Cork South-Central — week of Mon, 7 Apr — Watch Them Work

What your Cork South-Central TDs did this week

Mon, 7 Apr – 13 Apr 2025 · 5 TDs · 4 bills voted on · 36 questions · 4 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 Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Voted against 3 Jerry Buttimer · Micheál Martin · Séamus McGrath

Did not vote 1 Pádraig Rice

Water Services (Repeal of Water Charges) Bill 2025

2025-04-09 · 1 vote

The motion · motion failed 64–83

Voted for 1 Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Voted against 3 Jerry Buttimer · Micheál Martin · Séamus McGrath

Did not vote 1 Pádraig Rice

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 Jerry Buttimer · Micheál Martin · Séamus McGrath

Voted against 1 Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Did not vote 1 Pádraig Rice

The motion · motion passed 83–65

Voted for 3 Jerry Buttimer · Micheál Martin · Séamus McGrath

Voted against 1 Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Did not vote 1 Pádraig Rice

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

2025-04-08 · 1 vote

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

Voted for 3 Jerry Buttimer · Micheál Martin · Séamus McGrath

Voted against 1 Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Did not vote 1 Pádraig Rice

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire — Sinn Féin 5 votes · 1 question · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 1 total

Education 1 question
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the number of children with additional needs waiting for a school place in Cork for the upcoming school year; if she will commit to ensuring that each child that needs one has a place in a special school or an ASD class; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17343/25]

Jerry Buttimer — Fine Gael 5 votes · 0 questions · 1 new lobbying return

New lobbying 1 return

Cormac McKay Transport
- UNECE 167 Driver vision system Retrofitting of HGV's

Micheál Martin — Fianna Fáil 5 votes · 0 questions · 3 new lobbying returns

New lobbying 3 returns

Green Energy Storage Ireland Ltd Energy and Natural Resources
- Brief on Energy Storage Ireland priorities for Programme for Government
Hydrogen Ireland Association · 2 returns Energy and Natural Resources
- Hydrogen
- Hydrogen

Pádraig Rice — Social Democrats 0 votes · 28 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 28 total

Health 17 questions
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to the UK government's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommendation that a targeted vaccination programme should be initiated for the prevention of gonorrhoea (details supplied); if a similar vaccine programme is being considered by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17295/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting longer than two weeks to be seen by BreastCheck following an urgent referral, by site, in tabular form. [17506/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if there has been any change to the two-week maximum wait time for BreastCheck urgent referrals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17507/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on a waiting list for a mammogram, by site, wait time and referral type (details supplied), in tabular form. [17508/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the total paid to each private diagnostics provider under the GP access to the community diagnostics scheme in each of the years since its launch in 2021 and to date in 2025, in tabular form.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17509/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the timeline she is working towards in extending the bowel cancer screening programme to people aged 50 to 74 years; if she is still committed to completing this programme expansion by 2026 [17510/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the integrated financial management system project; the timeline she is working towards for completion and operation of the new system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17511/25]
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown of the number of weeks each child listed as suspended on Children’s Health Ireland’s spinal service waiting list has been waiting, by category (details supplied), in tabular form. [18161/25]
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health her views on a matter (details supplied) raised by an organisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18162/25]
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the number of beds which will be available to the paediatric allergy unit in the new National Children’s Hospital; the number of beds currently available to this unit across CHI sites; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18165/25]
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if she will establish a centralised electronic data collection system for timely and accurate reporting of child mortality nationally; if her Department has commenced work in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18166/25]
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the status of the inpatient mental health support mother and baby unit, as per the model of care for specialist perinatal mental health services; the estimated cost of providing this unit; if a dedicated funding allocation for its development has been agreed; if not, when she expects to announce this allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18167/25]
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the reason the inpatient mental health support mother and baby unit was not included in the Women’s Health Action Plan 2024-2025, having been included in the Women’s Health Action Plan Action Plan 2022-23; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18168/25]
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if she intends to revise the fee paid to optometrists under the medical card scheme; if so, the status of these plans; the timeline for its implementation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18169/25]
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if she intends to increase the scope of practice for optometrists (details supplied); the work being undertaken in her Department with respect to this proposal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18170/25]
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the regulations being developed under section 23 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18178/25]
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the status of the HIQA review into the use of surgical implants and medical devices at Children's Health Ireland; the date on which she expects this report to be presented to her; if she will commit to publishing the report thereafter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18322/25]
Education 3 questions
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Education if education welfare officers are permitted to extend their support to young people under the age of sixteen attending a Youthreach programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16719/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 480 of 27 March 2025, to clarify whether the terms and conditions of the non-statutory leave of absence following assault scheme for teachers and SNAs are in line with what is currently being applied across the public sector; if the paid leave available is consistent with other professions in the public sector, namely the Gardaí and prison officers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16727/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Education the steps her Department is taking to ensure that this year’s Leaving Certificate students are not at a disadvantage as a result of her Department’s move to reduce grade inflation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17505/25]
Children 3 questions
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 971 of 5 February 2025, to provide an update on the new national strategy for women and girls; the date on which she intends to publish the strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16726/25]
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the Government intends to purchase the site of the Bessboro mother and baby home and establish a memorialisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18095/25]
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she plans to bring forward statutory parental bereavement leave; if so, the timeline for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18172/25]
Transport 2 questions
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 322 of 19 March 2025, if his Department intends to include information about motorists’ responsibilities regarding crossing lanes occupied by cycle lanes into its current road safety campaigns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17018/25]
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 210 of 18 February 2025, if the 70 additional permanent positions for driver testers sanctioned by his Department in September 2024 have been filled; the impact this has had on waiting times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18173/25]
Foreign 1 question
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to outline the engagement his Department has had with German immigration authorities following the deportation orders issues for two Irish citizens; if he can confirm the reports that citizens were asked to cease using the Irish language during protests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17501/25]
Agriculture 1 question
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the mistreatment of animals in Ennistymon, County Clare (details supplied); the steps he is taking to ensure that those who are responsible for this cruelty are held accountable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17019/25]
Social 1 question
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection if he intends to revise the fee paid to optometrists under the PRSI benefit scheme; if so, the status of these plans; the timeline for its implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18171/25]

Séamus McGrath — Fianna Fáil 5 votes · 7 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 7 total

Housing 2 questions
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for a full update on the Cork Events Centre project; the key next stages and estimated timelines; and the exact amount of public funding, from all sources, spent on the project to date. [16047/25]
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he intends to bring forward planning proposals in relation to facilitating the construction of habitable accommodation on garden sites. [17321/25]
Taoiseach 1 question
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [13972/25]
Education 1 question
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Education if her Department will engage with schools who wish to install solar panels, but have been disallowed as roof mounted panels are not considered suitable for various reasons. [16956/25]
Tourism 1 question
- 2025-04-08 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the position in relation to the provision of public funding for League of Ireland soccer academies; if he will set out for each year since 2020 the amount of public funding that has been provided for the academies, broken down by League of Ireland club where possible; if there are any plans to significantly increase the financial support for academies in order that full-time coaches can be employed to develop the elite underage football talent that exists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16642/25]
Health 1 question
- 2025-04-09 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Health if she will support a proposal by an organisation (details supplied) to acquire the vacant former health centre building in Passage West; and if she will provide an update on the proposal/request; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17876/25]
Environment 1 question
- 2025-04-10 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to set up a specific fund for local authorities for the installation of air monitoring units in urban areas; and the level of air monitoring taking place across the State. [17839/25]