Galway West — week of Mon, 15 Dec — Watch Them Work

What your Galway West TDs did this week

Mon, 15 Dec – 21 Dec 2025 · 6 TDs · 3 bills voted on · 37 questions · 3 new lobbying filings

Votes this week

Health (Waiting Lists) Bill 2024

2025-12-17 · 1 vote · Sinn Féin PMB

A bill to amend and extend the Health Act 2004 and for that purpose to provide for the conferral of additional functions on the Minister for Health in relation to setting of pri…

full description

A bill to amend and extend the Health Act 2004 and for that purpose to provide for the conferral of additional functions on the Minister for Health in relation to setting of priorities and performance targets by that Minister in relation to maximum waiting times for health and personal social services; to amend the National Treatment Purchase Fund Board (Establishment) Order 2004 to provide for additional reporting, revised corporate governance and accountability arrangements; and to provide for related matters.

The motion · motion failed 66–80

Voted for 1 Mairéad Farrell

Voted against 1 John Connolly

Did not vote 4 Catherine Connolly · Hildegarde Naughton · Noel Grealish · Seán Kyne

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) (Amendment) Bill 2023: Restoration to Order Paper (Resumed)

2025-12-17 · 1 vote

The motion · motion failed 71–73

Voted for 1 Mairéad Farrell

Voted against 1 John Connolly

Did not vote 4 Catherine Connolly · Hildegarde Naughton · Noel Grealish · Seán Kyne

Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Fox Hunting) Bill 2025

2025-12-17 · 1 vote · People Before Profit-Solidarity PMB

A bill to amend the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 to ban the hunting of a fox or foxes

full description

A bill to amend the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 to ban the hunting of a fox or foxes; and to provide for related matters.

The motion · motion failed 24–124

Voted against 2 John Connolly · Mairéad Farrell

Did not vote 4 Catherine Connolly · Hildegarde Naughton · Noel Grealish · Seán Kyne

Catherine Connolly — Independent 0 votes · 0 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Quiet week — no questions filed or new lobbying returns.

Hildegarde Naughton — Fine Gael 0 votes · 0 questions · 1 new lobbying return

New lobbying 1 return

Polio Survivors Ireland Justice and Equality
- Letter to express urgent concern regarding the challenges faced by persons with disabilities living within the Direct Provision system.

John Connolly — Fianna Fáil 3 votes · 20 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 20 total

Transport 6 questions
- 2025-12-16 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport if his Department or the National Transport Authority has carried out an assessment of the impact on rural families of excluding commercial bus services from the under-nine free travel scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71323/25]
- 2025-12-16 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport the measures to support children under the age of nine in rural and regional areas who are excluded from the Government’s free travel initiative due to reliance on commercial bus services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71324/25]
- 2025-12-16 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has considered extending the free fares for children under nine years-of-age to commercial bus operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71325/25]
- 2025-12-16 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport if officials or agencies under his remit, including the National Transport Authority, have conducted a cost-benefit analysis on extending the free fares scheme to include commercial bus operators for children under nine years-of-age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71326/25]
- 2025-12-16 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport his plans to increase the carriage fleet of Irish Rail; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71557/25]
- 2025-12-16 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport for an update on the progression of the Cross City Link in Galway post the adjudication on the judicial review process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71559/25]
Health 6 questions
- 2025-12-16 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health the staffing levels at the diabetic podiatry services in Galway city operating at St. Francis primary care centre at Newcastle, Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71532/25]
- 2025-12-16 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health the staffing cohort at diabetic podiatry services within each health area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71533/25]
- 2025-12-16 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health the staffing cohort at the Merlin Park podiatry clinic at Merlin Park Hospital, Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71554/25]
- 2025-12-16 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health the number of patients currently attending the diabetic podiatry services in Galway city; if a waiting list exists to access the services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71555/25]
- 2025-12-16 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health the number of patients currently attending the podiatry clinic at Merlin Park outpatients clinic at Merlin Park Hospital, Galway city; if a waiting list exists to access the services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71556/25]
- 2025-12-16 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health the number of patients currently attending the respiratory outpatient clinic at Merlin Park in Galway city; whether a waiting list exists to access the services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71558/25]
Children 2 questions
- 2025-12-18 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the implementation of a single-point-of-access system, which will make it easier for families of children considered to have a need to be referred to the right service, whether that is a children's disability network team, primary care or child and adolescent mental health services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72981/25]
- 2025-12-18 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the implementation of a programme of acquisition and fit-out of State-led early learning and childcare services, as proposed in the programme for Government and budget 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72982/25]
Finance 2 questions
- 2025-12-18 Deputy John Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the reason his Department has revised the forecasted Exchequer surplus in 2026 down to €5.1 billion from the predicted surplus of €14.6 billion in budget 2024; if his Department will provide fiscal forecasts for the Exchequer for 2027 and 2028; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69847/25]
- 2025-12-18 Deputy John Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of persons who availed of the rent tax credit for a child renting accommodation while studying in qualifying third-level education in 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69846/25]
Further and Higher Education 2 questions
- 2025-12-18 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department funds drug addiction prevention initiatives in further and higher education institutes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73685/25]
- 2025-12-18 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the funding his Department has allocated to drug addiction prevention initiatives for each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form. [73686/25]
Taoiseach 1 question
- 2025-12-16 Deputy John Connolly asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will meet next. [67579/25]
Justice 1 question
- 2025-12-16 Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average time currently being taken to consider applications for spousal visas to reside permanently with their spouses in Ireland, by country; the reasons for delays in processing these applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72232/25]

