Hear, hear.
TDs / Mairéad Farrell
Mairéad Farrell
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
1,072
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
77,415
words spoken in the chamber
Across 359 contributions. Plus 93 contributions from the chair, not counted
363
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
266
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 1,072 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 359 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 21 | 5 |
| February 2025 | 74 | 21 |
| March 2025 | 51 | 21 |
| April 2025 | 47 | 41 |
| May 2025 | 64 | 12 |
| June 2025 | 104 | 15 |
| July 2025 | 58 | 24 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 26 | 2 |
| October 2025 | 30 | 26 |
| November 2025 | 59 | 5 |
| December 2025 | 45 | 30 |
| January 2026 | 46 | 4 |
| February 2026 | 70 | 3 |
| March 2026 | 72 | 19 |
| April 2026 | 48 | 15 |
| May 2026 | 63 | 28 |
| June 2026 | 93 | 10 |
| July 2026 | 57 | 30 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 24 | 8 |
| October 2026 | 20 | 40 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 209 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 West 29 November 2024 to now
- party Sinn Féin 29 November 2024 to now
Over the past few days, we have seen Iran's cities bombed, its leader assassinated and civil infrastructure destroyed.
Among the targets hit was a girls' elementary school, where people, including innocent schoolchildren, the most vulnerable members of society, were slaughtered. These facts alone should give world leaders, including the Irish Government, pause for serious thought. These developments risk pushing an …
Tá sé tábhachtach a rá gur mhaith an rud é go bhfuil daoine óga chomh tógtha leis an nGaeilge is atá faoi láthair. Feicimid go bhfuil gluaiseacht láidir ann le daoine óga a bhfuil suim acu sa Ghaeilge. I ndáiríre, is na daoine óga atá ag cur brú orainn chun a chinntiú go bhfuil na seirbhísí agus chuile shórt ar fáil dóibh trí mheán na Gaeilge. Ar ndóigh, tá go leor rudaí cultúrtha ann atá ag brú an ghluaiseacht sin a…
Is maith an rud é go raibh ráitis againn inniu maidir le Seachtain na Gaeilge agus is maith an rud é go mbíonn díospóireacht chuile bhliain againn sa Seomra seo mar gheall ar chúrsaí Gaeilge. Is maith an rud é ach muna bhfuil gníomh ann théis sin agus muna ndéantar dada chun cabhrú le muintir na Gaeltachta fanacht sa Ghaeltacht agus a theaghlaigh a thógáil sa Ghaeltacht, céard is fiú é? Is fiú faic é. Tá a fhios agai…
145. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to provide an update on the possibility of derogation from the World Athletics 1934 political boundary rule that prohibits athletes from the North of Ireland from representing Ireland at European and world athletics competitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16819/26]
It is very hard to follow the words of a child who knows and tells us how important their SNAs are.
That is why when we have this conversation and are having this debate, we need to thank our SNAs who are working tirelessly and often thanklessly to care for and support our children and children within our communities. SNAs are the reason children with additional needs can be educated with their friends within their …
Tá imní ar mhuintir Chonamara faoi iarratas atá curtha isteach ag Arramara Teoranta maidir le baint feamainne ar fud Chonamara. Mar is eol don Taoiseach, is ceist ghoilliúnach í seo. An príomhrud atá ag cur imní ar dhaoine ná cén cosaint a mbeidh ag bainteoirí feamainne traidisiúnta sa reachtaíocht nua. Dúradh in 2018 go raibh cosaint ann ach anois níl sé soiléir go bhfuil nó, níos measa fós, breathnaíonn sé ar nós n…
3. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to give an update on flood relief schemes; and on the underspend within the allocation to the National Flood Forecasting Warning Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11569/26]
The fact of the matter is remote working works. It works for workers, for businesses and for communities. Workers have really gained control of their work-life balance, businesses have been able to cut their overhead costs and workers and families are now far more involved in their local communities because they can be. I am deeply concerned about recent efforts to undermine these gains. This is a hit to workers acro…
Uisce Éireann Infrastructure Delivery, Accountability and Repair Timelines: Motion [Private Members]
There are a number of issues relating to Uisce Éireann. They have been well documented here today. I want to talk about a number of issues in my home county of Galway in both the city and the county.
