Cork South-Central — week of Mon, 14 Jul — Watch Them Work

What your Cork South-Central TDs did this week

Mon, 14 Jul – 20 Jul 2025 · 5 TDs · 4 bills voted on · 32 questions · 2 new lobbying filings

Votes this week

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025

2025-07-16 · 2 votes · Govt (Housing)

A bill to amend the Planning and Development Act 2024, the Planning and Development Act 2000 and certain other enactments

full description

A bill to amend the Planning and Development Act 2024, the Planning and Development Act 2000 and certain other enactments; and to provide for matters connected therewith.

A sub-amendment · motion failed 68–89

Voted for 2 Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire · Pádraig Rice

Voted against 2 Jerry Buttimer · Séamus McGrath

Did not vote 1 Micheál Martin

A change the Seanad made to the bill · motion passed 88–68

Voted for 2 Jerry Buttimer · Séamus McGrath

Voted against 2 Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire · Pádraig Rice

Did not vote 1 Micheál Martin

Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation (Transfer of Functions) Bill 2024

2025-07-16 · 1 vote · Labour Party PMB

A bill to give further effect to the Aircraft Noise Regulation in so far as it relates to Dublin Airport by transferring the functions of the competent authority for the purpose…

full description

A bill to give further effect to the Aircraft Noise Regulation in so far as it relates to Dublin Airport by transferring the functions of the competent authority for the purposes of that Regulation from the Fingal County Council to the Environmental Protection Agency; and to provide for connected matters.

Whether the bill should proceed (Second Stage) · motion failed 69–88

Voted for 2 Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire · Pádraig Rice

Voted against 3 Jerry Buttimer · Micheál Martin · Séamus McGrath

Endometriosis Care in Ireland

2025-07-16 · 2 votes

An amendment to the bill · motion passed 88–69

Voted for 3 Jerry Buttimer · Micheál Martin · Séamus McGrath

Voted against 2 Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire · Pádraig Rice

The motion · motion passed 88–69

Voted for 3 Jerry Buttimer · Micheál Martin · Séamus McGrath

Voted against 2 Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire · Pádraig Rice

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

2025-07-15 · 1 vote

The week's Dáil business schedule · motion passed 88–69

Voted for 3 Jerry Buttimer · Micheál Martin · Séamus McGrath

Voted against 2 Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire · Pádraig Rice

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire — Sinn Féin 6 votes · 0 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Jerry Buttimer — Fine Gael 6 votes · 0 questions · 1 new lobbying return

New lobbying 1 return

FASD Ireland CLG Health
- Delays with the introduction of health information labelling on alcohol

Micheál Martin — Fianna Fáil 4 votes · 0 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Pádraig Rice — Social Democrats 6 votes · 17 questions · 1 new lobbying return

