Dublin Fingal West — week of Mon, 31 Mar

What your Dublin Fingal West TDs did this week

Mon, 31 Mar – 6 Apr 2025 · 3 TDs · 4 bills voted on · 54 questions · 0 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 1 Grace Boland

Voted against 2 Louise O'Reilly · Robert O'Donoghue

Housing Emergency Measures

2025-04-02 · 2 votes

An amendment to the bill · motion passed 88–72

Voted for 1 Grace Boland

Voted against 2 Louise O'Reilly · Robert O'Donoghue

The motion · motion passed 90–72

Voted for 1 Grace Boland

Voted against 2 Louise O'Reilly · Robert O'Donoghue

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

2025-04-01 · 1 vote

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

Voted for 1 Grace Boland

Voted against 2 Louise O'Reilly · Robert O'Donoghue

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle

2025-04-01 · 2 votes

An amendment to the bill · motion failed 71–96

Voted for 2 Louise O'Reilly · Robert O'Donoghue

Voted against 1 Grace Boland

The motion · motion passed 96–71

Voted for 1 Grace Boland

Voted against 2 Louise O'Reilly · Robert O'Donoghue

Grace Boland — Fine Gael 6 votes · 15 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 15 total

Education 10 questions
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education the number of autism places available in primary schools in Skerries, Rush, Lusk, Balbriggan, Garristown, Naul, Oldtown, Ballyboughal, Rolestown, St. Margaret’s, Meakstown and north Santry, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15264/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education the number of autism places available in post primary schools in Skerries, Rush, Lusk, Balbriggan, Garristown, Naul, Oldtown, Ballyboughal, Rolestown, St. Margaret’s, Meakstown and north Santry, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15265/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education the number of children on waiting lists to access autism places in primary schools in Skerries, Rush, Lusk, Balbriggan, Garristown, Naul, Oldtown, Ballyboughal, Meakstown, Rolestown, St. Margaret’s and north Santry, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15266/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education the number of children on waiting lists to access autism places in post primary schools in Skerries, Rush, Lusk, Balbriggan, Garristown, Naul, Oldtown, Ballyboughal, Meakstown, Rolestown, St. Margaret’s and north Santry, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15267/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education the number of reading school places available in primary schools in Skerries, Rush, Lusk, Balbriggan, Garristown, Naul, Oldtown, Ballyboughal, Rolestown, Meakstown, St. Margaret’s and north Santry, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15268/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education the number of reading school places available in primary schools in Swords, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15269/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education the number of children on waiting lists to access a reading school place in Skerries, Rush, Lusk, Balbriggan, Garristown, Naul, Oldtown, Ballyboughal, Rolestown, St. Margaret’s, Meakstown and north Santry, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15270/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education the number of children on waiting lists to access a reading school place in Swords, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15271/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education if she will provide details of plans to open additional reading school places in Skerries, Rush, Lusk, Balbriggan, Garristown, Naul, Oldtown, Ballyboughal, Rolestown, St. Margaret’s, Meakstown and north Santry for the 2025/2026 academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15272/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education if she will provide details of plans to open additional reading school places in Swords for the 2025/2026 academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15273/25]
Foreign 2 questions
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Grace Boland asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the engagement he has had with the EU Trade Commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15151/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Grace Boland asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of his St. Patrick’s Day missions and, in particular, the business and trade aspect of the missions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15152/25]
Public Expenditure 2 questions
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform for a progress report on the Government digital wallet, specifically an update on the timelines for the rollout of a digital driver's licence for Irish motorists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16148/25]
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform his views on the availability of funding for the delivery on the National Development Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15676/25]
Finance 1 question
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Finance the engagement he and his Department have had with the Department of Education in the preparation and publication of guidelines for promoting financial literacy in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15675/25]

Louise O'Reilly — Sinn Féin 6 votes · 10 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 10 total

