Arts (Recognition of Comedy) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members]

The following motion was moved by Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh on Thursday, 6 November 2025:

"That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

The following amendment No. 1 was moved by the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Deputy Alan Dillon:

To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following:

"Dáil Éireann resolves that the Arts (Recognition of Comedy) (Amendment) Bill 2024 be deemed to be read a second time this day eighteen months, on the grounds that this amendment is premature as the Minister proposes to await the report of the Expert Advisory Committee on the Arts Council before giving consideration to what legislative changes to the Arts Act 2003 would be appropriate.".

Debate resumed on amendment No. 1 to amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "2024" and substitute the following:

"be deemed to be read a second time this day one month.".

-(Deputy Ciarán Ahern)

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Before I explain the division, the parents of Deputy Keira Keogh, Vinny and Mary, are in the Gallery and she has asked each and every one of you to behave yourselves in order to impress them. I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion on the Arts (Recognition of Comedy) (Amendment) Bill 2024. On Thursday, 6 November 2025, on the question, "That the amendment to the amendment be made", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 85(2), that division must be taken now.

Amendment to amendment put:

The Dáil divided: Tá, 69; Níl, 83; Staon, 0.

Tá

Ahern, Ciarán.
Bacik, Ivana.
Bennett, Cathy.
Brady, John.
Buckley, Pat.
Byrne, Joanna.
Carthy, Matt.
Clarke, Sorca.
Collins, Michael.
Conway-Walsh, Rose.
Coppinger, Ruth.
Cronin, Réada.
Cullinane, David.
Cummins, Jen.
Daly, Pa.
Doherty, Pearse.
Donnelly, Paul.
Ellis, Dessie.
Farrelly, Aidan.
Farrell, Mairéad.
Fitzmaurice, Michael.
Gannon, Gary.
Gibney, Sinéad.
Gogarty, Paul Nicholas.
Gould, Thomas.
Graves, Ann.
Guirke, Johnny.
Hayes, Eoin.
Healy, Seamus.
Hearne, Rory.
Kelly, Alan.
Kenny, Eoghan.
Kenny, Martin.
Kerrane, Claire.
Lawless, Paul.
Lawlor, George.
Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
McGettigan, Donna.
McGrath, Mattie.
McGuinness, Conor D.
Mitchell, Denise.
Murphy, Paul.
Mythen, Johnny.
Newsome Drennan, Natasha.
Ní Raghallaigh, Shónagh.
Nolan, Carol.
O'Callaghan, Cian.
O'Donoghue, Robert.
O'Flynn, Ken.
O'Hara, Louis.
O'Reilly, Louise.
O'Rourke, Darren.
Ó Broin, Eoin.
Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
Ó Súilleabháin, Fionntán.
Quaide, Liam.
Quinlivan, Maurice.
Rice, Pádraig.
Sheehan, Conor.
Sherlock, Marie.
Smith, Duncan.
Stanley, Brian.
Tóibín, Peadar.
Wall, Mark.
Ward, Charles.
Ward, Mark.
Whitmore, Jennifer.

Níl

Aird, William.
Ardagh, Catherine.
Boland, Grace.
Brabazon, Tom.
Brennan, Brian.
Brennan, Shay.
Brophy, Colm.
Browne, James.
Burke, Colm.
Butler, Mary.
Butterly, Paula.
Buttimer, Jerry.
Byrne, Malcolm.
Cahill, Michael.
Callaghan, Catherine.
Calleary, Dara.
Canney, Seán.
Carrigy, Micheál.
Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
Chambers, Jack.
Cleere, Peter 'Chap'.
Clendennen, John.
Collins, Niall.
Connolly, John.
Cooney, Joe.
Crowe, Cathal.
Cummins, John.
Currie, Emer.
Daly, Martin.
Dempsey, Aisling.
Devlin, Cormac.
Dillon, Alan.
Dolan, Albert.
Dooley, Timmy.
Feighan, Frankie.
Fleming, Sean.
Foley, Norma.
Gallagher, Pat the Cope.
Geoghegan, James.
Grealish, Noel.
Harkin, Marian.
Harris, Simon.
Healy-Rae, Danny.
Healy-Rae, Michael.
Heydon, Martin.
Higgins, Emer.
Keogh, Keira.
Lawless, James.
Martin, Micheál.
Maxwell, David.
McAuliffe, Paul.
McCarthy, Noel.
McConalogue, Charlie.
McCormack, Tony.
McGrath, Séamus.
McGreehan, Erin.
Moynihan, Aindrias.
Moynihan, Michael.
Moynihan, Shane.
Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
Murphy, Michael.
Naughton, Hildegarde.
Neville, Joe.
O'Callaghan, Jim.
O'Connell, Maeve.
O'Connor, James.
O'Dea, Willie.
O'Donnell, Kieran.
O'Donovan, Patrick.
O'Meara, Ryan.
O'Shea, John Paul.
O'Sullivan, Christopher.
O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
Ó Cearúil, Naoise.
Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
Ó Muirí, Naoise.
Richmond, Neale.
Roche, Peter.
Scanlon, Eamon.
Smith, Brendan.
Smyth, Niamh.
Timmins, Edward.
Toole, Gillian.

