Results 121-140 of 238 for speaker:Joe Cooney

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (27 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: We would nearly have to admit we got it wrong in our last county development plans because we see the serious issue we have now in housing and demand. The housing situation is an ongoing concern.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (27 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: I thank the witnesses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (27 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: What the witnesses are saying is there are no blockages preventing developers from buying and developing zoned land for houses.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (22 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: 71. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when he will announce the next tranche of funding under the local improvement scheme; if he will increase the €40 million allocation provided nationwide in 2024; if he will increase the amount of funding provided to County Clare in order to address the very significant backlog; and if he will make a statement on the matter....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: County and City Management Association (20 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: I thank the witnesses for their presentation. I worked as a local councillor for a number of years in County Clare and am well aware of the issues they are trying to deal with. Those issues are not easy to deal with. There are various stumbling blocks in the way that prevent us from moving forward with houses, be they local authority houses in need of repair, vacant houses, or residences...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: County and City Management Association (20 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: It is a no-brainer to turn those back into residential. It is a big issue in the centre of towns, given the number of buildings. In fairness, local authorities around the country are doing fantastic work. The other big issue is a lack of infrastructure, primarily as regards wastewater, which Mr. Taaffe mentioned. Last week, I tabled a question in the Dáil on a modular certified...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: County and City Management Association (20 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: I am delighted Mr. Taaffe mentioned choice-based lettings, CBL. It is a fantastic system and working very well in our county. I am aware it is also working well in other counties. The other big issue is costs and I do not know how we are going sort this. Costs have just gone crazy. This probably turns a lot of young people off building their own houses, given what doing so will cost them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: County and City Management Association (20 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: It is something that needs to be reviewed, especially in rural parts. Uisce Éireann needs to work with the developers. If it is done to Uisce Éireann's criteria and the proper standard, Uisce Éireann should be told that it has to take it over, end of story, and maintain it going forward. That could be a brilliant idea. Regarding costs and workers, local authorities are...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fisheries Protection (20 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: 126. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the outcome of the tuna CHART programme in 2024; the status of the socioeconomic survey from the authorised charter trips, and if there are plans within his Department to introduce a more widespread recreational catch and release bluefin tuna sport fishery. [25106/25]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (20 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: 151. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to detail the outcome of the stakeholder meeting on TB which he arranged for earlier in May; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25104/25]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (20 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: 486. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to give public sector status for all secretaries and caretakers working in schools, to be given access to the same rights, the same certainty of a pension on retirement and salaries as the teachers and SNAs that they work alongside; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25844/25]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (20 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: 487. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline, given the recognised shortage of school bus drivers, if she has any plans to extend the retirement age for school bus drivers past the age of 70; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25845/25]

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (15 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: The Department is saying it is an operational matter for Uisce Éireann. Uisce Éireann says it is a local authority matter but the local authority is not the water service authority. The blockage needs to be resolved by the Government direction.

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (15 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: We keep on hearing of the need to be innovative in the face of housing challenges, yet there is clearly a lack of willingness by State bodies to embrace innovation that is already out there.

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (15 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: We have the solution. We just need to get on with it.

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (15 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: Thank you.

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (15 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: Innovation is not just about invention; it is about approaching old problems with fresh eyes. Today, on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of people across Ireland who are still searching for a home, I ask the Government to seriously consider the proposals I have put forward. We need to enable developers to provide wastewater infrastructure for housing developments that are currently...

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (15 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: The programme for Government seeks to build 300,000 homes by 2030. It is an ambitious task and one that will need every tool available to Government to deliver. Every week I hear from local builders who want to help Government to deliver on that ambition by building houses in hundreds of rural communities, helping the Government reach its housing target as well as ensuring the viability of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (15 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: 97. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will consider issuing a ministerial directive to Uisce Éireann to support the delivery of stand-alone, modular or temporary wastewater treatment systems for residential developments in settlements where such treatment systems, or capacity, are determined to be non-existent. [19559/25]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Emergency Services (13 May 2025)

Joe Cooney: 367. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 479 of 29 April 2025, the reasons a company (details supplied) only assumed full 24-hour cover from Shannon almost five months after commencing operations; if he will review the procurement process to determine the way the helicopter emergency medical support service was not provided for from the...