Oireachtas

The latest Oireachtas news, analysis and comment from The Irish Times

‘Reporting and blocking alone are not enough’: Young people call for action on social media

Advocates spoke of spending ’hours’ on their phones, encountering bullying with lack of action from social media companies

An article about the big issue Irish people have stopped caring about

As Irish generosity to Ukrainians wanes, remember that rising costs are another result of war

Green Party loses €877,000 in State funding due to heavy electoral losses

Parties shared more than €15.7 million in State funding as most had coffers boosted due to increased numbers elected

Alleged transfer of €1.5m by autism body to UK parent charity ‘possibly criminal’

Alleged transfer of €1.5m by autism charity to UK parent charity ‘possibly criminal’

Road safety campaigner outlines seven actions that could save lives to Oireachtas committee

Greater policing resources and stricter rules for learners among moves mentioned in address by Susan Gray of Parc

An 18th national children’s hospital completion deadline passes without fanfare

Dusty ducts and more than 106,000 defects among latest complaints from board that have failed to deliver on €2bn project

Mary Lou pushed the Taoiseach for a Shinner mini-budget. He told her where to go

‘It’s as if it doesn’t exist in your world,’ said Micheál Martin after McDonald failed to mention the reason for the fuel crisis

Jim Glennon’s brief flirtation with politics never reached heights of his sporting life

Moving into public affairs, Glennon said a lobbyist did privately what a TD did publicly

Miriam Lord: Mary Lou is comfortable talking about rebellion, but is she facing one?

Sinn Féin leader didn’t look under pressure at ardfheis – an event typically attended by those who toe the party line

Catholic Bishops condemn International Protection Act as ‘anti-family’ and ‘neither fair, nor just’

Migrants’ council chair says it is deeply regrettable that Act provides for detention of children, even if as a last resort

Could Independent Ireland grow on back of fuel price protests?

Party with four TDs, an MEP and 24 councillors draws support from conservative, traditionalist and right-leaning voters, polling indicates

Educators should adopt trust-based approach to AI in schools, committee hears

Co-ordinators of a proactive artificial intelligence schools programme in Estonia tell of their experience

Social media ban for under-16s ‘could push them into darker online spaces’

Regulation of content and teaching digital literacy are better policies, youth organisations tell TDs and Senators

Gloves off as Dáil deputies square up for a slot on Katie Taylor’s Croke Park barney

Richard O’Donoghue challenges Taoiseach to a bout of street debate, while Roderic O’Gorman stings like a bee

Billions of euro in ‘dark money’ passing through Irish financial services sector

Hostile actors can use system to raise capital for illegal activities including military or hybrid operations, Oireachtas committee hears

Councils should be obliged to fix roads with a history of fatalities, committee hears

Irish Road Victims’ Association says ‘lives continue to be lost and families continue to be affected’

Siptu asks Oireachtas committee to invite childcare employers in to explain stall on pay deal negotiations

Union warns millions allocated by Government could again be returned unspent if the process does not start soon

Catherine Connolly signs International Protection Bill into law

President decided not to refer legislation to Supreme Court

Measles and whooping cough outbreaks linked to drop in childhood vaccinations, health chief says

Reasons for decline are ‘manifold and complex’ and may include lack of understanding of how serious infectious diseases can be, health committee told

Two-for-one deal comes back to bite Healy-Raes

Cries of ‘Justice for the Kilgarvan One’ in the Dáil as TD mounts his doomed defence

St Vincent’s hospital has not signed deal with HSE as it ‘has not received enough money’

Mater hospital to tell Dáil Public Accounts Committee it has an accumulated deficit of almost €50m

Danny Healy-Rae loses committee seat after vote against Government confidence motion

Kerry TD appeals in Dáil to be allowed remain on Agriculture Committee

Energy regulator expected to be called before Oireachtas committee over ‘price gouging’ investigation

CRU yet to report after Minister asked agency to review failure of wholesale companies to pass on 72% price drop

What is the Council of State and why is it meeting today at Áras an Uachtaráin?

Council of State to consider the constitutionality of the International Protection Bill 2026

‘Massive numbers’ of creches across Dublin lying unused and unusable, committee hears

Creches built as part of developments ‘to meet the bare bones of a planning requirement’ are too small, politicians told

‘Even the best-case scenario is bad’: EU chief warns of higher gas prices ‘for years’

Supplies of diesel and jet fuel may come under pressure if Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, European energy commissioner fears

Micheál Martin probably wasn’t anticipating a second surprise attack from within

Opposition politicians watch on as cracks in the Government’s resolve deepen

Politicians fail to turn up for Central Bank warning about Government spending

Growing failure to put aside excess corporation tax receipts worries policymakers, but message fails to reach its political target audience

Michael Healy-Rae looked like a man who had seen a ghost. Something was afoot

While the Government comfortably won the confidence vote, the Kerry TD looked uncomfortable as he prepared for his bombshell

Beaumont Hospital paid €1.5m to company in which 20 staff were directors without competitive process

Financial statement reveals hospital was hit by a €40,000 fraud last year

Church of Ireland ‘less likely’ to let vacant rectories due to rent reforms

Church’s representative body sought meeting with Ministers to discuss ‘possibility of an exemption’ from new rent rules

Ending of EU nature funding will be ‘deeply regressive’ for Irish conservation

Oireachtas committee challenges EU plan to end scheme through which Ireland has secured over €200m in investment

Restricted access to judicial review would create inequalities

We should all be concerned by the latest of these proposals in the Civil Reform Bill

Irish consumers face rising costs as war in Iran threatens to escalate

ESRI and Central Bank issue concerning data in wake of fuel price rise

Alan Kelly to Jim O’Callaghan ... I will look for you, I will find you...

If TDs return to milder spring weather after the recess, then they might be spared a roasting from Opposition over fuel cost interventions

Authors of report that sparked retrofit row say retrofitting is vital

Researchers from ESRI say they wanted to show what additional measures might be needed

State’s failure to provide homes for Irish speakers ‘threatening future of language’

Young adults cannot remain in Gaeltacht areas because of high prices, holiday homes and planning rules, Oireachtas committee told

Taoiseach, emboldened by US trip, calls out Sinn Féin and their rich developer friends

Micheál Martin lauded €250m energy package as best in Europe after opposition said it wasn’t enough

Government unveils €250 million package of support for households and businesses impacted by soaring energy costs

Government unveils €250m package of supports which Opposition criticise as ‘timid, anaemic’ and ‘pathetic’

Dublin Airport passenger cap sent air fares soaring, DAA to tell TDs

State airport company to push Oireachtas to pass Bill soon so limit can be scrapped

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