Dún Laoghaire — week of Mon, 31 Mar — Watch Them Work

What your Dún Laoghaire TDs did this week

Mon, 31 Mar – 6 Apr 2025 · 4 TDs · 4 bills voted on · 53 questions · 1 new lobbying filings

Votes this week

Support for Householders, Businesses and Farmers Affected by Storm Éowyn

2025-04-02 · 1 vote

An amendment to the bill · motion passed 88–72

Voted for 3 Barry Ward · Cormac Devlin · Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Did not vote 1 Richard Boyd Barrett

Housing Emergency Measures

2025-04-02 · 2 votes

An amendment to the bill · motion passed 88–72

Voted for 3 Barry Ward · Cormac Devlin · Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Did not vote 1 Richard Boyd Barrett

The motion · motion passed 90–72

Voted for 3 Barry Ward · Cormac Devlin · Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Did not vote 1 Richard Boyd Barrett

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

2025-04-01 · 1 vote

The week's Dáil business schedule · motion passed 95–72

Voted for 3 Barry Ward · Cormac Devlin · Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Voted against 1 Richard Boyd Barrett

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle

2025-04-01 · 2 votes

An amendment to the bill · motion failed 71–96

Voted for 1 Richard Boyd Barrett

Voted against 3 Barry Ward · Cormac Devlin · Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

The motion · motion passed 96–71

Voted for 3 Barry Ward · Cormac Devlin · Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Voted against 1 Richard Boyd Barrett

Barry Ward — Fine Gael 6 votes · 14 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 14 total

Finance 3 questions
- 2025-04-02 Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 288 of 25 March 2025, his views on whether existing age-based policies enacted by some insurance companies amount to discrimination under the Equal Status Acts 2000-2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15994/25]
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 288 of 25 March 2025, his views on whether existing age-based policies enacted by some insurance companies amount to discrimination under the Equal Status Acts 2000-2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16275/25]
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Finance his views on the merits of amending existing inheritance tax parameters; if the existing relationship category thresholds can be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16250/25]
Foreign 2 questions
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Barry Ward asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland has raised the serious matter of sustained attacks on citizens of Hungary, and consequently the EU, who are LGBTQ+ by the actions of the Hungarian government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15426/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Barry Ward asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the importance of supporting initiatives that encourage connectivity and engagement with European Union partners, particularly for school students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15427/25]
Agriculture 2 questions
- 2025-04-02 Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the regulations on live animal exports; how inspections are carried out to ensure that they are adhered to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16164/25]
- 2025-04-02 Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the penalties for failing to adhere to regulations on live animal exports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16165/25]
Public Expenditure 2 questions
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the position regarding any systems put in place systems to ensure the integrity of the National Lottery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16314/25]
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the position regarding any Departmental review into how the OPW manages projects to ensure value for money for the taxpayer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16283/25]
Transport 1 question
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Transport his views on the provision of a dedicated student bus service from Dublin city centre to UCD and the surrounding accommodation in locations where an existing 24-hour bus route is not in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15473/25]
Education 1 question
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education the position regarding the application for funding to provide a SEN classroom in a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15422/25]
Further and Higher Education 1 question
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the need to create a student finance model that would provide interest free loans to students that do not qualify for SUSI grants, to support the associated costs of attending third level education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15182/25]
Children 1 question
- 2025-04-02 Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the position regarding the cut to the accommodation recognition payment; the research carried out by her Department prior to making this decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15931/25]
Justice 1 question
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice the position regarding the progression of the Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024, as committed to in the Programme for Government; how this will provide safeguards against strategic lawsuits against public participation suits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16362/25]

Cormac Devlin — Fianna Fáil 6 votes · 4 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 4 total

Finance 2 questions
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Finance if he plans any changes to the regulation of companies offering re-mortgage of properties, especially in the context of older citizens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15820/25]
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Finance the changes he plans to capital acquisitions tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15819/25]
Public Expenditure 2 questions
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the number of properties currently leased by the Office of Public Works in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15842/25]
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the plans that are in place for any refurbishment of Office of Public Works properties in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15843/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill — Fine Gael 6 votes · 0 questions · 1 new lobbying return

