Donegal — week of Mon, 3 Mar — Watch Them Work

What your Donegal TDs did this week

Mon, 3 Mar – 9 Mar 2025 · 5 TDs · 3 bills voted on · 29 questions · 4 new lobbying filings

Votes this week

Oideachas trí Mheán na Gaeilge: Tairiscint (Atógáil) [Comhaltaí Príobháideacha]

2025-03-05 · 2 votes

An amendment to the bill · motion passed 86–70

Voted for 2 Charlie McConalogue · Pat the Cope Gallagher

Voted against 3 Charles Ward · Pearse Doherty · Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

The motion · motion passed 87–71

Voted for 1 Pat the Cope Gallagher

Voted against 3 Charles Ward · Pearse Doherty · Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Did not vote 1 Charlie McConalogue

Waste in Public Expenditure

2025-03-05 · 3 votes

A sub-amendment · motion failed 56–102

Voted for 3 Charles Ward · Pearse Doherty · Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Voted against 2 Charlie McConalogue · Pat the Cope Gallagher

An amendment to the bill · motion passed 90–69

Voted for 2 Charlie McConalogue · Pat the Cope Gallagher

Voted against 3 Charles Ward · Pearse Doherty · Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

The motion · motion passed 90–69

Voted for 2 Charlie McConalogue · Pat the Cope Gallagher

Voted against 3 Charles Ward · Pearse Doherty · Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

2025-03-04 · 1 vote

The week's Dáil business schedule · motion passed 93–66

Voted for 2 Charlie McConalogue · Pat the Cope Gallagher

Voted against 3 Charles Ward · Pearse Doherty · Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Charles Ward — 100% RDR 6 votes · 2 questions · 1 new lobbying return

Questions asked 2 total

Environment 1 question
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to liaise with a service provider (details supplied) to expedite the return of telephone and internet services to an area in Donegal (details supplied) where a business in this area cannot exist without proper communications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9223/25]
Housing 1 question
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department is considering retrospective adjustments for early applicants under the enhanced defective concrete block scheme who met the grant cap whose engineering fees were deducted from the €420,000 cap; the measures being taken to insure that early movers are not penalised as previously stated by the then Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage; the reason a homeowner who does not meet the cap has fees reimbursed but a homeowner that meets the cap does not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9006/25]

New lobbying 1 return

Donegal Youth Service Children and Youth Affairs
- seeking information on how to make links with a philantrophic organisation

Charlie McConalogue — Fianna Fáil 5 votes · 0 questions · 3 new lobbying returns

New lobbying 3 returns

The Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) Ltd · 2 returns Agriculture
- The creation of an Agricultural and Forestry Contractor Register to be developed with a closing date for applications to join the Register, subject to agreed terms and conditions, to be 30th June 2025.
- Submission from the Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) – to request a support for the production of an Independent Report on the Irish Agricultural and Forestry Contractor sector
Donegal Youth Service Children and Youth Affairs
- seeking information on how to make links with a philantrophic organisation

Pat the Cope Gallagher — Fianna Fáil 6 votes · 3 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 3 total

Transport 2 questions
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Transport the current position regarding the proposed new N2/A5 Western Corridor [9290/25]
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Transport the current position regarding the TEN-Ts in Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9289/25]
Enterprise 1 question
- 2025-03-05 Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he agrees that business costs brought about by legislation on minimum wage, pensions, sick leave and so on are posing an increasing burden on small businesses, leading to business closures in the SME retail and hospitality industry and changing the very fabric of the communities in rural Ireland; the measures he intends to take to mitigate the effects of such legislative measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10135/25]

Pearse Doherty — Sinn Féin 6 votes · 15 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 15 total

