For the first time, the number of parliamentary questions (PQs) asked, replied to and published during a Dáil has exceeded 200,000. During this week, the number passed the previous record, from the 31st Dáil, of just over 198,000 questions and replies published to the site and it now stands at 200,228. Remarkably, this new record was set in 169 fewer sitting days than that accumulated in the 31st Dáil.
Parliamentary questions are an intrinsic part of Parliament and each year tens of thousands of questions are asked by Members. They are directed to each Department and answered by the appropriate Minister.
Despite the 33rd Dáil beginning in a pandemic year, the number of questions asked, replied to and published during its term has been unprecedented. It is also of note that the number of questions processed exceeds the number published to the web.
The total annual number of PQs and their replies has shown noticeable increases in recent years, aside from the pandemic year.
Questions are directed to all Departments but some Departments get more than others. The majority of questions in the 33rd Dáil have been directed to the Department of Health, with over 48,000 questions directed to the Department since March 2020. The Departments dealing with education and housing dealt with the next-highest numbers of questions at approximately 18,000 and 14,000 respectively.
Treemap of proportion of questions dealt with by Departments. The Department of Health has dealt with the highest number of PQs in the 33rd Dáil.
Questions designated for oral reply may be heard in plenary sessions of the Dáil but the vast majority of questions are answered in written replies.
All parliamentary questions can be searched on a dedicated Oireachtas page. The Oireachtas is dedicated to the principle of open data and as such, data from PQs can be accessed from our open data APIs. PQs may also be explored visually with PQ | Explorer, our showcase of how Oireachtas open data can facilitate rich and diverse interrogation of the work of Parliament.