Social 3 questions
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to extending the annual cost of disability support payment to persons in receipt of the State pension; the form this consideration has taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15127/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware that where separated couples have shared custody arrangements only one parent is entitled to child specific payments (children's allowance, qualified child payment etc); if he has considered splitting these payments so that both co-parents can benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15718/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on the humanitarian assistance scheme (storm Éowyn); the number of applicants who have applied for assistance by county, in tabular form; the amounts paid out; the number of refusals of payment; the reasons for refusals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15719/25]
Health 2 questions
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of a person (details supplied) who is awaiting an assessment by the HSE; if she can advise when this assessment will be carried out; if there is any way that this can done through the NTPF; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15123/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if she will meet with a person (details supplied) as per their request; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15316/25]
Environment 1 question
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of an Eircode where there is currently no dwelling; if the presence of an Eircode indicates that a dwelling is permitted there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15124/25]
Transport 1 question
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the challenges faced by persons with debilitating conditions who are wheelchair users and who are reliant on public transport to get to appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15125/25]
Education 1 question
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education if she is aware of a mechanism whereby a school parents’ association can ensure that there is engagement from the board of management of the school; if her Department offers impartial mediation support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15126/25]
Children 1 question
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the challenges faced by persons with debilitating conditions who are wheelchair users and who are reliant on public transport to get to appointments; if she understands that the volunteer driver scheme operated by Fingal County Council does not cater for electric wheelchair users; if she is further aware that a service run by an organisation (details supplied) does not cover all of County Dublin; that people cannot fund transport from their disability payments and, as a result, are at risk of missing appointments; how a named person can manage to attend their appointments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15125/25]
Rural 1 question
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he is further aware that a service run by an organisation (details supplied) does not cover all of County Dublin [15869/25]

Robert O'Donoghue — Labour Party 6 votes · 29 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 29 total

