Limerick TD Conor Sheehan was among the most well-travelled members of Dáil Éireann in 2025, according to the latest Members’ Interests report.
Mr. Sheehan recorded five overseas trips during the year, out of a total of 38 trips taken by members of the Dáil.
Speaking about the trips, Mr Sheehan said international engagement is an important part of his role as a TD because many of Ireland’s laws and policy frameworks originate at EU level.
“One of the trips I took was to Brussels with my parliamentary party to meet our Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, and representatives from the Party of European Socialists and the Socialists and Democrats group,” he said.
“It’s the first time we’ve had a Labour MEP in over a decade, so it’s a big deal for us and we want to work closely and productively with Aodhán.”
Mr. Sheehan said the meetings focused in particular on housing policy, an area where he acts as Labour’s spokesperson.
Mr. Ó Ríordáin is currently working as a rapporteur on a European Parliament report examining housing, and Mr. Sheehan said the discussions centred around how European institutions could support member states dealing with housing shortages.
“We are trying to find European solutions to the housing crisis,” he said. “That includes looking at allowing local authorities to borrow more money to build social housing, strengthening tenants’ rights, and making sure we can access better funding, for example through the European Investment Bank, to build social and affordable homes.”
The Limerick TD also travelled to Vienna to study the Austrian capital’s housing system, which is widely regarded as one of the strongest social housing models in Europe.
“I went to Vienna to study their social housing model, which is basically the gold standard of housing delivery in Europe,” he said.
“They have a great model called cost rental where the funding is ring-fenced and reinvested back into housing,” he added. “It allows housing to be delivered without relying heavily on large developers or institutional investors.”
The Labour TD also said international engagement is important for smaller political parties, noting that Irish Labour is part of the Socialists and Democrats group, one of the largest political groupings in the European Parliament.
“Even though we’re a smaller party in Ireland, we’re part of one of the largest groups in Europe,” he said. “If we can influence European policy, that can ultimately trickle down into Irish law.”