Nearly 24 years ago, the site of the former Fitzgerald camp Army barracks in Fermoy in my constituency of Cork East was handed over to the IDA. Unfortunately, it has remained idle since, with no formal applications to operate on the site received in the last five years. This is despite the fact that this is a serviced site in a prime location only five minutes from the Cork to Dublin M8 motorway. I am sure the Taoise…
TDs / Noel McCarthy
Noel McCarthy
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
457
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
12,449
words spoken in the chamber
Across 116 contributions
419
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
150
topics asked about
Across 19 departments
From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
What they ask about
The subject headings the Oireachtas filed their questions under.
Who they ask
The departments their questions were addressed to.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Questions asked 457 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 116 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 5 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 32 | 11 |
| March 2025 | 29 | 1 |
| April 2025 | 20 | 2 |
| May 2025 | 48 | 18 |
| June 2025 | 19 | 3 |
| July 2025 | 21 | 6 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 23 | 9 |
| October 2025 | 18 | 6 |
| November 2025 | 17 | 1 |
| December 2025 | 19 | 8 |
| January 2026 | 22 | 1 |
| February 2026 | 24 | 8 |
| March 2026 | 27 | 9 |
| April 2026 | 32 | 5 |
| May 2026 | 31 | 13 |
| June 2026 | 22 | 5 |
| July 2026 | 20 | 7 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 17 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 11 | 3 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 116 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Asked about similar topics
Worked out by computer from the subject headings of each TD's questions, giving more weight to headings few TDs use. It shows shared subjects, not shared views.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Cork East 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fine Gael 29 November 2024 to now
7. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the progress made to date with respect to the Midleton flood relief scheme, and the introduction of flood protection measures in Rathcormac, Castlemartyr, Mogeely and Killeagh in east Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70396/25]
I ask the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation what progress has been made to date with respect to the Midleton flood relief scheme and the introduction of flood protection measures in Rathcormac, Castlemartyr, Mogeely and Killeagh in east Cork, and if he will please make a statement on the matter.
I acknowledge the work the Minister of State has done so far and his visits to these areas already. I acknowledge that and thank him. On 18 October 2023, Storm Babet flooded roughly 600 homes and 300 businesses in east Cork, with damages estimated at almost €200 million. The storm on 9 December of this year showed again that people in east Cork feel genuine fear every time a severe weather warning is issued. These st…
I again thank the Minister of State for his response and the reassurance that he will visit Midleton in 2026. I think that is very important for the people of Midleton and the whole of east Cork affected by this.
While long-term schemes are being developed, the communities affected are looking for reassurance in the short term. These towns have already endured repeated flooding events and are facing another winter f…
82. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of naturalisation applications received, rejected, and approved from 2021 to 2024 inclusive, and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68265/25]
I thank the Minister, Ministers of State and their staff for their work so far and their responses.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. I again thank his departmental staff. He mentioned Killarney last week and I know people who were there. Friends of mine got their citizenship and were very proud to do so. Again, I ask him pass on my thanks to all the staff.
It is important the Department continues to plan ahead as application numbers change. In that context, does he foresee an increase in naturalisat…
I thank the Minister of State for his detailed response. With the ongoing modernisation of the immigration system, many applicants are keen to see how these changes are working. Will the Minister of State update the House on how the recent digitalisation measures have affected processing times so far, and whether further reforms or improvements are planned for 2026?
92. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress to date in establishing planning guidelines for solar energy developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65645/25]
86. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the supports made available by his Department to address rural vacancy and dereliction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55943/25]
I thank the Minister for his response. While I appreciate the great work of the Department in supporting rural communities and the great work that both the Minister and the Minister of State are doing, vacancy and dereliction in our towns and villages remains a real concern. I appreciate that the Department of housing is the main Department tasked with tackling this problem but it is important for Departments to cont…
I thank the Minister for the rural regeneration and development funding for Fermoy. It was very welcome and I thank both the Minister and the Minister of State for their support on that. While several factors contribute to rural vacancy and dereliction, one important issue is the lack of community facilities which may discourage people from moving to a particular area. In this context, what work is the Department doi…
94. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures being taken by his Department to encourage farm safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55024/25]
I thank the Minister of State for his response. We all agree that the health and well-being of our farmers are of vital importance. That is why I am pleased that the Minister of State and his Department are taking farm safety seriously. Nobody wants to hear of accidents or, heaven forbid, fatalities at work. Our farmers do an important job, sometimes in very dangerous circumstances. I, therefore, welcome the measures…
I acknowledge the work of the Minister of State and the Government on farm safety. I note that the Department has looked for proposals that focus on farm safety, health and well-being, and enhancing farmers' awareness, and that studies are being conducted. I also appreciate that a physical and mental health awareness programme is being funded, together with the Department of Health and the HSE, and that a media campa…
13. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the amount of funding allocated for the development of Defence Forces infrastructure in each of the past five years, the number of projects completed in that period, the number under way and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49093/25]
I acknowledge the important work of Defence Forces personnel. I have seen it at first hand with family members directly involved. I firmly believe that Defence Forces infrastructure and equipment must be of a modern standard to meet their operational capabilities and defence responsibilities. I therefore welcome the revised national development plan allocation to upgrade and modernise Defence Forces infrastructure an…
I thank the Minister for his very positive response. I welcome the news about Haulbowline and Collins Barracks. It is very positive news. Could the Tánaiste give me an update on the Department's development of a national maritime security strategy? Approval has also been given for Defence Forces participating in the EU's common information sharing environment. Could the Tánaiste provide further insight into what info…
91. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the proposed timeline for auctions for the delivery of the three other sites identified in the designated maritime area plan, which are not included in the Tonn Nua offshore wind auction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49265/25]
I thank the Minister of State for his response. I appreciate the efforts that are being made by his Department to progress the south coast DMAP options. I welcome the fact that the first offshore wind option for Tonn Nua areas is expected to begin shortly, with the contracts to be awarded before the end of the year. This is significant progress since the south coast DMAP was first approved last October but it is impo…
Will the Minister of State provide further information on the exact board of the implementation programme body, IPB? I understand that the IPB is set up to oversee the south coast DMAP but what is the exact make-up of the group and how often have they met to date? I believe the IPB is supported in its work by a marine ecosystems group and other working groups, which will develop an implementation plan and recommend t…
I appreciate that.
I appreciate that this issue has very much been in the media over the past month, but I wish to raise the very serious matter of the recent pollution incident on the River Blackwater. It passes through the town of Fermoy, which I live in and represent. As the Tánaiste will be aware, the Blackwater is one of the largest rivers in Ireland. It covers a major part of County Cork and five mountain ranges.
The River Black…
I thank the Tánaiste for his response. I appreciate efforts are being made to establish the exact details of this incident. However, I ask that all Government agencies and stakeholders he referred to work to the very best of their ability to ensure a full investigation is conducted. Appropriate action to remediate the current issues and measures to prevent further instances of pollution from occurring must be put in …