Topics / Departmental Policies

A subject heading for parliamentary questions

Departmental Policies

1,112 questions from 127 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 22 October 2026.

1,112
questions
1,096 written, 16 oral
127
TDs have asked
10
parties and groups
Independents counted together
20
departments asked

This is one of the catch-all headings the Oireachtas uses for how a department runs rather than what a question is about, so it is left out of the range and focus figures.

Questions per month

The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.

Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
MonthQuestions
January 20258
February 202535
March 202529
April 202551
May 202530
June 202557
July 202568
August 20250
September 202589
October 202524
November 202538
December 2025102
January 202628
February 202683
March 202669
April 202676
May 202689
June 202683
July 202671
August 20260
September 202645
October 202637

Who asks, by party

The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.

  • Aontú25 from 2 TDs · 2 seats today
  • Fianna Fáil305 from 30 TDs · 48 seats today
  • Fine Gael153 from 22 TDs · 38 seats today
  • Green Party28 from 1 TD · 1 seat today
  • Independent75 from 12 TDs · 15 seats today
  • Independent Ireland110 from 3 TDs · 4 seats today
  • Labour Party59 from 11 TDs · 11 seats today
  • People Before Profit-Solidarity53 from 3 TDs · 3 seats today
  • Sinn Féin209 from 32 TDs · 39 seats today

The TDs who asked most

Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.

  1. 94
  2. 69
  3. 42
  4. 30
  5. 29
  6. 28
  7. 27
  8. 21

Asked of

Debated under the same heading

Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.

The questions

Erin McGreehan Written 28 Jul 2026 · to Health
3225. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health whether she will examine a statutory prohibition on influencers promoting cosmetic surgery, invasive aesthetic procedures and unsubstantiated weight-loss or therapeutic products. [55285/26]
Rose Conway-Walsh Written 16 Jul 2026 · to Education
46. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on progress for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54124/26]
Eoghan Kenny Written 16 Jul 2026 · to Education
56. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth the basis for her Department's decision not to implement the local bargaining measures for special needs assistants, notwithstanding that those measures were approved by union members in a separate ballot; whether any provision of the Public Service Agreement 2024-2026, the Local Bargaining Agreement or any other agreement made implementation of those…
Seán Crowe Written 16 Jul 2026 · to Education
62. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on the loss of a teacher at a school (details supplied) due to being a single student short of the enrolment target and the subsequent amalgamation of four classes into three; to report on any proposed changes to the 30 September cutoff for enrolment figures and teacher allocation; her views on whether this rigid system is outdated now that ch…
Barry Ward Written 16 Jul 2026 · to Education
71. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding any research carried out by her Department into the demand for new Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52704/26]
Paul McAuliffe Written 16 Jul 2026 · to Defence
158. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Defence the way in which Ireland is using the Security Action for Europe, SAFE, Regulation to enhance Ireland's defence capability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53699/26]
Ken O'Flynn Written 16 Jul 2026 · to Education
300. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether, in view of her Department's publication of resources and supports for recognised schools in relation to transgender and gender-diverse students, national guidance will be issued for recognised schools on managing circumstances in which a teacher or other member of school staff transitions gender while employed; whether her Department plans t…
Ruth Coppinger Written 16 Jul 2026 · to Education
317. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reasons agreed local bargaining measures were withdrawn for SNAs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54426/26]
Ruth Coppinger Written 16 Jul 2026 · to Education
318. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Youth to address issues that have arisen around a local bargaining measure (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54427/26]
Mark Ward Written 16 Jul 2026 · to Education
320. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the legal or contractual basis under which her Department decided to withdraw the agreed local bargaining measures for SNAs; the clause within the Public Service Agreement, Local Bargaining Agreement or any other written agreement that made implementation of the local bargaining measures conditional upon acceptance of the Workforce Development Plan; the…
Michael Healy-Rae Written 16 Jul 2026 · to Education
321. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth the legal or contractual basis her Department has decided to withdraw the agreed local bargaining measures for SNA's; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54495/26]
Michael Healy-Rae Written 16 Jul 2026 · to Education
322. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department will identify the clause within the public service agreement, local bargaining agreement or any other written agreement that made implementation of the local bargaining measures conditional upon acceptance of the Workforce Development Plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54496/26]
Michael Healy-Rae Written 16 Jul 2026 · to Education
323. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason Members were asked to vote separately on the local bargaining proposal if it was dependent on the outcome of a separate ballot; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54497/26]
Michael Healy-Rae Written 16 Jul 2026 · to Education
325. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department will publish the correspondence or agreement upon which the decision by her Department to withdraw the agreed local bargaining measures has been based; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54513/26]
Cathal Crowe Written 16 Jul 2026 · to Education
331. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth the action taken to improve the pay, working conditions and opportunities for career development for primary school teachers since 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54542/26]
Matt Carthy Written 16 Jul 2026 · to Justice
431. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 332-338 of 9 July 2026, whether his Department has considered the establishment of a standalone entry/exit registration system for the island of Ireland, distinct from and not dependent upon the Schengen entry/exit system; if so, the assessments that have been undertaken regarding costs, staffing…
Réada Cronin Written 15 Jul 2026 · to Climate
115. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the way in which his Department is ensuring financial transparency and oversight of the Re-Turn deposit scheme funding, given that unredeemed deposits are a core component of the funding model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53855/26]
Réada Cronin Written 15 Jul 2026 · to Climate
117. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment what specific regulatory changes are being sought by Re-Turn for the proposed rPET reprocessing facility; the Department's position on the establishment of such a processing facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53857/26]
John McGuinness Written 14 Jul 2026 · to Rural
46. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will consider funding a virtual version of men's and women's sheds for farming and isolated rural communities who because of geography cannot avail of an in-person setting the purpose of which would be to provide a networked social setting supporting inclusiveness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. […
Mairéad Farrell Written 14 Jul 2026 · to Rural
52. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if his attention has been drawn to community wealth building, as a model for retaining public expenditure within our towns and counties and promoting balanced economic development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51495/26]
Cormac Devlin Written 14 Jul 2026 · to Transport
180. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Transport the steps being taken to independently oversee and monitor the privacy use of cameras (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53726/26]
Cormac Devlin Written 14 Jul 2026 · to Transport
181. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Transport to provide details of cameras that are publicly accessible and viewable across Dublin from an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53727/26]
Michael Fitzmaurice Written 14 Jul 2026 · to Enterprise
258. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the evidence, including any evaluation, cost-benefit analysis, economic assessment or statistical analysis, underpinning the policy of providing a 1% interest rate discount on loans (details supplied); whether the Department has assessed whether the discount improves loan performance, repayment rates, business survival or employ…
Catherine Callaghan Written 14 Jul 2026 · to Housing
400. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Local Government Reform Act 2014 removed the status of Kilkenny as a city, and that it continued to have the special clauses inserted in the legislation to ensure the continuation of this status and elect a mayor in line with all previous legislation enacted, such as the Local Government Act 2001 and all other legisla…
Seán Ó Fearghaíl Written 14 Jul 2026 · to Social
465. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection the key measures taken to tackle poverty since January 2025; his priorities for the rest of 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53510/26]