Clare — week of Mon, 2 Mar

What your Clare TDs did this week

Mon, 2 Mar – 8 Mar 2026 · 4 TDs · 2 bills voted on · 42 questions · 2 new lobbying filings

Votes this week

Online Safety (Recommender Algorithms) Bill 2026

2026-03-04 · 2 votes · People Before Profit-Solidarity PMB

A bill to amend the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 to regulate the use of recommender algorithms by video-sharing platform services

An amendment to the bill · motion passed 80–63

Voted for 3 Cathal Crowe · Joe Cooney · Timmy Dooley

Voted against 1 Donna McGettigan

The motion · motion passed 81–63

Voted for 3 Cathal Crowe · Joe Cooney · Timmy Dooley

Voted against 1 Donna McGettigan

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

2026-03-03 · 1 vote

The week's Dáil business schedule · motion passed 84–68

Voted for 3 Cathal Crowe · Joe Cooney · Timmy Dooley

Voted against 1 Donna McGettigan

Cathal Crowe — Fianna Fáil 3 votes · 23 questions · 1 new lobbying return

Questions asked 23 total

Health 7 questions
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if there is scope for discretionary medical cards to be granted more consistently in cases of chronic illness, or for broader reform of the medical card system; the specific criteria used in assessing eligibility for discretionary medical cards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16214/26]
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if the monthly threshold under the drug payment scheme limit will be reviewed again in the near future (details supplied); if not, if additional flexibility will be applied on a case-by-case basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16215/26]
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health to address matters concerning IBD care (details supplied) which extends beyond gastroenterologists and specialist nurses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16216/26]
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare who has been allocated 21 hours home help but is currently only in receipt of four hours per week will receive their full allocation hours as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16372/26]
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if she will expedite an urgent surgical appointment at Galway University Hospital for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16951/26]
- 2026-03-05 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the plans her Department has to upgrade existing primary care centres or provide new primary care centres in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17295/26]
- 2026-03-05 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if she will provide clarity on the processes that are under way to identify a potential site for the delivery of the so-called ‘Plan B’ (new hospital building) for the University of Limerick Hospital Group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17296/26]
Rural 4 questions
- 2026-03-04 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the percentage of rural regeneration and development fund schemes that have made it to completion, by county, since 2020. [17844/26]
- 2026-03-04 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the amount spent on the rural regeneration and development fund schemes, by county, which did not make it to completion. [17846/26]
- 2026-03-04 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the reasons rural regeneration and development schemes do not make it to completion; the percentage that make it only as far as phase 1; and the percentage that make it only as far as phase 2. [17848/26]
- 2026-03-05 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the total amount of funding allocated to respective local authorities in 2023 and in 2024 for all rural schemes provided by his Department (details supplied), including the town and village renewal scheme, CLÁR, LEADER, LIS, outdoor recreation and rural regeneration, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18223/26]
Education 3 questions
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth to address matters concerning notifications received by a number of primary schools that they were set to lose some of their SNA allocation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16412/26]
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she clarify the position of her Department on the provision of positive behaviour support within special education schools, autism classes and mainstream settings where autistic or behaviourally vulnerable students are enrolled (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16836/26]
- 2026-03-04 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will urgently arrange for officials from the buildings unit of her Department to visit a primary school in County Clare (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17271/26]
Housing 3 questions
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the implementation of the Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters Regulations in the context of the Nitrates Action Programme to date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17099/26]
- 2026-03-04 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he expects to announce the Historic Structures Fund; and if he will consider the applications made by Clare Tourism Development (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17248/26]
- 2026-03-05 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide clarity on when the villages of Broadford and Cooraclare, County Clare, can expect to have their long-promised sewerage schemes constructed, commissioned and operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17303/26]
Foreign 2 questions
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on the EU Presidency county pairings announced in January; the requirements and obligations for local authorities in relation to this; the engagement that has taken place with local authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17091/26]
- 2026-03-04 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for a report on Ireland’s preparations for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. [17311/26]
Transport 2 questions
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the specific number of qualified controllers that will be working at Dublin, Cork, and Shannon this summer; if this is sufficient for both current traffic and any expected increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17067/26]
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport given that Ireland does not have sufficient air traffic control resources to manage an increase in flights safely his views on whether lifting the passenger CAP would cause chaos; the steps he has taken to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17068/26]
Culture 1 question
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when retired An Post Workers (details supplied) will receive their pension increase which was agreed with the CWU and to date has not been paid to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16648/26]
Enterprise 1 question
- 2026-03-04 Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment when the Contractual Retirement Ages Act 2025 will become fully operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17320/26]

