Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. I am responding on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Calleary, who cannot be here. The wage subsidy scheme is a key disability employment support. It aims to encourage employers to offer substantial and sustainable employment to disabled people through a subsidy. As of September 2025, there were 1,538 employers availing of the wage subsidy scheme and 2,445 employees supported through th…
TDs / Noel Grealish
Noel Grealish
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
0
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
27,769
words spoken in the chamber
27,625 as a minister, 144 as a TD
397
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
The record holds no parliamentary questions from them in this Dáil.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Contributions to debates 93 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Contributions |
|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 6 |
| March 2025 | 0 |
| April 2025 | 12 |
| May 2025 | 0 |
| June 2025 | 2 |
| July 2025 | 2 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 4 |
| October 2025 | 19 |
| November 2025 | 3 |
| December 2025 | 4 |
| January 2026 | 0 |
| February 2026 | 14 |
| March 2026 | 2 |
| April 2026 | 3 |
| May 2026 | 3 |
| June 2026 | 9 |
| July 2026 | 0 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 10 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 65 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Galway West 29 November 2024 to now
- party Independent 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine 23 January 2025 to now
We are committed to improving the wage subsidy scheme and supporting organisations employing more than one person under the scheme. The Department of Social Protection offers a range of other employment supports for disabled people and their employers. In July 2024, the Department launched the work and access scheme, which offers seven supports to improve access in the workplace for disabled people. Organisations and…
I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising this issue, which I am dealing with on behalf of the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Calleary. The Government acknowledges the vital role that family carers play in our society and remains fully committed to supporting them in that role. This commitment is reflected in both the programme for Government and the recent budget.
The Department of Social Protection provides a co…
I thank Deputy Moynihan again for raising this matter. The Government recognises the complexity of caring roles and the reality that many carers continue to provide full-time care while navigating other life events, including maternity leave. As I said in my opening remarks, this Government has committed to improving support for carers and those they care for. The significant changes to the means test for carer's all…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Burke for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Health. Varicella is a common and highly infectious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus. This virus is associated with two distinct clinical syndromes, namely, varicella, commonly known as chickenpox, and herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles. Primary infection with the varicella zoster virus r…
I thank the Deputy once again for raising this important matter. Vaccination is recognised as one of the most impactful and cost-effective public health interventions that can be employed, promoting good health and saving many lives year on year. As has already been highlighted today, shingles can impact anyone who has been infected with chicken pox during their life, leaving a significant proportion of the general p…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Ward for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Darragh O'Brien, who unfortunately could not be here this afternoon. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this important topic with Members of the House on his behalf.
I understand that the Deputy's question relates to the proposal to create a continuous 22 km waterfront promenade and cycleway con…
I definitely hear the Deputy's frustration. I am delivering the script that was handed to me. I know that active travel and these greenways are very important for people's health and everything.
In this context, I want to say that over €360 million of grant support for the active travel and greenways networks for next year was committed in the recent budget. This funding helps support projects like the Sutton to San…
Gabhaim buíochas to Deputy Collins for raising this important issue. I know it is very important to the Deputy and his constituents. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran.
To date, 56 flood relief schemes have been completed, which are providing protection to over 13,850 properties and an economic benefit to the State in damages and losse…
I assure the Deputy and the House that the Minister of State and the Government are committed to proactively addressing, along with Cork County Council, the flood risk to homes, businesses and communities in County Cork. These measures are being funded through the Government's €1.3 billion allocation for flood relief measures under the national development plan. The Minister of State will continue to work with Cork C…
I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue, which I am dealing with on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. The air we breathe is fundamental to our health, environment and the overall well-being of our communities. Nationally, from an ambient air-quality point of view, the main air pollutants of concern are fine particulate matter from solid fuel combustion and nitrogen dioxide from transport. Ho…
I thank Deputy Murphy for his input this morning on this important issue. Although ambient air quality in Ireland is recognised as being among the best in Europe, there is no safe level of air pollution. There are policies and legislation in place to ensure that we continue to strive to minimise the impact of air pollution on our citizens and the environment.
Local authorities are independent statutory bodies which …
Deputy Tóibín gave a press conference.
I thank all of the Members who have spoken today. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, and I have listened carefully to what has been raised by the Opposition and those on the Government benches.
For a few minutes I will speak about my role in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as Minister of State with responsibility for new markets, food promotion, research …
I am delighted to hear that.
I hope the committee has visited Moorepark in Cork as well. I was very impressed by it. It has been said that the Government is not trying to support the tillage industry. I compliment the Minister, Deputy Heydon, on going to the meeting in the Killashee Hotel recently. Over 1,000 people attended that meeting. It was very important for the Minister to be there. It shows how seriously he takes this issue that he turne…
They have gone very quiet.
I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Burke, who could not be here this morning. I welcome the opportunity to address the issue of employment permit processing and its impact on businesses and prospective employees.
Ireland operates a managed, demand-led employment permits system under the Employment Permits Act 2024. This system supports our labour mar…
I thank Deputy O'Sullivan. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke. I heard the issues the Deputy raised and I hear them in my office. There are many delays in certain types of work permits, in particular in the transport sector. There are many transport companies in the west of Ireland, in particular Galway. I have met many and one of their major issues is trying to source driver…
I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, who could not be here. I thank Deputy Kenny for raising this important issue and allowing me to update the House on matters relating to it. I want to begin by acknowledging the importance of the very serious kill that occurred on the River Blackwater and its tributaries near Mallow, County Cork, last month and I wish to emphasise that t…
I thank the Deputy for his remarks regarding the Government's response to this. I reiterate that the Government takes this significant fish mortality very seriously. As the House is aware, farmers have been asked to escalate their efforts in respect of water quality protection. State agencies must do the same. Moreover, there is a duty on State bodies and actors in the public sector to take a lead in ensuring that th…
I hope we do not get it if it is what the Deputy is saying.
Come on.
Respect democracy.
He would if they stopped interrupting.