Noel McCarthy
Cork East · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I thank the Minister for her response. There have been some positive developments recently with the approval of a safe routes to school programme application. This was good news for the school as it will greatly help its future expansion.”
“I thank the Minister for her response. I am unsure if she is familiar with the history of Kilcredan National School. It has been the central point of three smaller parish schools - Ladysbridge, Kilcredan and Ballyburden - since they merged in the 1970s.”
“An additional school accommodation scheme application was refused on the basis that Kilcredan national school has sufficient accommodation within the existing school buildings to cater for its local demand.”
“I have written directly to the Minister to highlight this. With this in mind, I ask her to provide an update on the progress of the long-term proposal for Kilcredan National School, which would see the construction of one much-needed mainstream classroom and two SEN classes.”
“I wish to address the ongoing need for the repair of the Fermoy Weir in my constituency of Cork East. I brought the matter to the Taoiseach's attention as recently as March, so I know he will be familiar with this situation, and I thank him for that.”
“I thank the Taoiseach for his positive response. It means a lot to the people of Fermoy, as I said already. The Taoiseach mentioned Councillor O'Flynn. I want to acknowledge all the councillors in the Fermoy municipal district for all the work they are doing.”
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“I have written directly to the Minister to highlight this. With this in mind, I ask her to provide an update on the progress of the long-term proposal for Kilcredan National School, which would see the construction of one much-needed mainstream classroom and two SEN classes.”
“I thank the Minister for her response. There have been some positive developments recently with the approval of a safe routes to school programme application. This was good news for the school as it will greatly help its future expansion. However, the problem is the expansion and extra development within the parishes I was speaking about, and the need for local children to go to those schools. The Minister mentioned there is a space in Youghal but, as she knows, people like to attend the school they live close to. However, with legitimate space concerns and a steady increase in enrolment numbers, this case requires the particular attention of the Department in the short term. The school is understandably disappointed at the Department's position on providing additional accommodation as it awaits proposed expansion.”
“An additional school accommodation scheme application was refused on the basis that Kilcredan national school has sufficient accommodation within the existing school buildings to cater for its local demand. The school itself disagrees and has raised serious concerns that children entering the school will likely have to be accommodated in the hall. This would have a negative impact on the well-being and physical activity and the movement breaks of the children in the school's special classes. Therefore, can the Minister and her Department officials liaise with the school to see what can be done to ensure adequate space for Kilcredan pupils?”
“I thank the Minister for her response. I am unsure if she is familiar with the history of Kilcredan National School. It has been the central point of three smaller parish schools - Ladysbridge, Kilcredan and Ballyburden - since they merged in the 1970s. Kilcredan is a popular rural school catering for the families of several local parishes. The population of these parishes continues to increase, with recent development of many new housing estates and more planned. Due to the increased enrolment, an extra teacher but not an extra classroom was sanctioned last September. As a result, 14 children were accommodated in a learning support room which had a knock-on effect on the school's SEN provision. This summer, 31 children finished in the school, with 48 expected to start in September.”
“Will further consideration be given by the Department to a decision to refuse an application for the additional school accommodation scheme from a school in light of the school's projected increase in enrolment numbers?”
“The job needs to be carried out on it and the work needs to be done because it is unfair to people who use the river on a regular basis and all of the people living in the town and surrounding areas. The Taoiseach is right. It is about working with all the different Departments and everyone else to achieve what we are trying to achieve, and I thank him for taking a personal interest.”
“I thank the Taoiseach for his positive response. It means a lot to the people of Fermoy, as I said already. The Taoiseach mentioned Councillor O'Flynn. I want to acknowledge all the councillors in the Fermoy municipal district for all the work they are doing. I know at first hand that they are working hard to achieve what I am trying to achieve here today. I am the only public representative who lives in the town of Fermoy, so I know at first hand the frustration that the locals are feeling about this because they feel they are being neglected. Every town, village and city has a focal point. We in Fermoy have the River Blackwater, so when people come to visit our town, they say how lovely the Blackwater is but, unfortunately, the weir is in disrepair at the moment.”
“It is an enormously important feature within the town, and one that Fermoy locals would love to see repaired at the earliest convenience.”
“I understand that senior council officials have written to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with regard to this as the original planning phase for this project was co-financed by that Department. I recently met with the Minister of State with responsibility for nature, heritage and biodiversity, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, to discuss the matter, and I thank him for his engagement as we seek further discussion between the Department, the council, local stakeholders and public representatives. With this in mind, will the Taoiseach please directly engage with the appropriate Ministers and with Cork County Council officials to ensure that Fermoy Weir is restored to its former glory sooner rather than later?”