New lobbying 1 return

Community Response Ltd Health
- Letter to public representatives about the lack of clarification around the role of alcohol in the new national drug strategy currently in development

Richard Boyd Barrett — People Before Profit-Solidarity 3 votes · 35 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 35 total

Foreign 8 questions
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the communications he has had with the United Nations in relation to Ireland’s departure from the UN mandate to deploy troops abroad; the interdepartmental communications he has had in relation to maintaining Irish neutrality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15535/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the communications he has had with the European Union and the United States regarding the provision of arms and economic support to Israel following Israel’s breach of ceasefire in Gaza and escalating settler violence in the West Bank; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15533/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the additional measures he is proposing to the EU to impose sanctions on Israel given the ongoing and worsening attacks in the West Bank and Gaza following the breach of ceasefire by Israel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15532/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the additional sanctions against Israel is he proposing given that Israel broke ceasefire with Hamas and killed of over 800 civilians; if he is planning to cut trade ties with Israel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15534/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware that a person (details supplied) and Jewish Holocaust survivors, experts and over 100 civil society groups urge world leaders against the adaptation of the IHRA’s definition due to blurring of the distinction of criticisms of the state of Israeli and antisemitism; and if he will scrap the adaptation of the IHRA definition of antisemitism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15531/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the details of his engagements with the government of Pakistan and its embassy regarding the arbitrary detention of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15397/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the details of his engagements with the government of Turkey and its embassy regarding the arbitrary detention of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15398/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is considering prohibiting the use of Shannon Airport by the United States military given the recent threats by President Trump to remove Palestinians from Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6082/25]
Children 7 questions
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the redress, supports or services available to individuals who spent time in a mother and baby home, but fell short of the six-month threshold by a small number of days or weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15282/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will investigate the case of a child (details supplied) with significant additional needs, who has been in the system since the age of three, and has had to have a private assessment of needs given the delay in State provision of AON, but who has now been informed that they will not be seen by the CDNT until February 2027 at which point they will be 11 years of age; if she will acknowledge that early interventions are key for children with special needs, and ensure that this child is given an earlier appointment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15301/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the national LGBTQI+ inclusion strategy II expected to be available to the public, and what her role is in the strategy development; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15550/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will review a case concerning two Palestinian people (details provided) who have been evacuated from Gaza and are in receipt of a family reunification visa as their daughter is an Irish citizen; if she will acknowledge the trauma and terror these elderly people with medical conditions have faced and the fact that they had to leave with no possessions and who now face the prospect of arriving here with no accommodation or access to healthcare; if she will act swiftly and compassionately to provide what they need given the extraordinary circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15645/25]
- 2025-04-02 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to outline, recognising that some disabilities are associated with particular genetic diagnoses, the cooperation that exists between her Department and HSE-funded genetic services, including data sharing arrangements, genetic and genomic clinical services and genetic counselling services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15927/25]
- 2025-04-02 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth recognising her Department’s commitment to early intervention to maximise disabled citizens’ capacity and recognising that some disabilities are associated with particular genetic diagnoses, to outline her views on how genetic counselling could support disability services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15928/25]
- 2025-04-02 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there is any cooperation between her Department and the Department of Health National Genetics and Genomics Strategy Steering Group in the development of policy and strategy in either Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15930/25]
Health 4 questions
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if she will review a case concerning two Palestinian people (details provided) who have been evacuated from Gaza and are in receipt of a family reunification visa as their daughter is an Irish citizen; if she will acknowledge the trauma and terror these elderly people with medical conditions have faced and the fact that they had to leave with no possessions and who now face the prospect of arriving here with no accommodation or access to healthcare; if she will act swiftly and compassionately to provide what they need given the extraordinary circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15644/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health for her plans to outline her plans to reduce excessive waiting times for accessing genetic counselling services for individuals discharged from hospital care with a genetic diagnosis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15747/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health for what supports exist post-discharge for families dealing with complex medical conditions, particularly regarding feeding difficulties and early intervention; what plans there are to improve post-discharge services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15748/25]
