I thank Deputy Coppinger and her team for bringing forward this crucial legislation. I also thank all the organisations that fight so hard for the rights of the LGBTQI+ community and specifically today those who are fighting for the rights of non-binary and intersex people because it is a hard graft when you are part of a minority but are a minority within that minority and when that minority is more and more demonis…
TDs / Sinéad Gibney
Sinéad Gibney
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
858
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
179,395
words spoken in the chamber
Across 528 contributions
409
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
184
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 858 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 528 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 74 | 22 |
| March 2025 | 18 | 18 |
| April 2025 | 100 | 20 |
| May 2025 | 20 | 24 |
| June 2025 | 45 | 34 |
| July 2025 | 212 | 35 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 27 | 19 |
| October 2025 | 43 | 27 |
| November 2025 | 48 | 37 |
| December 2025 | 11 | 9 |
| January 2026 | 45 | 28 |
| February 2026 | 19 | 48 |
| March 2026 | 19 | 16 |
| April 2026 | 52 | 18 |
| May 2026 | 13 | 25 |
| June 2026 | 19 | 35 |
| July 2026 | 34 | 39 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 18 | 23 |
| October 2026 | 41 | 51 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 279 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 Rathdown 29 November 2024 to now
- party Social Democrats 29 November 2024 to now
The Social Democrats strongly oppose this Bill, but not all elements of it. As Deputy Ó Laoghaire pointed out, there are some important parts of it regarding disciplinary procedures and so on. However, the removal of the triple lock is an erosion of our neutrality. Although the Government will not admit that, that is the basis on which we oppose this Bill. The Taoiseach called it "reform" earlier, and in their openin…
We only need to look at the disaster of the EU training mission in Mali to see the problem with these kinds of mission but crucial to the discussion on this Bill is that these are not peacekeeping missions.
Please let me finish.
Now I would like to talk about the-----
I will address the non-renewal of mandates because that is one of the key points that the Government puts forward around this. Have there been any new UN-founded missions since 2014? The answer is "No" and we all know that. However, have there been mandate renewals and mandates for regional missions? The answer is "Yes". These include Operation Sophia for search and rescue in the Mediterranean and enforcing the Libya…
Yes. Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle.
The General Assembly is increasingly being seen as a crucial mechanism to get past what we all know to be issues with the veto by the permanent members of the Security Council, but beyond that the Defence (Amendment) Act 2006 clearly states:
"International United Nations Force" means an international force or body established, mandated, authorised, endorsed, supported, approved or otherwise sanctioned by a resolutio…
-----which is what the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, then confirmed in his contribution.
Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle.
Finally, in terms of picking up on points that the Minister and Minister of State have put forward, the Minister of State said that the new definition still allowed us to participate in new UN missions and to take part in missions from the "OSCE, the EU or other regional arrangements". We can already do that. We already have. We just require a UN mandate because that is the guarantee g…
5. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the economy, trade and competitiveness will meet next. [71968/26]
6. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the economy, trade and competitiveness will next meet. [71966/26]
117. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport for an update on the funding of RTÉ and the reinstatement of the €20 million in promised multiannual funding. [74373/26]
Sally Rooney is one of our most prominent contemporary authors. Her books and the TV shows based on them are cherished the world over. However, UK audiences will no longer be able to pick up a copy of Normal People or Intermezzo in their local bookshop. Because of her support for Palestine Action, Ms Rooney's UK publisher, Faber, will no longer sell her books in the UK. Her publishers have explained that they can no …
Why not?
The question was about whether the Minister was going to raise it with them.
I will take a moment to send best wishes, on behalf of the Social Democrats, to the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan. It is very concerning to hear that he remains in intensive care. We send him our best wishes for a speedy recovery.
I thank the Labour Party for putting forward today's motion on public sector pay. It is very timely, and it is important that we get an opportunity this week to discuss this issue. It is a he…
Last week, three students from Gaza successfully appealed their visa refusals from this Government. However, they do not yet know if they are on the evacuation list for 26 October, whether the number of evacuees can be increased, how many evacuations are planned over the next month, on what dates, and whether their names have been notified to the Israeli Government for security clearance to be completed in time or ho…
I too welcome the two elements of this Bill. Speaking first to the gender pay gap issues, the transparency of the central availability of this information will be a step forward. I would disagree slightly perhaps with the impact this potentially has on SMEs as overly bureaucratic because, of course, any companies under the 50 threshold will not be impacted by it. However, I emphasise the point that knowing about a ga…
I will speak to amendment No. 13. In this Bill, the broadcasting fund or Ciste na Meán is restricted to the private sector - the commercial, independent or - whatever words we want to use - creative sector. This has real potential consequences for RTÉ and TG4. In particular, it has implications for TG4, which has a treasure trove of archived material that could be repackaged and repurposed for broadcast. This takes m…
For the record, I also want to extend my best wishes to the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, for a speedy recovery today.
In response to the Minister of State's comments on TG4, in particular, I appreciate that it can work with independent or commercial providers, as he outlined. Nonetheless, it is in a unique position, given the trove of extensive cultural material it has, and RTÉ too, which is not going to be possible …
Deputy Ó Snodaigh and I were the only two members who brought forward amendments on Committee Stage. Deputy Ó Snodaigh withdrew a few different amendments on the basis that they would be addressed. I have to say, the whole tone of the session was very much that nothing was getting passed. Deputy Ó Snodaigh withdrew amendments in good faith so that they could be worked out by the Government in that time. This was a fe…
I thank Deputies Byrne and Ó Snodaigh for bringing forward this amendment, which is the same one they proposed on Committee Stage.
Once again, I find it disappointing that in that time we have not seen the co-operation that we had hoped for come forward from the Department. Within that 90-minute session, I remember the words of the Minister that it had not been all bad when he discussed the geoblocking because he fi…
I move amendment No.4:
In page 20, to delete lines 21 to 24 and substitute the following:
“(iii) by the insertion of the following paragraphs after paragraph (b):
“(c) the broadcast in programmes broadcast on sound broadcasting services of a diversity of music composed or performed by persons with a connection with the island of Ireland;
(d) the broadcast in programmes broadcast on sound broadcasting services of …
I commend amendment No. 5. I will speak to amendments Nos. 6 and 7. Amendment No. 6 essentially seeks to copper-fasten what already exists in the RTÉ board, where at least three members should be competent in the Irish language. In some ways we can call it a quota but, as I said, there is a level of competence in the RTÉ board at the moment. That competence is vital because the board needs to be able to oversee RTÉ's…