“Planning permission for these remedial works was approved in February 2024 but, unfortunately, we are no closer to works beginning as funding cannot be secured. Cork County Council acknowledges the importance of this structure and its obligation to remediate the weir as a protected structure in its ownership. I understand from direct engagement with Cork County Council officials that it is willing to contribute greatly towards the cost of the overall works. However, the fish bypass channel element of the proposed upgrade accounts for the majority of proposed costs, at around €4 million, and involves the provision of new infrastructure beyond the resources of the local authority.”
“This breach, unfortunately, had the effect of lowering the river level upstream, which significantly impacted upon those using the river for recreation and leisure. We have a very successful rowing club that uses the river on a permanent basis and its members find it very difficult to participate in their sport when the river is low. Cork County Council began consultation on a project to remediate the weir in 2017. Following the consultation with Inland Fisheries Ireland, it was revealed that repairs to the weir would not achieve compliance with the habitats directive unless a new fish bypass channel was also constructed. The proposal for the installation of a fish pass, in addition to the full repair of the weir, is currently estimated at around €6 million.”
“I wish to address the ongoing need for the repair of the Fermoy Weir in my constituency of Cork East. I brought the matter to the Taoiseach's attention as recently as March, so I know he will be familiar with this situation, and I thank him for that. He will be aware the weir is a protected structure and a very important part of the river and the wider Blackwater region. However, he will also know that, unfortunately, the weir sustained considerable damage as a result of a flood event in 2016. During this flooding, the greatly increased flow through the breach eroded a section of the southern end of the weir. This threatened to scour the channel and undermine part of Fermoy's flood defences. It required urgent intervention by the Office of Public Works, OPW, to stabilise part of the foundation.”
“As such, it cannot be guaranteed that the area will be made available by September, almost three years after the schools opened. I ask the Tánaiste to engage directly with the Minister and her Department to ensure this green area is made available as soon as possible for the September back-to-school period. These are great facilities. The issue is there to be resolved.”
“I speak today on behalf of the pupils, teachers and parents of Carrigtwohill school campus in east Cork. The three new school buildings, Carrigtwohill Community College, Scoil Chlíodhna and Scoil Mhuire Naofa, were opened in 2023. These schools have the most modern facilities but, unfortunately, do not have a green area for recreation. However, there is a green area immediately adjacent to the schools and owned by the Department of education. Planning permission has been granted by Cork County Council for an entrance and access way, but no works have yet taken place. While the scope of works and costs have been provided, the Department has recommended that a more cost-effective solution be considered. I am unsure why this could possibly be.”
“I acknowledge that a Government-level approach with one country is favoured in the development of radar capability and that negotiations have begun with France on a potential agreement in this regard. As such, I ask the Minister what engagement she has had to date with her French counterpart on the matter? Can she give us an indication of the level of training necessary for the operation of radar and what is the estimated number of Defence Forces personnel who will be considered for radar duties? Finally, is it the intention that radar specialists will be recruited, possibly from France, as part of the initial operations of the programme?”
“I thank the Minister for her response. Although we are a neutral nation and plan to remain one, it is important our Defence Forces are provided with appropriate radar technology to help with their vitally important day-to-day operations. In an ever-changing world, the development of air and sea radar capability should be a cornerstone in ensuring our Defence Forces’ protection of national security concerns. I understand that a business case for a national military radar programme was approved last year for a proposed delivery target of 2028. Is this still the timeline the Department is working towards? In addition, can the Minister provide any specifications as to what if any infrastructure is needed at land and sea level to progress radar capability?”
“The Minister of State is aware of the Bridging the Gap Youghal group set up by local parents, who are doing tremendous work in advocating strongly that local gaps in special education provision be addressed. These parents are concerned because there is currently only one special school place available for the 2026-27 school year in the only secondary school in the Youghal area. Does the Minister of State appreciate the serious and legitimate concerns raised by these parents? The need for places is evident and only seems to be increasing. With this in mind, I ask the Minister of State to outline the dialogue he has had to date with this group, and his plans and the plans of his departmental officials to further engage with Bridging the Gap, the NCSE and the education and training board, ETB.”