- 2025-04-02 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in commencing the Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Act 2024; what steps are being taken to deal with the delay; if she can give a date for the commencement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15995/25]
Transport 3 questions
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport if the ten-year vehicle limit for taxis registered in 2015 has been granted, following indications in Parliamentary Question No. 148 of 4 March 2025 that a decision would be made by 21 March 2025, following a consultation on 12 March; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15377/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of the potential fraud involved in the use of used cooking oil and palm oil effluent as products in renewable fuels, and the concerns of many involved in the renewable fuels industry that the large increase in the use of these products is having a detrimental impact on renewable fuel producers in Ireland, and may also be adding to environmental destruction of forest in Asia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15749/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport his plan to ensure that the EU maximum of 1.7% inclusion of Annex B products under the renewable fuels targets is adhered to; what actions his Department will take to insure that the current volumes of palm oil mill effluent and used cooking oils are examined and compliant with EU regulations, and also correctly audited and certified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15750/25]
Social 3 questions
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection which Departments are involved in the interdepartmental working group tasked with assessing legislative impacts of non-binary gender marker inclusion on official documents, and what have been the findings from these working group meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15549/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection what happens to non-binary gender recognition on legal documents in Ireland if individuals have been legally recognised as non-binary and received an appropriate gender marker on other EU legal documents, such as passports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15551/25]
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients currently in receipt of both the one parent family payment and the half rate carer’s allowance; the number of these recipients who will lose their entitlement to these payments in 2025 due to their child turning 16; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16328/25]
Taoiseach 2 questions
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach the engagements he has had with the National Emergency Co-ordination Group in the days before, during and after storm Éowyn. [15506/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach how he intends to increase the coordination role of his Department in national security. [12374/25]
Agriculture 2 questions
- 2025-04-02 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is it his intention to diversify Ireland’s forest estate away from the monocultural Sitka plantations towards the restoration of native and broadleaf forests, and how he intends to do that; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13809/25]
- 2025-04-02 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what annual afforestation targets he is intending for each year over the next five years; if these targets net afforestation targets; how he intends to ensure such targets are met; the additional funding and supports he is intending for farmers to meet afforestation targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13810/25]
Finance 2 questions
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Finance the number of Israeli bonds that have been sold in Ireland since 2023 and the value of these and if he will introduce legislation to forbid the Central Bank of Ireland from facilitating the sale of bonds for countries that are in breach of human rights law and the Geneva Convention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16062/25]
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Finance his plans to address potential economic and financial issues due to US multinationals and FDI leaving Ireland as a result of transatlantic trade war; and if he is considering any emergency measures to minimise the impact of US policy and multinational corporation influence on the Irish economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16063/25]
Education 1 question
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 359 of 25 March 2025, and respecting that existing accommodation must be used to meet the demand for special school places in north Dublin, the reason her Department is seeking to use prefabricated buildings on outdoor space belonging to an existing school rather housing the new school in "phase 2" of that same existing school, given that the latter proposal is supported by the school, is consistent with inclusive education policy, and would provide better learning conditions for the staff and students of the new school and considering that both proposals qualify as making use of existing accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15523/25]
Justice 1 question
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice if his Department is involved in the interdepartmental working group tasked with assessing legislative impacts of non-binary gender marker inclusion on official documents; what are the key legal considerations for including non-binary gender markers on legal documents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15552/25]
Further and Higher Education 1 question
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware that in some cases, apprenticeships that would ordinarily take four years to complete, are taking seven years to finish; if he will investigate a case of a person (details supplied) with a view to providing more classes to facilitate the completion of apprenticeships in a timely fashion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15404/25]
Public Expenditure 1 question
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he played any role in the negotiations between section 39 workers and the government in the Workplace Relations Commission; if he engaged in any discussions with the Department for Health or the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to approve expenditure for pay awards; if he is aware of the differences in pay and working conditions between HSE, section 38, section 39 and tendered service workers; if he is planning to work with relevant Government departments to address service sustainability and worker recruitment and retention issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16065/25]