In January 2016 he acted as a whistleblower on the apparent under-reporting of homelessness figures.[7] A report compiled by O'Brien suggested the actual level of homelessness may have been more than 50% greater than the official figures.[8]
He retained his seat in the 2020 general election.[14][15] During the 2020 election campaign, O'Brien was listed (among other candidates) as a supporter of the Oireachtas Committee on Health's recommendations to address foetal anti-convulsant syndrome,[16] of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign's proposal to prohibit the import of goods from "illegal settlements in Palestine" and to the right to free speech and non-violent activism,[17] and of The Wheel's "Stronger Communities, Stronger Ireland" manifesto for charities and voluntary organisations.[18]
In June 2020, during a speech in the Dáil, he stated that some politicians had used racism to get elected in Ireland.[19][20][21]
In July 2020, O'Brien abstained from voting for the Government's Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill, and was sanctioned by Green Party leaderEamon Ryan by having his speaking rights withdrawn for two months.[26][27]
During 2021 and 2022, he called for a €50 increase in core social welfare payments and a €10 increase in weekly social welfare payments.[28][29]
In January 2024, he stated that Ireland should join the South Africa v. Israel (Genocide Convention) case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ),[31] and in March 2024 he called for UNRWA funding to be reinstated by countries who had paused funding and suggested that Israel would only respond to international demands on international law if there was an economic consequence.[32]
^"Joe O'Brien". www.gov.ie. 23 February 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
^ ab"Joint Committee On Foreign Affairs And Trade - Debate". Oireachtas.ie. 19 September 2012. Archived from the original on 15 May 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2020. I was placed in the Bethlehem area for three months in 2009 [..] Observers are deployed to offer protection through non-violent presence, monitor and report violations of human rights and international humanitarian law [..] We also ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to initiate cross-departmental measures to start us off on the path towards getting illegal settlement products off the Irish market.
^"Palestinian human rights trip for Skerries man Joe". independent.ie. 19 September 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2020. The observers will carry out duties such as monitoring Israeli army checkpoints that Palestinians need to pass through [..and..] supporting local Palestinian and Israeli peace groups
