I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, and I thank all Deputies. That concludes the Topical Issue Debate for today.
TDs / John Paul O'Shea
John Paul O'Shea
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
1,111
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
16,549
words spoken in the chamber
Across 90 contributions. Plus 101 contributions from the chair, not counted
437
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
234
topics asked about
Across 20 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 1,111 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 90 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 31 | 0 |
| March 2025 | 29 | 6 |
| April 2025 | 61 | 1 |
| May 2025 | 48 | 4 |
| June 2025 | 47 | 1 |
| July 2025 | 63 | 5 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 50 | 5 |
| October 2025 | 56 | 1 |
| November 2025 | 84 | 7 |
| December 2025 | 83 | 5 |
| January 2026 | 48 | 8 |
| February 2026 | 113 | 17 |
| March 2026 | 52 | 11 |
| April 2026 | 81 | 3 |
| May 2026 | 87 | 4 |
| June 2026 | 63 | 2 |
| July 2026 | 20 | 0 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 53 | 7 |
| October 2026 | 42 | 3 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 87 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 North-West 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fine Gael 29 November 2024 to now
10. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he plans to increase the funding allocation for the local improvement scheme for County Cork in 2026 given the large number of unfunded applications, particularly in rural parts of Cork North-West; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67265/25]
I thank the Minister. It is great to see that so much progress has been made on the local improvement scheme since it was re-established in 2017. The 5,000 improved roads in many rural parts of the country are very important to many of our constituents. I welcome the fact that the Minister has doubled the funding this year to €30 million, representing one of the largest increases for the scheme in the history of the …
I thank the Minister. It is good to see that Cork County Council is getting a lot of praise here this morning for its participation in the scheme and for ensuring many roads will be done this season. A total allocation of €2.33 million for 2025 is very welcome. I am sure many roads in my area, Cork North-West, and right across the county will be done. It is great that many roads on the islands off the mainland of Cor…
I want to raise the issue of home support with the Taoiseach today. Home support, often known as home help, is one of the most essential person-centred supports provided by our health and social care system. It is a service that allows older people and those with additional needs to continue living safely, comfortably and independently in their own homes and communities. For many families across Cork and throughout t…
I thank the Taoiseach. I agree with him that the resources are there; the problem is in recruitment and ensuring we get enough staff in place to continue. Our population is ageing and needs are increasing. The State must respond proactively, not reactively. The principle here is simple. People should be supported to live at home for as long as possible. The State must ensure the supports required are available when n…
109. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when outstanding farm payment issues under the ACRES scheme will be resolved; the steps being taken to ensure timely payments in future cycles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65229/25]
I thank the Minister for his continuing engagement on this matter. As he knows, a lot of farmers in Cork North-West are involved in ACRES. I know the Minister inherited a lot these issues when he moved into his new role but he has made great strides to ensure that we are now up at over 90% in terms of payments for many of the schemes from 2023 and 2024.
ACRES is not just a scheme but a partnership between farmers an…
I very much concur with the Minister on the importance of having permanent solutions in place rather than temporary measures. That is very important. A few prepayments were made previously but getting permanent payments is what it is all about. Timely ACRES payments are not a luxury but a necessity. They uphold trust, recognise the efforts of farmers and allow the scheme to achieve its full environmental and economic…
82. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to expand or improve dental facilities in Cork North-West, including the delivery of a new or upgraded facilities to meet growing demand in towns such as Macroom, Kanturk, Mallow and Millstreet; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64083/25]
Are there plans to expand or improve dental facilities, including clinics, in north-west Cork? Are there plans for new or upgraded facilities to meet the growing demands of towns like Macroom, Charleville, Kanturk, Mallow and Millstreet?
I thank the Minister for that update on dental services, particularly in north-west Cork, north Cork and mid-Cork. Certainly, there seems to be gaps in some areas where the DTSS is not available to many medical card holders. That is a serious issue we must try to alleviate. The number of contractors involved in the scheme has increased, but only slightly. As the Minister said, it is still not enough. I would like to …
I thank the Minister for her response. I want to focus on the HSE dental services that are available to children and to adults with significant special care needs. The service provided over the last number of years has been challenged by the Covid-19 pandemic. There have been a number of challenges in terms of providing orthodontics, particularly in ensuring there are enough staff to support clinics right across Cork…
Question No. 6 is in the name of Deputy Gibney.
We are on question No. 6, which relates to the new AI office.
The question is to ask the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the means by which the transition of the new AI office to a fully independent statutory body will be managed.
If that is okay with the House.
Deputy Gogarty now.
Thank you, Deputy.
The Deputy will be allowed to come back in.
Let the Minister of State respond, Deputy.
Question No. 7 in the name of Deputy Seán Fleming is being taken by Deputy Séamus McGrath.
Deputy, please let the Minister of State respond.
We are out of time.
Please, allow the Minister to answer.