Finance 6 questions
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance to provide information on the proposed local property tax Bill contained within the legislative Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9064/25]
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 66 and 67 of 19 February 2025, the reason for the substantial increase in average duration of tax avoidance cases in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9266/25]
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 66 and 67 of 19 February 2025, the number of tax avoidance cases that reach four years in duration since 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9267/25]
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if credit services firms that manage mortgages for investors are required to apply a comparable interest rate as the bank the mortgage was bought from; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9268/25]
- 2025-03-05 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the annual cost to the Exchequer of flat-rate expenses; the estimated maximum potential cost if all workers claimed flat-rate expenses; if he will provide a breakdown of the estimated percentage of workers in each category claiming flat-rate expenses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10071/25]
- 2025-03-05 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline any changes to the application of flat-rate expenses in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10072/25]
Health 3 questions
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 244 of 6 February 2025, if he is aware that the HSE has refused to provide the costs of consultancy contracts for 2023 and 2024 despite the fact that this information has been provided previously by the HSE and for the current year by other public bodies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9269/25]
- 2025-03-05 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the action taken to address, and the planned actions, to deal with the current crisis with Neurology Services at Letterkenny University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10171/25]
- 2025-03-06 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the action taken, and planned, to address the fact that only 30% of patients in Donegal receive day-case chemotherapy within the target time of three weeks, due to capacity constraints at Letterkenny University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10170/25]
Housing 2 questions
- 2025-03-05 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when an assessment will be carried out on a home (details supplied) in County Donegal that the Housing Agency has determined meets the damage threshold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9912/25]
- 2025-03-06 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if information is available to the public relating to Land Registry applications; if the original documents are available for a third party; the consent required by a third party; if these documents fall under freedom of information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10252/25]
Transport 1 question
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport if passengers whose buses were cancelled as a result of recent snow are entitled to a refund if the bus company cancelled the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9098/25]
Social 1 question
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person in Donegal (details supplied) will be repaid illness benefit that was paid to the wrong bank account; the steps his Department is taking to recover the money; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9512/25]
Justice 1 question
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice to specify the level of priority being attached to the Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024 in the Government legislative programme; when we are likely to see the bill progress; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9515/25]
Agriculture 1 question
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a 2024 ACRES payment will issue for a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9224/25]

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn — Sinn Féin 6 votes · 9 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 9 total

Enterprise 4 questions
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the work he is engaging in to support the growth of the Letterkenny-Derry economic corridor; his plans for economic cooperation in the northwest over the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9262/25]
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the work of the IDA in the northwest from 2016 to date, including its cooperation with Invest NI to promote investment and job creation in the cross-Border region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9263/25]
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the work underway to create a skills network across the northwest cross-Border region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9264/25]
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to deliver balanced regional development and economic growth in the northwest cross-Border region, working in cooperation and partnership with his Ministerial counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9265/25]
Housing 2 questions
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will bring forward an amendment to the Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022, allowing the increase in the cap to be applied retrospectively to homeowners already participating in the defective concrete block grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9818/25]
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will respond to correspondence from residents of an estate (details supplied) on their concerns in relation to the defective concrete blocks grant scheme and their homes that were built on a flood plain. [9819/25]
Environment 1 question
- 2025-03-04 Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has been informed by the Department of Infrastructure in the North of Ireland of two discharge consent applications by a company (details supplied); if he has been informed of two water abstraction licences from the same company that would abstract half a million gallons of water per day from peatland, every day, for the next 25 years; and if he will make a formal response to these applications due to the transboundary implications of them. [9467/25]
Health 1 question
- 2025-03-05 Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health for an update on the timelines for the construction of the new community hospital at Lifford, County Donegal. [9895/25]
Agriculture 1 question
- 2025-03-06 Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that in recent days, there are approximately 70 large third country pelagic trawlers, from Norway, Iceland, Faroes, Russia, and the UK, fishing for blue whiting both inside EU waters and just outside the Irish 200-mile EEZ in international waters; if he will outline the level of monitoring and inspections of these vessels that has taken place and the landings made by these vessels both inside and outside EU waters, including bycatch. [10529/25]