New lobbying 1 return

Ennis Chamber of Commerce Development and Zoning
- Ennis Chamber commissioned a report - Ennis Residential Zoning Profile - to examine how many residential zoned sites within Ennis Municipal District have been partially or fully activated within Clare County Development plan 2023 - 2029. The resulting fact-based report provided a basis for conversations & meetings between Ennis Chamber members, with members of Clare County Council senior management team, locally elected members (councillors and TDs) and with the relevant government Minister

Donna McGettigan — Sinn Féin 3 votes · 10 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 10 total

Education 3 questions
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the new DEIS+ scheme is being developed under her Department's Education Plan 2025 as promised by the previous Minister; if implementation is still due to start in September 2026; when detailed criteria, the application process and the required documentation will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16369/26]
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in Clare seeking special education school places; the current level of unmet need; the projected demand for places for the next five years; the criteria used to determine special class allocation, of the new special education classes announced; the number of the schools which have the infrastructure to meet the needs of the new classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16487/26]
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools in Clare and in each county which appealed their allocation of SNAs in the past five years; the number of appeals which resulted in an increase in SNAs allocated; the number which resulted in a reduction; the number which resulted in no change, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16614/26]
Health 2 questions
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health to intervene in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16626/26]
- 2026-03-05 Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health to make acarizax available under the drug payment scheme; to recommend a course of action for a family facing unmanageable prescription charges due to having to pay for it, in addition to other medications which are on the drug payment scheme, but still cost €80; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18051/26]
Further and Higher Education 2 questions
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of times he met with student unions since taking office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16616/26]
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline what the fund for students with disabilities covers; the amount that is allocated to each category across all FETs; the amount that is allocated to transport across all FETs, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16665/26]
Finance 1 question
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the cost to the Exchequer on donations to approved bodies under section 848A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16611/26]
Culture 1 question
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to confirm that retired An Post workers are due a pension increase, as this has been agreed but has not yet been delivered; when the increase will be given, if it will be backdated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16823/26]
Justice 1 question
- 2026-03-05 Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the level of overcrowding in Limerick prison that is, the capacity of the prison, the current number of prisoners held there either on remand or serving sentences, whether our prisons are in breach of international regulations or Government targets; the steps he will take to alleviate any overcrowding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18097/26]

Joe Cooney — Fine Gael 3 votes · 7 questions · 1 new lobbying return

Questions asked 7 total

Education 3 questions
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which a school (details supplied) performed under each of the individual criteria used to prioritise school building projects included in the recent announcement of 105 school building projects; the relative ranking or position for this school under each criterion and overall compared with projects selected for inclusion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16241/26]
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update on the application by a school (details supplied) for their inclusion in the DEIS 1 Plus programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16242/26]
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider the application by a school (details supplied) to open a second special class for children with autism, which will meet the documented demand in the wider geographical area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17058/26]
Health 3 questions
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Health the reasons the drug acarizax is not included in either the medical card scheme or the drugs payment scheme; if she will consider the inclusion of the drug; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17057/26]
- 2026-03-05 Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Health if she will confirm the date of the site acquisition for Option B at UHL; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17546/26]
- 2026-03-05 Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Health her plans to address the number of closed or unavailable beds in State-operated community nursing homes; the additional bed capacity planned over the next 10, 20 and 30 years to meet the needs of an ageing population; the way in which her Department intends to ensure future provision matches projected demographic demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17547/26]
Finance 1 question
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance his plans to include an annual review of the property price ceiling for the help-to-buy scheme in the budgetary process to account for fluctuations in property prices nationally; the reason the first home scheme can increase the property price ceilings but the help-to-buy scheme cannot; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16239/26]

New lobbying 1 return

Ennis Chamber of Commerce Development and Zoning
- Ennis Chamber commissioned a report - Ennis Residential Zoning Profile - to examine how many residential zoned sites within Ennis Municipal District have been partially or fully activated within Clare County Development plan 2023 - 2029. The resulting fact-based report provided a basis for conversations & meetings between Ennis Chamber members, with members of Clare County Council senior management team, locally elected members (councillors and TDs) and with the relevant government Minister

Timmy Dooley — Fianna Fáil 3 votes · 2 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 2 total

Housing 1 question
- 2026-03-03 Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current status of the legislative or Departmental guidelines regarding the restructuring of legacy shared ownership loans into annuity loans; if he is aware of cases where local authorities have failed to process restructuring applications for several years, leading to the 'expiry' of the loan through no fault of the borrower; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16650/26]
Social 1 question
- 2026-03-05 Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a contributory pension (details supplied) is being reduced due to early teaching years of 1974-1978/1979 is being treated differently from all subsequent years of teaching contributions therefore creating a gap in the contribution record. [18158/26]