Staon

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Ciarán Ahern and Duncan Smith; Níl, Deputies Mary Butler and Emer Currie.

Amendment to amendment declared lost.

Amendment put:

The Dáil divided: Tá, 83; Níl, 70; Staon, 0.

Tá

Aird, William.
Ardagh, Catherine.
Boland, Grace.
Brabazon, Tom.
Brennan, Brian.
Brennan, Shay.
Brophy, Colm.
Browne, James.
Burke, Colm.
Butler, Mary.
Butterly, Paula.
Buttimer, Jerry.
Byrne, Malcolm.
Cahill, Michael.
Callaghan, Catherine.
Calleary, Dara.
Canney, Seán.
Carrigy, Micheál.
Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
Chambers, Jack.
Cleere, Peter 'Chap'.
Clendennen, John.
Collins, Niall.
Connolly, John.
Cooney, Joe.
Crowe, Cathal.
Cummins, John.
Currie, Emer.
Daly, Martin.
Dempsey, Aisling.
Devlin, Cormac.
Dillon, Alan.
Dolan, Albert.
Donohoe, Paschal.
Dooley, Timmy.
Feighan, Frankie.
Fleming, Sean.
Foley, Norma.
Gallagher, Pat the Cope.
Geoghegan, James.
Harkin, Marian.
Harris, Simon.
Healy-Rae, Danny.
Healy-Rae, Michael.
Heydon, Martin.
Higgins, Emer.
Keogh, Keira.
Lawless, James.
Martin, Micheál.
Maxwell, David.
McAuliffe, Paul.
McCarthy, Noel.
McConalogue, Charlie.
McCormack, Tony.
McGrath, Séamus.
McGreehan, Erin.
Moynihan, Aindrias.
Moynihan, Michael.
Moynihan, Shane.
Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
Murphy, Michael.
Naughton, Hildegarde.
Neville, Joe.
O'Callaghan, Jim.
O'Connell, Maeve.
O'Connor, James.
O'Dea, Willie.
O'Donnell, Kieran.
O'Donovan, Patrick.
O'Meara, Ryan.
O'Shea, John Paul.
O'Sullivan, Christopher.
O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
Ó Cearúil, Naoise.
Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
Ó Muirí, Naoise.
Richmond, Neale.
Roche, Peter.
Scanlon, Eamon.
Smith, Brendan.
Smyth, Niamh.
Timmins, Edward.
Toole, Gillian.

Níl

Ahern, Ciarán.
Bacik, Ivana.
Bennett, Cathy.
Brady, John.
Buckley, Pat.
Byrne, Joanna.
Carthy, Matt.
Clarke, Sorca.
Collins, Michael.
Conway-Walsh, Rose.
Coppinger, Ruth.
Cronin, Réada.
Cullinane, David.
Cummins, Jen.
Daly, Pa.
Doherty, Pearse.
Donnelly, Paul.
Ellis, Dessie.
Farrelly, Aidan.
Farrell, Mairéad.
Fitzmaurice, Michael.
Gannon, Gary.
Gibney, Sinéad.
Gogarty, Paul Nicholas.
Gould, Thomas.
Graves, Ann.
Guirke, Johnny.
Hayes, Eoin.
Healy, Seamus.
Hearne, Rory.
Kelly, Alan.
Kenny, Eoghan.
Kenny, Martin.
Kerrane, Claire.
Lawless, Paul.
Lawlor, George.
Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
McGettigan, Donna.
McGrath, Mattie.
McGuinness, Conor D.
Mitchell, Denise.
Murphy, Paul.
Mythen, Johnny.
Newsome Drennan, Natasha.
Ní Raghallaigh, Shónagh.
Nolan, Carol.
O'Callaghan, Cian.
O'Donoghue, Robert.
O'Flynn, Ken.
O'Gorman, Roderic.
O'Hara, Louis.
O'Reilly, Louise.
O'Rourke, Darren.
Ó Broin, Eoin.
Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
Ó Súilleabháin, Fionntán.
Quaide, Liam.
Quinlivan, Maurice.
Rice, Pádraig.
Sheehan, Conor.
Sherlock, Marie.
Smith, Duncan.
Stanley, Brian.
Tóibín, Peadar.
Wall, Mark.
Ward, Charles.
Ward, Mark.
Whitmore, Jennifer.

Staon

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Mary Butler and Emer Currie; Níl, Deputies Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Denise Mitchell.

Amendment declared carried.

Motion, as amended, agreed to.

Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 19 Nov 2025