Questions asked 17 total

Health 10 questions
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the timeline she is working towards to initiate the review of the drug reimbursement process; the patient advocacy representation that will be on the review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38733/25]
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health her plans to agree and progress the early access programme for rare diseases; the timeline she is working towards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38734/25]
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if she will respond to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); if she will confirm that this proposal has been received; if she is aware of the current shortages in Parkinson’s disease nurse specialists in Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38949/25]
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if the cross-Departmental working group on banning sunbeds has been established and convened; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39447/25]
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the membership, terms of reference and timeline for work of the cross-Departmental working group on banning sunbeds. [39448/25]
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the status of the progress of each of the action points in A Healthy Weight for Ireland 2016-2025: Obesity Policy and Action Plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39449/25]
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the date on which she plans to commence the evaluation of the current National Cancer Strategy; if this review will be carried out by her Department, the HSE or another body; if she will engage with key stakeholders as part of this process; if a new National Cancer Strategy will be published by the end of 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39493/25]
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if she will review the way in which maternity services are delivered across the country, as recommended by the expert review group overseeing maternity services at Portiuncula hospital; if so, the timeline she is working towards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39577/25]
- 2025-07-17 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if she will request that Children’s Health Ireland publishes the 2021 oncology risk assessment (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40268/25]
- 2025-07-17 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if she has received correspondence (details supplied); her response to the proposal related to Ireland assuming the Presidency of the Council of the European Union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40269/25]
Justice 3 questions
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to outline the legislative powers his Department has given to An Garda Síochána to deal with bogus tradesmen who look to take advantage of vulnerable people; if his Department has given consideration to launching a public awareness campaign around the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38950/25]
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the actions being taken to combat extreme hate speech in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39621/25]
- 2025-07-17 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to introduce amendments to modernise the Prohibition of Incitement to Racial Religious or National Hatred Act , 1989; the timeline he is working towards in bringing forward these amendments; if this will include provisions on hate speech to bring Ireland in line with EU requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40267/25]
Culture 2 questions
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to outline all funding and grant opportunities available to theatre companies; if he has considered establishing a specific funding stream for productions that are linked to the curriculum of Junior and Leaving Certificate courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39620/25]
- 2025-07-17 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 420 of 1 July 2025, if his Department intends to renew the current three-year funding arrangement for post offices which is set to end in December 2025, to detail his Department’s plans to support small and medium-sized post offices following the conclusion of this arrangement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40272/25]
Foreign 1 question
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 145 of 3 July 2025, if any measures have been put in place to mitigate against the potential misuse of the IHRA definition. [38951/25]
Housing 1 question
- 2025-07-17 Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 598 of 8 April 2025, to provide a full update on the Cork Events Centre project; the status of the appointments of individuals to the project management delivery team; the key next stages, and estimated timelines; and the exact amount of public funding, from all sources, spent on the project to date in 2025. [40271/25]

New lobbying 1 return

FASD Ireland CLG Health
- Delays with the introduction of health information labelling on alcohol

Séamus McGrath — Fianna Fáil 6 votes · 15 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 15 total

Finance 5 questions
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the role credit unions play in supporting the delivery of social housing through the Credit Union Approved Housing Body Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39014/25]
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the total number of renters who claimed the rent tax credit for 2022, 2023 and 2024 and the estimated percentage of those eligible to claim it in each of those years. [39018/25]
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the number of families who claimed the home carer tax credit for 2022, 2023 and 2024; and the estimated percentage of those eligible to claim it in each of those years. [39050/25]
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the level of compliance activity in relation to the vacant homes tax; the number of cases of default that have been established; the value of penalties that have been applied in total; the average amount per property collected on the tax in 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39647/25]
- 2025-07-17 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Finance to review and remove VAT on sunscreen protection products, as they are an essential health product; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40441/25]
Transport 3 questions
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Transport if he will request that the barrier tolls on the M7 and M8 be waived on Sunday, 20 July 2025, the day of the all-Ireland hurling final; if waiving of the fees is not possible, if he would recommend a system of online self-declaration and barrier-free travel on that day; and if it is intended to introduce barrier-free tolling on a permanent basis on the M7 and M8 in the future. [39051/25]
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Transport if there is any arts fund or other community fund to be created as part of the M28 motorway project, given it is such a large infrastructure project. [39059/25]
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Transport the total amount collected from each county or local authority area from motor tax in 2023 and 2024; and if he will clarify where the funding was spent. [39066/25]
Housing 3 questions
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review the Croí Cónaithe scheme or vacant property grant so that more than one grant may be payable in the case of an original single property where more than one unit is developed as part of a refurbishment; and if he will review upwards the grant amount, taking into account the inflationary pressures since the grant was first announced. [38959/25]
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the number of vacant, derelict or dangerous properties that each local authority has compulsorily purchased in 2023 and 2024. [38960/25]
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider transferring the derelict sites levy for collection by Revenue in the same way the residential zoned land tax is collected by Revenue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39015/25]
Taoiseach 1 question
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [34041/25]
Culture 1 question
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when the sport capital grants process will open for new applications. [38958/25]
Justice 1 question
- 2025-07-15 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Gardaí deployed on regular policing units in each Garda division in June 2023, June 2024 and June 2025 (details supplied). [39067/25]
Public Expenditure 1 question
- 2025-07-17 Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the safeguards that are now in place to ensure large-scale public infrastructure contracts are completed on time and within budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40074/25]