“These parents are already under enough stress in dealing with children with complex additional needs. There is, therefore, an acute need for the establishment of a special school between Carrigtwohill and Youghal in east Cork. Given the travel times for special students in towns like Youghal, does the Minister of State see Youghal as a viable option for the establishment of a new school?”
“I wish to highlight the need for the provision of a special education placement in east Cork, where children and their parents are currently travelling long distances to secure a place. People are travelling daily from east Cork to special schools in Cork city, Dungarvan and further afield, often resulting in an almost 100 km round trip. Does the Minister of State agree that it is unfair that children with complex needs have to travel long distances, far from familiar surroundings, while their siblings attend school nearby? We have long had a lack of special education facilities in east Cork. This was somewhat addressed by the opening of a special school in Carrigtwohill in recent years. However, local demand for these places, unfortunately, far outstrips current supply, with waiting lists putting huge pressure on parents.”
“We have seen other instances of extreme flooding across the country in recent times; surely similar flood protection works by residents have been undertaken elsewhere. Are any measures being considered by the Department that would see emergency response actions, such as those undertaken by the citizens in Willowbank, being refunded? Will the Minister of State or his Department officials consider meeting with residents to further discuss this matter? I thank the Minister of State for all his input so far.”
“I acknowledge there has been some improvement in east Cork with the continued roll-out of flood barriers through the individual property protection scheme. I thank the Minister and his Department for that. However, every effort should be made to reimburse the residents' association for such a small amount in the grand scheme of the €50 million-plus Midleton relief scheme. That is where the residents are mixed up. There was so much money but they cannot recoup €7,700. The residents find that hard to understand. I know my colleague, Councillor Rory Cocking, has raised the answer regularly at the quarterly Midleton flood committee meetings and has written directly to the Minister of State's office and the Minister for housing. However, the situation remains the same, as the Minister of State acknowledged.”
“The association has yet to recoup any of this expenditure and this shortfall has severely impacted estate maintenance. I acknowledge the OPW does not have a funding emergency response but has the Minister has any engagement to date with Cork County Council or with his counterparts in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on this matter? What is the situation going forward?”
“I thank the Minister of State for his response and acknowledge his impact and that he met the residents of Midleton. He was in Midleton and I acknowledge that and thank him for that. I understand he is familiar with the situation in Willowbank because they have been in touch with his office. The Willowbank housing estate was affected by flooding following Storm Babet in October 2023. Several houses were flooded when one of the walls in the estate gave way under pressure from the overflowing Owennacurra river. Willowbank residents carried out repairs to the collapsed sections of the wall in the days afterwards as they were fearful of a repeat flooding. Financing of the repairs of the wall was provided by the residents' association at a cost of €7,752 through the estate's fund.”
“What engagement has the Minister has had to date with the Willowbank residents' association, Willowbank, Midleton, County Cork, which spent €7,752 on repairing the estates wall in the immediate aftermath of flooding caused by Storm Babet? Is his Department in a position to provide funding for the reimbursement of repaired infrastructure damaged in the wake of Storm Babet?”
“I thank the Minister of State for his very positive response. I understand the reasons for audited accounts but if he could speak to the Department, I am sure we could find a system which would not place a burden on community groups that do great work. If it costs them €6,000 or €7,000 out of €27,000 of a grant to do this, the Minister of State will see that they are under financial pressure. I welcome the positive response. I thank the Minister and Minister of State for their co-operation and help and I look forward to a positive reply on the matter.”
“This is excessive and runs counter to the spirit of the community services programme and the important work local community groups do for communities up and down the country. I ask the Minister of State if such a requirement exists and whether it applies to all successful CSP funding applicants. Listening to his statement, I agree that we should find something else to help this group, rather than them having to face an annual burden of spending between €6,000 and €7,000 of its allocation on this.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his response. The reason I tabled a question in the first instance is that it was recently brought to my attention by members of a local community group that has long received CSP funding that a significant portion of this funding is taken up with providing the fully audited accounts. There is a requirement on this group to provide fully audited accounts on an annual basis. This is a local community group with, to my knowledge, no financial issues or irregularities, yet it is being requested to spend thousands each year on ensuring its financial accounts are fully audited. In the particular case I am familiar with, the costs are between €6,000 and €7,000 out of a funding allocation of €27,000.”
“What measures is the Department taking to alleviate the burden of community services programme funding recipients being required to provide fully audited accounts on an annual basis? I ask the Minister to make a statement on the matter.”
“I, therefore, ask the Taoiseach whether there is any update from the IDA on possible proposals being considered. I thank the Taoiseach for the interest he has already taken in this matter.”
