He is passionate about this issue and it is very close to his heart. He has had a number of discussions with me about angling, generally. I must begin by putting on the record that operational matters such as this are the preserve of IFI. I have no direct capacity to force it to do anything other than follow its duties…
I understand the anglers' perspective, but IFI is charged with the conservation of the Atlantic salmon stock. It is conscious of the protection and preservation of that species in all its forms. There is a concern that once the stock is above the conservation limit, it is not justified. At the time it was there before the conservation limit was under pressure, there was also an exercise in trying to understand the pa…
I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important debate. As Minister of State with responsibility for marine in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, I am pleased to announce that I have secured a significant budget of almost €158 million to support the fisheries sector for 2026. This funding will continue to provide support across capital infrastructure projects in our fishery harbour centres and …
That is a change of heart there.
I appreciate the Deputy's question. Ireland engages with the US across a broad range of multilateral energy forums, from the United Nations and the G20, where Ireland is a guest country under the current South African Presidency, to the IEA and IRENA. While respecting different policy emphases regarding, for example, energy mix and the role of renewables in particular, we also enjoy an excellent bilateral relationshi…
The Government's intention on the installation of a facility like the floating LNG facility that is proposed is that it is being led by the State rather than a commercial entity. It is being done in a controlled manner that will, as I outlined in the earlier answer, allow us to protect a critical supply in the event of anything happening to the two interconnectors or indeed the subsea pipeline which connects the Corr…
In addition to our support for the renewable energy sector, particularly with wind and solar, we are also enhancing our support for biogas. The Deputy will know that the Government has a strategy on that. We will see seven or eight projects in the very near future coming into play for that biogas system through the anaerobic digestion system.
We are absolutely committed to eliminating, insofar and as quickly as we p…
I thank Deputy Stanley. From previous Oireachtas terms, I know he has shown a great interest in this particular area and championed it over that time. In total, more than €29.2 million under the EU just transition fund has been allocated to projects that are fully or partially based in County Laois. Of this, almost €3.6 million has been approved for projects under way solely within County Laois, while more than €25.6…
I have an extensive list, which I can share with the Deputy. If there is a necessity to meet with some of his constituents about their concerns, I am happy to meet with them. This was a call-led approach, so it was dependent on projects being brought forward to seek funding. It was not as if the Government identified specific locations and sought to create a demand around that. The programme was in place and the call…
In fairness to the Deputy, he has always made those points. I appreciate his interest in this matter. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, launched a public consultation on the development of Ireland's social climate plan last Thursday. The plan will set out measures to be financed under the EU Social Climate Fund over the period 2026 to 2032. The EU Social Climate Fund is the first EU fund developed with the explic…
I recognise the efforts many communities have made to try to assist. Deputy Stanley should please share with us if there are other viable projects or assistance is required.
The home energy upgrade loan scheme, HEULS, was launched in April 2024. It is intended to play a crucial role in helping homeowners invest in their energy upgrades to make their homes warmer, healthier and more comfortable with lower emissions and lower bills. It was developed by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Finance, Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, SBCI, Sustainable Energy Authority o…
I thank the Deputy for pointing that out. That has been a feature. As we go to the air to water systems the costs are significant but the long-term rewards are real. When homes are brought up to a higher energy rating and appropriately insulated, there is a significant financial reward over time. When that is coupled with the use of solar panels, that reduces consumption in the first instance, thereby reducing bills.…