Carlow-Kilkenny — week of Mon, 7 Apr — Watch Them Work

What your Carlow-Kilkenny TDs did this week

Mon, 7 Apr – 13 Apr 2025 · 5 TDs · 4 bills voted on · 26 questions · 0 new lobbying filings

Votes this week

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

2025-04-09 · 1 vote

An amendment to the bill · motion failed 65–83

Voted for 1 Natasha Newsome Drennan

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

Did not vote 1 John McGuinness

Water Services (Repeal of Water Charges) Bill 2025

2025-04-09 · 1 vote

The motion · motion failed 64–83

Voted for 1 Natasha Newsome Drennan

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

Did not vote 1 John McGuinness

Protecting the Irish Economy Against Increasing Trade Tariffs

2025-04-09 · 2 votes

An amendment to the bill · motion passed 83–65

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 83–65

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

Voted against 1 Natasha Newsome Drennan

Did not vote 1 John McGuinness

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

2025-04-08 · 1 vote

The week's Dáil business schedule · motion passed 87–70

Voted for 4 Catherine Callaghan · Jennifer Murnane O'Connor · John McGuinness · Peter 'Chap' Cleere

Voted against 1 Natasha Newsome Drennan

Catherine Callaghan — Fine Gael 5 votes · 3 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 3 total

Education 3 questions
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if she will support the development of a pilot project in a small number of DEIS primary schools in order to gather empirical and scientific evidence, in data form, of the benefit of reading rooms in primary schools in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17156/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if she will sanction the provision of additional time and additional supports for dyslexic students sitting State exams in secondary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17157/25]
- 2025-04-09 Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the reason the Bus Éireann school bus route supplying a school (details supplied) which has been in place for a long period of time, has recently been changed without any notice to parents along this route; if the service will be reinstated as soon as possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17967/25]

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor — Fianna Fáil 5 votes · 0 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

John McGuinness — Fianna Fáil 1 vote · 11 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 11 total

Health 4 questions
- 2025-04-08 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if podiatrist services are available in Carlow and Kilkenny; if not, when the services were last available; and her intentions to restore a full level of service. [16632/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if patients with long-term illness requiring regular blood tests to be taken by their GP will have their costs covered under the medical card scheme; and if patients holding a medical card that are currently paying their GP for the service will be reimbursed by the HSE. [16633/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if she will outline the process by which retired nurses were informed of the overpayment of their pensions; if those affected can arrange to repay the amount over time or appeal the outcome; if all retired nurses were given comprehensive information in hard copy to explain how and when the overpayments occurred, and why the overpayments were not identified from annual employee returns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16654/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if she intends to extend the Covid payment scheme beyond June 2025; the number in receipt of the payment; and her views on a once-off payment in each case where the person intends to retire. [16733/25]
Education 1 question
- 2025-04-08 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education if a grant for emergency works applied for on 19 December 2023 (details supplied) will be approved immediately; and if a more recent application for life safety systems will be approved, as this relates to health and safety. [16645/25]
Housing 1 question
- 2025-04-08 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the recently introduced regulations that have had the effect of disqualifying pensioners on a low income from seeking financial assistance by way of a grant from a local authority to replace a household boiler that is beyond economic repair will be reversed as the cost of an alternative system like air to water is not financially feasible for most applicants; if he has assessed the impact of these regulations on the manufacturers and fitters of boilers; if he has carried out an assessment on replacing old boilers with new efficient environmentally friendly models; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16728/25]
Agriculture 1 question
- 2025-04-08 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a response will be provided to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16951/25]
Further and Higher Education 1 question
- 2025-04-08 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if consideration will be given to allowing Phase 2 apprentice electricians from Waterford to complete their training in Waterford, rather than being required to attend a course in Limerick; and if full cost of travel and accommodation will be paid to cover the financial hardship faced by those required to travel will be taken into account. [16734/25]
Transport 1 question
- 2025-04-10 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Transport to outline any involvement he or his Department has had relative to discussions regarding the CIÉ pension scheme for regular wage staff and school bus drivers; if he has plans to assist the company in resolving the outstanding issues facing retired employees who are not in receipt of their pension entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18277/25]
Enterprise 1 question
- 2025-04-10 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 147 of 12 February 2025, the progress made relative to establishing an appeal process for increased-cost-of-business and Power Up grants; if he has determined through the local authorities the number of applicants that failed to qualify for the grants due to the online application’s being inadequate in terms of providing the applicant with the means to describe the business accurately; if he will expedite consideration of the matter as the applicants affected continue to be in need of financial assistance, and feel aggrieved that failing, through no fault of their own, had the consequential effect of being excluded from subsequent grant schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18274/25]
Children 1 question
- 2025-04-10 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to deal with the critical shortage of affordable childcare services in Carlow and Kilkenny which is placing a huge financial pressure on working families; her further plans to develop a publicly-funded, community-based early years education and childcare model; the number of childcare places available in both counties; the number on waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18278/25]

Natasha Newsome Drennan — Sinn Féin 5 votes · 2 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 2 total

Enterprise 1 question
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is aware of feedback provided by craftspeople in relation to their experience of their participation in the Collect 24 exhibition under the auspices of the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCI) and the subsequent threat of legal action against the authors of the feedback by DCCI; his views on whether organisations relying on State funding should welcome feedback from stakeholders and not attempt to shut it down; if he aware of what has been reported in a newspaper (details supplied) as “unusually high” turnover of staff at DCCI; the details and dates of any correspondence with him or his Department raising issues in relation to workplace culture, dismissals, expenses or financial accountability at DCCI; if he is aware of any such issues; if he will initiate an external review into culture, governance, accountability and structures at DCCI to ensure the crafts sector and workers have a fit-for-purpose body to support their development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18313/25]
Health 1 question
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan asked the Minister for Health when staff at a nursing home (details supplied) in County Kilkenny will receive their section 39 payment increase; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18126/25]

Peter 'Chap' Cleere — Fianna Fáil 5 votes · 10 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 10 total

Education 4 questions
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the implementation of the school transport strategy. [16970/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on work on the Programme for Government commitment to expand the school transport scheme. [16971/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education if she will work with Bus Éireann to amend the rules to allow drivers over 70 years-of-age to continue to drive school buses, subject to annual medical examinations, to help alleviate the shortage of school bus drivers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16558/25]
- 2025-04-09 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education to consider the provision of an additional school bus route to accommodate students from Lisdowney who currently face significant challenges in accessing school transport (details supplied). [17945/25]
Transport 2 questions
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Transport the plans that exist to improve public transport links from south Kilkenny into the new public transport hub in Waterford city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16649/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Transport the plans in relation to the proposed A90 bus route and when it is expected to be up and running (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16650/25]
Tourism 2 questions
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the basic income for the arts scheme will be extended past 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17489/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if he will provide an update on his work on the Programme for Government commitment to assess the basic income for arts pilot scheme to maximise its impact. [17490/25]
Taoiseach 1 question
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee dealing with transport will meet next. [5905/25]
Health 1 question
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on proposed legislation introducing further restrictions on nicotine inhaling products or vapes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18256/25]