“I have raised this matter on several occasions since my election to the House. It concerns the idle IDA site in Fermoy on the grounds of the former Fitzgerald Camp Army barracks. Although it is a serviced site close to the Cork-Dublin motorway, it has unfortunately remained without tenants for nearly 24 years since being handed over to the IDA. In addition, there have been no recent expressions of interest to operate on site. This continues to be a major disappointment to the people of Fermoy and the Blackwater region, given the site appears to be perfectly suited for investment. I highlighted this fact with the Taoiseach as recently as January. He said he is familiar with the site and that he would talk to the IDA and seek clarity on its development potential.”
“I thank the Minister for her positive response. It is good to hear that work will be undertaken as soon as the scope of work and cost is in. This is an easy win for all concerned. The green area is a flood attenuation area that is currently locked and lying idle despite being approved. It would make perfect sense that students of all ages would be able to benefit from the use of such a large green area close to their schools. There will be no pitch markings or changes of any description, just a green area that will be cut regularly and used for recreation. I therefore again ask the Minister to address the need for her and her Department to do everything within their power to ensure that the area is open to all local students as soon as possible. I thank the Minister for her positive response.”
“With this in mind, will the Minister confirm whether she has had any further recent engagement with the ETB and the schools on the matter and the status of the access works to be completed?”
“I thank the Minister for her response. I thank her and her Department officials for recently meeting councillor Anthony Barry, Rory Cocking and me to discuss this matter. It is encouraging to hear at first hand from the Department that the expectation remains that access to the green area will be granted to all campus schools for recreational purposes. Entrance and access works to the green area have been approved, as the Minister said, by Cork County Council, but these works have yet to be completed. We are now nearly in May and it would be highly beneficial to all if these works were undertaken to ensure that access to the green area is in place for the upcoming school year in September.”
“I ask the Minister for Education and Youth, further to Parliamentary Question No. 211 of 12 February 2026, the progress made to date in ensuring the use of a green area by schools at Carrigtwohill School campus and if she will make a statement on the matter.”
“With more housing development due in the area, I ask the Tánaiste to liaise directly with Uisce Éireann on the possibility of a full upgrade of the network being facilitated.”
“I wish to raise again the issue of low water pressure in the village of Ballyhooly in my constituency, Cork East. I have spoken on several occasions in this Chamber about the need to repair and upgrade the water network serving Ballyhooly because daily disruptions to water supply have persisted for years. Low water pressure in certain areas of Ballyhooly continues to disrupt daily household practices and this only gets worse as we approach the summer months. While some repairs are being conducted by Uisce Éireann, funding is needed for a complete upgrade of the local water network. This would improve the pipework from the reservoir to the village and eliminate the low pressure problem.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his reply. He is a rugby man himself but as my colleague Deputy Neville said, the GAA is very important. What is the Department doing to promote the GAA overseas? How much money has been allocated to this in recent years? Finally, we have a very important statue in Midleton in my constituency of Cork East, which is the Kindred Spirits monument. This represents a donation by the Choctaw Nation to the people of Ireland during the Great Famine. It is a fantastic monument that showcases the very best of overseas aid and how historical partnership endures. Should the Minister of State have any availability soon, my colleague, Councillor Rory Cocking, and I would love to show him the statue in person.”
“Taking this into account, will the Minister confirm whether the Department plans to extend our diplomatic reach to new areas by opening new embassies or consulates in countries or areas in which Ireland has not previously been represented?”
“I thank the Minister of State for his response. I thank the Ministers for their hard work and dedication in the area that is of major importance to Ireland. The diaspora across the globe represents the very best of our country on a community, cultural, business and sporting basis. I acknowledge that the ESP is a very important support for Irish diaspora groups and has proven to be enormously popular. Almost 600 applications were received before the ESP deadline in early February. With that in mind, I ask the Minister of State when successful applications are expected to be announced and funding allocated? In addition, the recent EU trade deal with Australia and the Government action plan on market diversification with no doubt only further expand Irish communities and businesses abroad.”
“Like the previous speaker, I also wish Ireland well tonight and hope we will be in the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday night for the next stage of it. With the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's indulgence, I will also welcome a school to the Visitor's Gallery today. The school is in my own constituency of Cork East, the national school in Coolagown, and I welcome the pupils and teachers who are there today. I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress made to date by her Department on the development of an updated diaspora strategy.”