I am talking about certain pieces of infrastructure like wastewater infrastructure. That is basic infrastructure that any developed country should be able to provide for the people living in its cities or county areas. …
Uisce Éireann Infrastructure Delivery, Accountability and Repair Timelines: Motion [Private Members]
Hear, hear.
The reality of this deal is simple. It is a sell-out. It is a sell-out of Irish farmers, our food standards and even our environmental protections. The European Commission has forced through this agreement, completely ignoring the huge cost it brings to the people of Ireland and of Europe. The cost of this deal is Irish livelihoods. Irish farmers cannot fairly compete with cheap imports from Mercosur countries with l…
Last night, thousands of households across Connemara were without power again. There was a storm and lightning. No one is going to blame the Government for lightening or a storm by any stretch of the imagination. However, we have a situation where every two weeks I get a text from someone who lives in Connemara to tell me the electricity has gone out again. Over the summer months, it is every month. Therefore, we cle…
To be very clear here, I welcome any investment that helps this situation. However, we need to be clear that there is a need for long-term investment because of so many decades of underinvestment in the basic infrastructure in Connemara. That is why we have poles that are pushed over on their sides and cables still on the ground. We also need to look at what can be done immediately to alleviate this situation. It doe…
Forty-five years ago today, my aunt was on her 17th day of hunger strike in Armagh Gaol. We know what followed the following year when ten men died on hunger strike in Long Kesh. I understand that today in Britain, six people held in pre-trial detention are presently on hunger strike following their arrests for trying to stop the genocide. It should not be a crime to stop war crimes. Qesser Zuhrah is on her 47th day …
I thank the Tánaiste.
I stood with colleagues across the House two short months ago to ask the Minister of State to ensure the Government would start standing up to the EU and demanding fairness and justice for Irish fishing communities. Following the recent outcome of the EU's Agriculture and Fisheries Council, that demand is clearly being put to the test. This outcome is disastrous for our fishing industry. We need the Government to pro…
Gabhaim buíochas leis na hAirí as teacht os comhair na Dála ar an gceist seo. Ar ndóigh, tuigim gur Bille fíorthábhachtach é seo chun a chinntiú gur féidir le Ranna Rialtais airgead a chaitheamh ag tús Mhí Eanáir agus nach mbeidh vótaí ag teastáil chun é sin a dhéanamh. Mar gheall air sin, tuigimid an tábhacht a bhaineann leis. Tá bunús bunreachtúil leis an mBille seo agus, mar sin, beimid i Sinn Féin ag tacú leis.
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1. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the status of the Government’s new infrastructure plan, Accelerating Infrastructure-Report and Action Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70883/25]
Dia duit ar maidin, a Aire. The Minister has outlined a new infrastructure plan and clearly we have a serious infrastructural deficit, which I have raised with him numerous times. This infrastructure deficit, particularly in the west of Ireland, is as a result of decades of neglect by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments. The Government has promised the earth and has delivered really nothing in terms of infrastructu…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. One of the things I noticed when I was reading the plan was that there are the 30 actions and it seems to me that every single one of them will be delivered in quarter two of 2027. This is a ten-year action plan and it seems that, from what I have read, 2026 to 2027 is when they are going to be delivered. That is obviously a two-year timeframe. My query is in relation to the ten-year pe…
I have to be very honest here. I want to this to work. The reality is that the way previous Governments have treated infrastructure has been abysmal and we see the direct results that has had. We see it particularly when storms hit or when people want to be able to build housing, providing housing or be able to attract jobs to areas. The state of our infrastructure has been horrific. I have a number of questions in r…
3. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the status of protected disclosures legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70884/25]
This question relates to protected disclosures. We all recognise the importance of whistleblowers and the incredible work they do for our society in calling out wrongdoing. Unfortunately, doing so for the better of society often comes at their own expense. There was a debate on a Private Members' motion on this issue a few weeks ago. Will the Minister provide an update on whistleblower legislation?
The legislation may only be in place three years but we knew, when it was going through the Houses, that it was far too weak. Everybody agreed on that. It was almost the weakest transposition of the directive that could be made. One of the key issues debated at the time was retrospectivity and how so many people were locked out of the Act's provisions. Has the Minister dealt with EU counterparts on the issue of retro…