7. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for the number of properties in receipt of the ARP, by county, at end of February 2025 and 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20885/26]
TDs / Joe Cooney
Joe Cooney
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
555
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
13,177
words spoken in the chamber
Across 90 contributions
440
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
197
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 555 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 | 15 | 2 |
| March 2025 | 15 | 0 |
| April 2025 | 45 | 0 |
| May 2025 | 35 | 6 |
| June 2025 | 40 | 8 |
| July 2025 | 48 | 4 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 56 | 0 |
| October 2025 | 21 | 1 |
| November 2025 | 29 | 4 |
| December 2025 | 30 | 6 |
| January 2026 | 14 | 0 |
| February 2026 | 19 | 4 |
| March 2026 | 22 | 13 |
| April 2026 | 31 | 0 |
| May 2026 | 21 | 16 |
| June 2026 | 29 | 10 |
| July 2026 | 53 | 4 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 22 | 4 |
| October 2026 | 10 | 8 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 88 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 Clare 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fine Gael 29 November 2024 to now
I believe that a lot of people in County Clare have been housed through the accommodation recognition payment scheme. From what I can see, it is working well and I have not heard of any major issues from house owners or tenants. It is important that we have a clear picture of how many people are supported under this scheme nationwide. With that in mind, will the Minister of State provide an overall number and county-…
I believe this scheme shows that trust, along with fair financial support, can bring thousands of homes into the rental market. Over 42,000 people are currently housed in more than 20,000 properties, mostly without formal inspection or registration. That is a lot of people willing to rent out their properties under the right circumstances. I am not against proper oversight, but this scheme clearly shows that a system…
The difference between this scheme and the current private rental market is something we should look at closely. The private rental sector sees a lot of RTB disputes, complaints and at times poor relationships between landlords and tenants. The ARP scheme shows a different way of doing things. When property owners are offered a fair, simple and worthwhile arrangement, they respond well. Over 20,000 have already done …
In villages across County Clare and throughout rural Ireland, the post office is more than a service point; it is where people collect pensions, pay bills and meet neighbours. Alongside the local shop, it is the heartbeat of the community. When a post office closes, a community loses more than a building; it loses connection and identity. Business owners should always be the first option to run a post office but unfo…
94. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Transport to consider extending the mandate for reflective road studs, commonly known as cat's eyes, to regional routes, particularly in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15769/26]
We are all too aware of the terrible loss of life on our roads in recent weeks and years. Unfortunately, the number of road deaths continues to rise. This should concern us all. Most road traffic collisions in Ireland take place on unlit local and regional roads. At present, it is compulsory to install cat's eyes on national primary and secondary routes. However, this requirement does not extend to local and regional…
I thank the Minister of State for the reply. Travelling on local roads throughout the country and in my county of Clare is challenging at the best of times. It becomes ever more difficult in the depths of winter. Many local and regional roads have inadequate markings where lane markings, arrows and stop lines are not clear. Most have no indications of the edge of the carriageways and very few are fitted with reflecti…
Seven in every ten fatal collisions take place on rural roads with a speed limit of 80 km/h or higher. These are the very roads I have highlighted here today. Half of all fatalities occur between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. when visibility is at its worst. I recognise that road maintenance is expensive but we have a responsibility as a country to do everything possible to reverse the rise in road deaths. Simple low-cost measur…
7. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is satisfied that the number of childminding services registered with Tusla, and the numbers of childminders undertaking the pre-registration training, will be sufficient to meet the future demand in Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73088/25]
Roughly 22,000 children will need childcare in County Clare by 2027. Only five services have registered and only 26 individual childminders have done the mandatory pre-registration training so far. With less than two years before these new regulations take effect, what is being done to ensure the number of childminders will be sufficient to meet the future demand in Clare by 2027?
I thank the Minister. In Clare we will need roughly 170 childminders to accommodate the number of children who use individual childminders' services. My experience on the ground in Clare is that existing services are already under huge pressures, with long waiting lists, very limited availability in many areas and, unfortunately, increasing numbers of childminders shutting up shop. I acknowledge the need for registra…
My main concern is that there will only be a trickle of applications for the training and a then a flood at the last minute. We can be smart and avoid that last-minute surge by putting in place a planned, targeted information campaign for next year, possibly using the childcare committees. This would ensure that any misinformation about the process is countered and that anyone who might be interested hears about this…
I raise a serious matter brought to me by a constituent, a disabled woman who was in receipt of the employment support scheme. This support was fundamental. It enabled her to carry out her role, be productive and build a career on an equal basis with others. On the basis that this support was in place, she made the major decision to progress her career. Like any other employee, she successfully convinced a new employ…
I thank the Minister for his update. The maximum rate under the wage subsidy scheme is 50% of the minimum wage. State policy tells employers that disabled people can only work at entry level. We should come at it from the other side and build capacity and value by creating a pathway for those with a disability to progress to the highest levels they can attain which is important for those people. The core issue is tha…
84. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the number of home energy upgrades completed to date this year in each county; the way in which this compared with the same periods of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60298/25]
Everywhere I go these days I see houses getting energy upgrades. They will ensure that our homes will be easier and cheaper to heat and keep warm, which is very welcome. Might the Minister have the number of homes that have completed energy upgrades this year and how that compares with previous years?
One of the issues I have heard from people who have looked to upgrade their traditional built houses, many of which are in our towns and villages as the Minister of State is well aware, is the potential need to engage conservation professionals, given the construction methods. This puts a far greater cost burden on the owner. I am led to believe there is a significant shortage in such professionals, both technical an…
There is an upgrade scheme through the SEAI at the minute called the traditional home pilot scheme. There is a low uptake, and this is directly related to the costs associated with conservation technical expertise and the lack of conservation professionals. Will the Minister of State provide details as to the number of expressions of interest there have been through the one-stop shops and the number of those who have…
I express my full support for the Government's plans to raise the Housing Finance Agency's borrowing limit from €12 billion to €13.5 billion. This is an important and vital investment in Ireland's future. It gives the agency the funding needed to help to deliver more social and affordable houses throughout the country. We are facing a serious housing crisis. To solve, it we need to use every tool available. Making su…
8. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps his Department is taking to deliver the extra funding identified by local authorities, his Department and Uisce Éireann, as being necessary to deliver the measure 8 rural water programme; when that funding might be forthcoming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35594/25]
The lack of wastewater treatment is highlighted as one of the biggest blockages in the delivery of Government housing targets. In 2022, the Minister announced €50 million under the rural water programme to deliver treatment systems in towns and villages that are not serviced. Three years on, none of these projects have begun. Will the Minister distribute these funds to any local authority that has sites ready to move…
I understand from speaking to colleagues from other counties involved in this scheme that some are much further along in the process than others. I know that Clare County Council can progress if the Department confirms funding for the two projects in Broadford and Cooraclare. These two settlements have demonstrated significant commitment to the proposal of public treatment systems. I asked Clare County Council whethe…
In the Minister of State's own words, the housing crisis is an emergency. The lack of a treatment system in towns and villages is one of the causes of this emergency, yet the money to develop such systems in towns and villages that are not serviced has been sitting in the Department's bank account for the past three years. The county council is clearly committed to delivering this scheme in two towns in Clare. They c…
78. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of new childcare providers who have entered the sector in each of the past five years; the number of childcare providers who have left the sector in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32214/25]