Agriculture 13 questions
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of licensed horse trainers in Ireland in each year since 1 January 2020; the number of Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board inspectors; the number of unannounced inspections; whether each trainer has had unannounced inspections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15380/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the controls his Department and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board have in relation to the operation of unlicensed trainers; whether further legislation is planned on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15381/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if any public body or publicly funded body under his Department’s aegis procured from outside the EU any professional services in excess of €25,000 in relation to accountancy, pensions, architecture or legal, in each year from 1 January 2020 to end 2024 and to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15383/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board took in 2022, 2023 and 2024 to advise the public or those working in the sector of complaint procedures around poor stable facilities or the ill treatment of horses under their authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15384/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress of the efforts by Bord Iascaigh Mhara to retrieve ghost gear (abandoned nets, and so on); the amount of material retrieved in each year since 1 January 2020; how successful these efforts have been; the cost of same; whether a new central scheme for all waterways is required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15385/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there are plans to produce guidelines around coastal magnet fishing; if his Department will support the removal of metal waste from the Irish foreshore while protecting the State’s interests; if his Department will discuss the matter with other responsible Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15386/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if any public bodies or publicly funded bodies under his Department's aegis are not compliant with Part V of the Disability Act 2005; if Part V applies to all subsidiaries of such bodies; whether, in cases where it does not, he has the power to extend such a requirement, either through Ministerial order or through funding requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15490/25]
- 2025-04-02 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Government acknowledges the significant increase in production costs for farmers in recent years, which many can no longer sustain; and how he plans to address the challenges posed by increasing energy, labour and environmental-compliance costs to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Irish farming sector. [14131/25]
- 2025-04-02 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine given that women have always been integral to the family farm but that their crucial role has often not been fully recognised or acknowledged, if he will implement the recommendations of the report “Highlighting Pathways to Empower Rural Women to Have Sustainable and Equitable Livelihoods in Farming"; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13824/25]
- 2025-04-02 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address the ongoing funding deficiencies in State marine infrastructure, particularly in counties like Donegal, which has 155 piers and harbours to maintain (details supplied); to outline plans to increase investment in marine infrastructure to support both local economies and tourism development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13825/25]
- 2025-04-02 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine given the significant disparity between the forward malting barley price offered by a company (details supplied) of €240/t and the €300/t sought by growers, and considering the fears raised by an organisation (details supplied) regarding transparency in the pricing mechanism, if he will direct the Office of the Agri-Food Regulator to investigate whether fair pricing and transparency exist within the malting barley supply chain, from farm to final product; the measures his Department will take to ensure that malting barley growers receive a sustainable return on their produce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13827/25]
- 2025-04-02 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures being taken to address concerns around declining numbers of young people entering farming, particularly in light of financial uncertainty and environmental pressures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13823/25]
- 2025-04-02 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine given the ongoing delay in updating the TAMS reference costs, which has been flagged by an organisation (details supplied) as creating uncertainty and delaying investment in essential farm infrastructure, to provide a definitive timeline for the completion of this review; the measures his Department will take to ensure that grant aid reflects actual material costs, such as concrete and steel, to support farmers in making necessary improvements, particularly in areas related to water quality and slurry storage; and the discrepancies in the TAMS dairy equipment scheme’s terms and conditions regarding grant aid for multiple robotic milking machines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13826/25]
Further and Higher Education 7 questions
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science regarding the evaluation of course content of e-college courses, whether there is any independent evaluation of the quality of the content; whether Solas senior management have self-tested each or any course; if Solas senior management engages with users of the e-college directly to evaluate their feedback; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15483/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the content of e-college fits with the Government's educational ambitions in the Programme for Government; whether extra content will be added to the offering which aligns with Government objectives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15484/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there are plans for adding content to e-college that might encourage people to pursue careers in the areas of public sector recruitment shortfalls such as the Gardaí, Defence Forces or healthcare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15485/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for each year since 1 January 2020, the cost of operation of e-college; the number of Solas staff who work on e-college projects; the process for evaluating value; the completion rate and number of participants in each course; the cost per head of each course per completing student; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15486/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will undertake one of the shorter e-college courses so that he might better understand the user experience of the platform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15487/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether subsidiary companies of universities and colleges also fall under his aegis; whether such entities are considered public sector bodies; whether public sector procurement and pay rules apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15488/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether any public bodies or publicly funded bodies under his aegis are not compliant with Part V of the Disability Act 2005; whether Part V applies to subsidiaries of universities and colleges; whether, in cases where it does not, he has the powers to extend such a requirement, either through Ministerial order or through funding requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15489/25]
Health 3 questions
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health whether a publicly available progress summary covering some or all of the 49 recommendations made in the independent review of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services since it was published in July 2023 exists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15403/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if she is aware that terminal cancer patients are being deprioritised for life-saving and urgent treatment in accident and emergency in favour of flu patients, given the critical nature of their condition and the urgency of their care needs; if she will commit to a review of this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15765/25]
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health the current policy is in cancer care centres of excellence regarding the prioritisation of terminal cancer patients requiring life-saving and urgent treatment over patients presenting with non-life-threatening illnesses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15766/25]
Education 2 questions
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the installation of the promised prefab building at a school (details supplied), which is intended to accommodate a general-purpose hall and a classroom; the reasons for the delay; the steps being taken to resolve the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15181/25]
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education if she will clarify the criteria under which students from a school (details supplied), are eligible to apply as Gaeltacht applicants for teaching courses through the CAO; if there is an official policy or circular governing this situation; and if she will address concerns regarding the apparent exclusion of these students from applying as Gaeltacht applicants despite the school’s status as a Gaeltacht school under the Gaeltacht schools recognition scheme; if the potential for recognition of the school students’ residency in the Gaeltacht for the purpose of CAO applications will be examined given its significant contribution to the local Gaeltacht community and year-round immersion in an Irish-speaking environment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16375/25]
Tourism 1 question
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if any public body or publicly funded body under his Department's aegis are not compliant with Part V of the Disability Act 2005; if Part V applies to all subsidiaries of such bodies; if, in cases where it does not, he has the power to extend such a requirement, either through Ministerial order or through funding requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15491/25]
Housing 1 question
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he can provide a date for when a decision will be made regarding Fingal County Council's request for inclusion in the defective block scheme, given that the Housing Agency has completed its investigations and consultations and is currently drafting its report with a recommendation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15751/25]
Social 1 question
- 2025-04-01 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if an assessment has been conducted on the additional costs incurred by people aged 65 years and over due to disability, given that analysis indicates extra costs ranging from approximately €1,600 to €4,600 annually depending on severity and household type; if consideration has been given to addressing the fact that, while State pension rates are €40 higher per week than disability allowance, this does not fully cover the actual cost of disability in older age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15822/25]
Enterprise 1 question
- 2025-04-03 Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the engagement he has had with Meta about the reported use of pirated creative works to train its AI models, including thousands of books produced by Irish creators and publishers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16359/25]