Mairéad Farrell — Sinn Féin 3 votes · 17 questions · 1 new lobbying return

Questions asked 17 total

Climate 9 questions
- 2025-12-16 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide further details on the updated scientific advice, which he received in November 2025, showing that Lough Corrib SAC salmon stocks will not have a sustainable surplus available for harvest in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72488/25]
- 2025-12-16 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department will continue to validate the presence of invasive/non-native fish such as pike, roach and carp in the Corrib Catchment through conservation bye-laws considering his comments on 4 December 2025 regarding significant coarse fisheries within the catchment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72489/25]
- 2025-12-16 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if the proposed Western Lakes Management Plan (WLMP) facilitates further promotion of coarse angling on Lough Corrib SAC and its catchment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72490/25]
- 2025-12-16 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department will be instigating any legislative or policy changes as a result of the public consultation that ended recently regarding the Conservation of Pike Bye-Law (No. 809) 2006 and the Conservation and Prohibition on Sale of Coarse Fish Bye-Law (No. 806) 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72492/25]
- 2025-12-16 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the number of departmental officials that have held the post of principal officer of the Inland Fisheries Division since 1 January 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72495/25]
- 2025-12-16 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the reason the Suir River in the Waterford fishery district will remain open for salmon angling in 2026 on a ‘catch and release’ basis considering that there is a known mortality with releasing fish alive after handling as per peer reviewed literature; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72496/25]
- 2025-12-18 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he could provide an update on the retrofitting schemes; and provide a detailed timeline of how the 2030 target of 500,000 retrofitted homes will be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73222/25]
- 2025-12-18 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the gap between retail and wholesale prices of energy in Ireland, which is the highest in the world, and how energy prices have fallen much more slowly in Ireland relative to other EU countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73223/25]
- 2025-12-18 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide more detail on the private wires element of Action 15, Enable Developer-led Infrastructure, within the Government’s new infrastructure plan, Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71511/25]
Finance 4 questions
- 2025-12-16 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance he breakdown of the number of enforcement staff at Dublin Airport in the years 2022-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73313/25]
- 2025-12-18 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of workers his Department has forecast to move up an income tax band in 2026, as a result of the freezing of income tax bands within Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73184/25]
- 2025-12-18 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to payment app fraud using digital banks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73185/25]
- 2025-12-18 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of people the Government expects to move up an income tax band in 2026, as a result of the freezing of income tax bands within b##udget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69527/25]
Children 3 questions
- 2025-12-16 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on childcare supports for children under the ECCE age range; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71780/25]
- 2025-12-18 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which her Department intends to support and develop Irish language naíonraí, particularly those in the Gaeltacht; if she plans to develop a new recognition scheme for Irish language naíonraí; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73193/25]
- 2025-12-18 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the work her Department is undertaking to improve access to respite in Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73191/25]
Housing 1 question
- 2025-12-16 Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the National Parks and Wildlife Service has contingency plans in place if the invasive demon shrimp (dikerogammarus haemobaphes) infiltrates Lough Corrib SAC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72497/25]

New lobbying 1 return

The Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Agriculture
- Asked TD’s to support a bill proposed by Deputy Ruth Coppinger, PBP, to ban fox hunting in Ireland

Noel Grealish — Independent 0 votes · 0 questions · 1 new lobbying return

New lobbying 1 return

GIY Ireland Education and Training
- Lobbying around a pre-budget submission by GIY for support for a national rollout of GROW a School education programme

Seán Kyne — Fine Gael 0 votes · 0 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Quiet week — no questions filed or new lobbying returns.