Carlow-Kilkenny — week of Mon, 24 Mar — Watch Them Work

What your Carlow-Kilkenny TDs did this week

Mon, 24 Mar – 30 Mar 2025 · 5 TDs · 4 bills voted on · 36 questions · 1 new lobbying filings

Votes this week

Údarás na Gaeltachta (Amendment) Bill 2024: Céim an Choiste

2025-03-26 · 2 votes

An amendment to the bill · motion failed 67–88

Voted for 1 Natasha Newsome Drennan

Voted against 3 Catherine Callaghan · Jennifer Murnane O'Connor · Peter 'Chap' Cleere

Did not vote 1 John McGuinness

An amendment to the bill · motion failed 67–88

Voted for 1 Natasha Newsome Drennan

Voted against 3 Catherine Callaghan · Jennifer Murnane O'Connor · Peter 'Chap' Cleere

Did not vote 1 John McGuinness

Social Housing Tenant In Situ Scheme

2025-03-26 · 2 votes

An amendment to the bill · motion passed 87–71

Voted for 3 Catherine Callaghan · Jennifer Murnane O'Connor · Peter 'Chap' Cleere

Voted against 1 Natasha Newsome Drennan

Did not vote 1 John McGuinness

The motion · motion passed 87–70

Voted for 3 Catherine Callaghan · Jennifer Murnane O'Connor · Peter 'Chap' Cleere

Voted against 1 Natasha Newsome Drennan

Did not vote 1 John McGuinness

Triple Lock Mechanism and Irish Neutrality

2025-03-26 · 1 vote

An amendment to the bill · motion passed 87–69

Voted for 3 Catherine Callaghan · Jennifer Murnane O'Connor · Peter 'Chap' Cleere

Voted against 1 Natasha Newsome Drennan

Did not vote 1 John McGuinness

Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2025

2025-03-26 · 2 votes

An amendment to the bill · motion failed 47–109

Voted for 1 Natasha Newsome Drennan

Voted against 3 Catherine Callaghan · Jennifer Murnane O'Connor · Peter 'Chap' Cleere

Did not vote 1 John McGuinness

The motion · motion passed 110–47

Voted for 3 Catherine Callaghan · Jennifer Murnane O'Connor · Peter 'Chap' Cleere

Voted against 1 Natasha Newsome Drennan

Did not vote 1 John McGuinness

Catherine Callaghan — Fine Gael 7 votes · 1 question · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 1 total

Justice 1 question
- 2025-03-25 Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice when two visa application will be completed (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13300/25]

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor — Fianna Fáil 7 votes · 0 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

John McGuinness — Fianna Fáil 0 votes · 8 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 8 total

Social 3 questions
- 2025-03-25 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for carer’s allowance in the name of a person (details supplied) will be expedited and approved; if the correspondence from his Department to this Deputy will be reviewed given the person has not received any notification from his Department in recent times; and if an oral hearing will be arranged immediately given the original application was submitted in late 2023 and since then their health has deteriorated. [13320/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied). [14797/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for invalidity pension in the name of a person (details supplied). [14838/25]
Health 2 questions
- 2025-03-27 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the status of the sale of the old health centre, Tinnahinch, County Carlow, to Carlow County Council; and if the sale will be expedited, as the plan is to provide social housing on the site. [14799/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if a warfarin monitoring instrument will be provided as a matter of urgency for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14839/25]
Justice 1 question
- 2025-03-25 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice if the threshold to qualify for legal aid will be reduced; and when this matter was last reviewed. [13408/25]
Agriculture 1 question
- 2025-03-27 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that the insurance issues pertaining to the drawdown of the recently announced grants under the breeding fund will be resolved as a matter of urgency. [14719/25]
Children 1 question
- 2025-03-27 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if funding will be approved for residential care at a facility in Waterford for a person (details supplied); the date when the application for funding was first submitted; and the timeline for a decision. [14840/25]

Natasha Newsome Drennan — Sinn Féin 7 votes · 1 question · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 1 total

Education 1 question
- 2025-03-25 Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan asked the Minister for Education the reason her Department has not sanctioned a school (details supplied) to go to tender for the necessary extension of six classrooms and associated works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14035/25]

Peter 'Chap' Cleere — Fianna Fáil 7 votes · 26 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 26 total

Housing 8 questions
- 2025-03-25 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of tenant-in-situ purchases made by Kilkenny and Carlow county councils in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13724/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures he will take to increase the availability of affordable housing in Carlow and Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14815/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of new homes completed in counties Carlow and Kilkenny in 2024; his expectations for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14816/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of hectares of land owned by Kilkenny County Council, and Carlow County Council, zoned for housing; the nationwide figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14817/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the action being taken to ensure that additional land is zoned for housing in Carlow and Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14818/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on proposed new rural planning guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14819/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications received for the vacant property grant in 2024, and to date in 2025, by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14821/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of tenant-in-situ purchases made by Carlow County Council and Kilkenny County Council, and nationally, in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14822/25]
Health 4 questions
- 2025-03-25 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health her views on correspondence received from a pharmacist (details supplied) regarding the wholesale cost of a drug; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13404/25]
- 2025-03-25 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health the status of surgery for twins (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13435/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health the action that will be taken to address the long waiting lists/times for orthodontic treatment in counties Carlow and Kilkenny; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14828/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health the number of vacant and or derelict buildings in the ownership of, or leased by, her Department, by the HSE or by other agencies reporting to her Department in Carlow and Kilkenny; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14832/25]
Agriculture 3 questions
- 2025-03-25 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on negotiations regarding the Common Agricultural Policy post 2027; if he has had discussions on the same with his ministerial counterparts and the European Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13807/25]
- 2025-03-25 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures his Department is taking to ensure the good mental health and well-being of farmers. [13808/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the approximately 10,000 farmers who are awaiting ACRES payments will be paid; if they will be paid an interim payment as happened in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14801/25]
Environment 3 questions
- 2025-03-25 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if there are plans to introduce stand-alone grants, outside of the One Stop Shop, for retrofitting windows and doors in homes. [14040/25]
- 2025-03-26 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 216 of 4 March 2025, to detail the potential legislative solutions being considered; the timeframe for their evaluation; and when proposed legislation to address this issue is likely to published. [14593/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 216 of 4 March 2025, the potential legislative solutions being considered; the timeframe for their evaluation; and when proposed legislation to address this issue is likely to be published. [14814/25]
Education 3 questions
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education the funding provided for capital projects for schools in counties Carlow and Kilkenny from 2021 to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14826/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education the number of special classes each primary and post-primary school has in Carlow and Kilkenny; if they have requested a new special class or classes; the number children that have applied for special classes in each school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14827/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education for an update on plans to reform the school transport system, particularly the eligibility criteria regarding nearest school; the likely timeframe for the implementation of changes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14831/25]
Justice 3 questions
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Justice the measures that will be taken to make a career in An Garda Síochána more attractive for new recruits and existing members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14823/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Justice the measures being implemented to tackle rural crime in Carlow and Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14824/25]
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Justice the number of buildings An Garda Síochána owns in counties Carlow and Kilkenny, for all stations in Carlow and Kilkenny; the frequency with which they are opened; the number of staff assigned to each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14825/25]
Transport 1 question
- 2025-03-26 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Transport if there are any plans to reopen the train station at Mullinavat, County Kilkenny, similar to the setup in Thomastown, County Kilkenny, with a ticket machine (details supplied). [14476/25]
Finance 1 question
- 2025-03-27 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider allowing gym membership, or indeed any sporting membership for an individual or a family, to be made tax-deductible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14830/25]