Meath East — week of Mon, 3 Nov

What your Meath East TDs did this week

Mon, 3 Nov – 9 Nov 2025 · 4 TDs · 2 bills voted on · 27 questions · 1 new lobbying filings

Votes this week

Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages

2025-11-05 · 2 votes

An amendment to the bill · motion failed 61–72

Voted for 1 Darren O'Rourke

Voted against 2 Gillian Toole · Helen McEntee

Did not vote 1 Thomas Byrne

The motion · motion passed 93–41

Voted for 2 Gillian Toole · Helen McEntee

Voted against 1 Darren O'Rourke

Did not vote 1 Thomas Byrne

Education (Affordable School Uniforms Bill) 2025

2025-11-05 · 2 votes

An amendment to the bill · motion passed 72–62

Voted for 2 Gillian Toole · Helen McEntee

Voted against 1 Darren O'Rourke

Did not vote 1 Thomas Byrne

The motion · motion passed 72–62

Voted for 2 Gillian Toole · Helen McEntee

Voted against 1 Darren O'Rourke

Did not vote 1 Thomas Byrne

Darren O'Rourke — Sinn Féin 4 votes · 26 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 26 total

Education 16 questions
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps she will take to increase the number of early intervention classes to meet current and projected demand across the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60168/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on a new school building project (details supplied); if she is aware that planning permission was granted for these schools in November 2020; the reason for the delays in bringing this project to construction; the indicative timeline for construction, commencement and completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60169/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason education therapy services have not been provided to children with additional needs in mainstream schools in Budget 2026; and the measures being taken to ensure the same support is provided to these children in contrast with children attending special education schools. [59668/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the means by which she is going to address the alarming rates of mental wellbeing issues facing students; and when we will see robust mental health and well-being programmes introduced into the school day. [59670/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the means by which she intends to provide resources to inform students the way in which to combat misinformation and political disinformation; and if there are movements toward revitalising the civics curriculum to not only teach about Government structures, but also media literacy. [59672/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth her strategy to prevent a digital divide and ensure that every student, regardless of their socioeconomic background or geographic location, has access to the technology and digital literacy skills necessary to succeed. [59671/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures she is taking to ensure that deaf children completing LCA assessments have proper accommodations in place, as there is growing concern that the accommodations in place are not sufficient. [57794/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will introduce other forms of assessment for deaf students completing LCA that do not rely solely on audio components. [57795/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will meet with deaf students, parents, teachers and the Irish deaf society to develop an assessment that accommodates deaf children and ensures equality for all students with their exams. [57796/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth when schools will be provided with exam papers under the post primary school book scheme. [58968/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of post primary schools which currently have not been provided with exam papers under the post primary school book scheme; and when she expects that all schools will have received them. [58969/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the mainstream class teacher grant, which encompasses a furniture and ICT grant will be paid to schools before the new school term begins in 2026; and the month she envisages the grant will be paid to schools. [59027/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if there will be a re-instatement of Junior- and Leaving Certificate fees for the academic year 2026-2027; and her plans to ensure that these fees are covered by her Department, as they were last year. [59411/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide the name and location of UBU-funded youth services, per ETB; the funding provided to each service in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025; the planned allocation for 2026; the number of staff and the number of young people engaged in the service for each of those years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59788/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide details of the funding provided to each national youth organisation in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025; the planned allocation for 2026; the number of staff and the number of young people engaged for each of those years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59789/25]
- 2025-11-05 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a teacher on a conditional Teaching Council registration who chooses to undertake the assessment only route for post primary (details supplied) will allow a teacher to become fully qualified and registered under route 2 of the Teaching Council. [60215/25]
Further and Higher Education 7 questions
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will review staff to pupil ratios in Youthreach facilities across the State, as in many cases the staff to pupil ratio exceeds the health and safety and child protection guidelines; and the funding that has been provided in Budget 2026 to provide additional staff at these centres. [57720/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he believes that the 225-day calendar poses serious industrial relations risks due to long standing disparities in contracts, entitlements and workload between Youthreach staff and their post primary counterparts. [57721/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he believes that the 225-day calendar poses serious industrial relations risks due to long standing disparities in contracts, entitlements and workload between Youthreach staff and their post primary counterparts. [57722/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the measures he is taking to provide a guaranteed routine for neurodivergent learners in Youthreach, particularly when routine is looser during the summer months. [57723/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if rather than enforcing the full programme during the summer months, he would consider if this time could be used more strategically to allocate resources where they have the greatest impact, such as optional targeted supports for high-needs learners in Youthreach centres. [57724/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason some Youthreach centres remain open during midterm breaks and summer, while others close; and the measures he is taking to ensure that all Youthreach centres have a uniformed approach to opening and closing days. [57725/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for an update on discussions regarding the alignment of the Youthreach calendar year with the second level calendar year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59774/25]
Health 3 questions
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health if the treatment abroad scheme is available to patients who have been referred to a private hospital abroad for urgent treatment. [58338/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health when a person is entitled to avail of the treatment abroad scheme for treatment in a private hospital. [58339/25]
- 2025-11-04 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health when she expects that spinal muscular atrophy will be included in the heelprick test, given this was a commitment of the Government in 2023. [59348/25]

Gillian Toole — Independent 4 votes · 1 question · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 1 total

Public Expenditure 1 question
- 2025-11-05 Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will consider, evaluate and collaborate with other Departments to enable the establishment of an Irish academy of fine arts at the General Post Office, O’Connell Street, Dublin 1. [52873/25]

Helen McEntee — Fine Gael 4 votes · 0 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Thomas Byrne — Fianna Fáil 0 votes · 0 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Quiet week — no questions filed or new lobbying returns.