On prevailing side: this member voted with the winning side in 312 of 313 decisive votes (0 abstentions excluded). Read it as a government-or-opposition indicator rather than a measure of influence — the figure is near 100% for members supporting the government of the day and near 0% for those opposing it.
This is the point of the site: contributions keep the party held on the day, not the one held now.
| Party | Recorded as | Contributions | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| CC | Ceann Comhairle / Chair | 11,306 | 2020-02-20 – 2024-11-07 |
| FF | Fianna Fáil | 72 | 2020-02-20 – 2026-10-01 |
Membership spells on record: FF 2000-06-02–2002-06-26 · FF 2002-05-17–2007-04-30 · FF 2007-05-24–2011-02-01 · FF 2011-02-25–2016-03-09 · FF 2016-03-10–2020-01-14 · FF 2020-02-08–2024-11-08 · FF 2024-11-29–present
I also ask the Minister of State to ask the Minister to give more succinct responses that contain more relevant information rather than three quarters filler and one quarter relevant information. That is not the Minister of State's fault. I am not blaming him.
The second Topical Issue is in the name of Deputy Durkan, who wishes to return to discuss the ongoing issue of the protection of Castletown House in Celbridge, ##which is a very important issue for north Kildare and Meath.
I thank the Deputy and ask whether the Minister of State has a solution for us.
I suspect we will.
If he is before the courts, we had better not get into it as it is sub judice .
If I could interpret this for a moment, what the Deputy and the Minister of State are at odds about here is that we are being told that, legally, the Minister has no authority to enact legislation to overrule an enforcement order. The local authority, on the other hand, has the wherewithal to withdraw its enforcement actions.
The Minister of State is telling the Deputy that-----
Wait. The Minister of State is saying that the Minister does not have the statutory power to supersede an enforcement order.
He would have the statutory power to introduce a new provision providing that local authorities would deal with other cases not the subject of enforcement.
That is my reading of what the Minister of State is saying to us.
Can we hear from the Minister of State?
I call the Minister of State, please. I am not trying to complicate this.
We live in interesting times, but we will proceed to take Leaders' Questions under Standing Order 36.
I thank the Deputy.
Deputies, please let the Taoiseach finish.
Can we return to order, please? I call Deputy Boyd Barrett.
Before moving to the Order of Business, the Taoiseach has asked that we acknowledge the passing last week of the late Charlie Bird.
You were not too slow picking up the news yourself, Deputy McGrath.
There is no doubt that this is a man who for more than 40 years touched the lives of all of us and informed us about so many important events, including the earth-shattering nature of the Stardust fire, the end of apartheid in South Africa, ongoing news of our own peace processes, the Twin Towers attacks - will we ever forget them? - and the 2004 Indonesian tsunami. As Members, including the Minister, Deputy Foley, have said, he touched the lives of people suffering with that dreadful condition, motor neuron diseas…
May Charlie rest in peace.