“I raise the matter of the Fermoy Weir in my constituency of Cork East. As the Taoiseach is no doubt aware, the Fermoy Weir sustained flood damage almost a decade ago, with the increased flow through the breach eroding a section of the structure. The weir is a protected structure and a very important part of Fermoy town. Planning permission for remedial works and the installation of a fish bypass was approved in February 2024. Cork County Council is sourcing funding to commence these works. Given the importance of the weir to both the town of Fermoy and the wider Blackwater region, will the Taoiseach use his good offices to ensure that funding is secured to allow work to proceed? The project has planning approval and consent to begin works but has no designated funding.”
“For the reasons I outlined previously, the development of such a facility would be an enormous boost to the wider east Cork area. It would also provide much-needed comfort to the families of those who may require urgent medical intervention at short notice. With this in mind, I ask the Minister to continue to liaise with the HSE on possible measures that could be introduced locally, including the establishment of a landing centre. Finally, I ask that we be updated regarding any other measures. I reiterate my support for the ambulance service, the work it does and all the front-line workers.”
“I thank the Minister of State for her very detailed response. I acknowledge the investment in the ambulance service in the area. While I appreciate the work the Department of Health and HSE are doing to ensure increased service provision, I remain adamant that east Cork requires further attention. With this in mind, can the Minister of State outline where exactly ambulance services in east Cork are currently based? I welcome the fact a centre will be established in east Cork with Midleton as a possible destination. I welcome the Minister of State's response with regard to that. I understand the expansion of such a centre is being actively progressed by the HSE and that the project is currently at the site selection phase. Have there been any further developments on identifying a suitable site?”
“With that in mind, can the Minister of State give a breakdown of ambulance service provision in east Cork and the number of times east Cork was left without an ambulance service in each year from 2021 to 2025? Has there been a review of the ambulance service in east Cork recently or is any review is planned? What measures are the Department of Health and the HSE taking to ensure service provision is increased in the area going forward?”
“I very much appreciate that preventing loss of life is the primary objective of the ambulance service but, despite best efforts, there are, unfortunately, instances where delays in providing immediate medical care can contribute greatly to the passing of a person. With that in mind, I raise the recent case of a family in east Cork where a family member unfortunately passed away with the delay in providing medical attention a major contributing factor in his death. This has profoundly affected the family, which is questioning the HSE about the procedures that were followed in this case. The family argument is that it should not happen to any other family. While this case is an individual one, the family is asking that the overall service in east Cork be greatly improved.”
“East Cork spans a wide geographical area and this alone ensures that ambulance crews are constantly covering a very populated and busy part of County Cork. This area will only get busier and ambulance service provision will be spread even thinner with the number of planned housing developments and road infrastructure upgrades proposed for the near future. With delays in the provision of vital life-saving services being experienced by so many in east Cork, there is scope to greatly improve the service as it stands and possibly increase it further into the future. As I am sure the Minister of State would agree, any loss of life is regrettable.”
“I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for selecting this Topical Issue. I raise the very important matter of ambulance service provision in the wider east Cork area. East Cork is a huge area with an ever-increasing population but, unfortunately, the current ambulance service appears inadequate to meet the demands placed on it. I have received numerous reports of long waits for ambulances and medical attention in the aftermath of medical emergencies. This has prompted me to raise the matter as a Topical Issue. I have the utmost respect for the ambulance service and its crews. I recognise the vital work the service does, under enormous pressure, to protect our communities. However, it needs help in providing such an important service to the best of its ability and this assistance should be forthcoming from Government.”
“I thank the Minister again for his response. I note the work of the accelerating renewable electricity task force and its engagement with local authorities on the matter. I also appreciate that a public consultation invited submissions between September and October last year regarding national territory mapping under the EU renewable energy directive. Was there an appetite for such land classification as part of this process? How far is this process advanced in finalising national territory mapping?”
“As such, is the Minister considering any further measures to introduce a land classification system similar to what exists in the UK, which would see the most fertile agricultural land protected against renewable development?”
“I thank the Minister for his response. Proposals to prime agricultural land for renewable energy proposals have become common in recent years. Rural communities such as those in my constituency of Cork East are seeing acreage that long provided quality food produce being changed to acres of solar panels in a very short period. Development permission for up to 40 years sees traditional rural communities transformed for decades on the basis of one application. I appreciate that an increased provision of renewable energy sources is needed nationally. However, we have a particular problem developing in Cork East given our proximity to the grid, and limited attention is being paid to the quality of land being used.”