I rise today to make three quick points in the short time I have available. First, it is the Government's commitment and determination to make progress in spinal services for children. The focus of our current and previous Ministers for Health has been on delivering considerable resources and addressing structural impediments to the delivery of improved spinal services. I want to say to Stephen and Gillian Morrison S…
TDs / Martin Heydon
Martin Heydon
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
0
questions asked
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them
128,151
words spoken in the chamber
127,978 as a minister, 173 as a TD
404
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
Members of the Government answer parliamentary questions rather than ask them, so this page lists none of theirs.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Contributions to debates 530 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
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| Month | Contributions |
|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 7 |
| March 2025 | 8 |
| April 2025 | 38 |
| May 2025 | 41 |
| June 2025 | 2 |
| July 2025 | 28 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 2 |
| October 2025 | 59 |
| November 2025 | 53 |
| December 2025 | 13 |
| January 2026 | 61 |
| February 2026 | 31 |
| March 2026 | 39 |
| April 2026 | 15 |
| May 2026 | 44 |
| June 2026 | 1 |
| July 2026 | 42 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 1 |
| October 2026 | 45 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 425 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Kildare South 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fine Gael 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 23 January 2025 to now
The Opposition tries to suggest there is no alternative-----
-----motivation behind that. I was not going to make that point today because I thought the public could come to that conclusion itself.
I listened to one of the worst speeches I have heard in this Dáil during my 14 years as a Member of this House from Deputy Mary Lou McDonald.
She framed her address in the grief, distress and pain of families of young children. She made a statement that the Tánaiste was "the only person responsible". I think she said it twice, actually. It was an incredibly personalised direct attack. We have become used to this from the Opposition but it will never be acceptable in discourse. Deputy McDonald proceeded to blatantly make references to the election that will…
-----I stand here to affirm my confidence in the Tánaiste, Simon Harris, for all he has achieved for this country.
Are you saying you did not?
There you are again.
Who is mentioning the election?
Yes, in response. Blatant.
You have all made it pretty clear, Deputy. Let us be honest.
There you are. You admit it now. That is why you are here today.
They are blowing your cover, Peadar.
I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to address the House today on the significant challenges facing our tillage sector. Before I outline the Government's response, I will begin by acknowledging the strain that many farming families in the sector face. Coming on the back of two horrendously difficult years weatherwise, thankfully conditions for harvest 2025 were much more favo…
I thank the Deputy for raising what is an important issue. In the aftermath of Storm Éowyn, the Government increased its focus on storm preparedness and building resilience. My Department has been contributing to an extensive review of the whole-of-government response to the storm. The review, co-ordinated by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, is examining all aspects of the response with a vie…
Absolutely. The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, and I intervened with emergency supports for the horticulture and forestry sectors. The measures I introduced under TAMS and to change the rules around TAMS were all in response to what was an absolutely seismic weather event. It is really important that we learn from it because we know that, with climate change, we are likely to see more of these events. A…
I thank the Deputy.
I have one last point. To ensure farmers are more resilient in advance of weather events, I have announced plans to introduce grant support under TAMS for the replacement of roofs. Up to now, TAMS covered only new structures. A farmer could not modify an existing structure under it. Subject to appropriate professional analysis confirming that a storm-damaged structure is sound and that it is only…
I thank the Deputy for raising this point. Of all the big issues we are dealing with and will discuss in this House, be it the budget just passed or all the other challenges, nothing is as central as the CAP, because it sets out the framework for the seven years beyond 2027. At the most recent Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting, held in Brussels in September 2025, I took the opportunity to outline that the pro…
I concur. It comes down to brass tacks, or money, and that is why I stress the budget dimension is of central importance. I stressed this to Commissioner Hansen. I welcome his efforts in securing a €296 billion ring-fenced EU-wide CAP envelope.
This is a significant achievement in the context of there being no commitments to ring-fencing beforehand. It has been very clear there was not going to be ring-fencing. To g…
In my first nine months in the job, I hope I have demonstrated that I have good, sharp elbows. In my recent budget negotiations, I secured a 9% increase on the Department of agriculture's overall allocation, whereas the summer economic statement indicated that the overall increase in Government spending would be only 6%. I think the Department has received the second largest percentage increase in current allocations…
I agree that this is one of the key issues of our time. It is also the key stressor for older farmers who may not have an identified successor or who may have more than one identified successor and only one farm. There are many challenges in that space. I do not say that light-heartedly. It genuinely is a big cause of stress and concern. Obviously, the next generation who want to farm want that certainty as well to a…
To give a straight answer to a straight question, we have started already. A number of the recommendations are on the extension of the reliefs to give more certainty, including agricultural relief, young trained farmer relief and relief stamp duties. Those exemptions were worth €325 million to farm families in 2024 alone.
Extending them for as long as we possibly can under state aid rules was a key recommendation of the commission. There are 31 recommendations in total. We have started this already. An implementation team has been established in my Department and it will work on the recommendations of the commission. While some recommendations are for consideration and progress in the context of the next CAP, others can be progressed …
In relation to the forgotten farmers, I have addressed that issue. The scheme opened up for applications earlier in the year. Those who qualify under the terms and conditions I inherited from an issue 20 years ago will be dealt with and will be paid by the end of this year. That is an issue that will be addressed once and for all.
In terms of the broader piece, a line in the report of the commission on generational …
I thank Deputy Cleere. He raises a valid point. The IFA called a meeting in the Killashee Hotel in Kildare, which was attended by over 1,000 tillage farmers. I addressed the meeting and answered questions in a very robust debate. We got through the issues, not just financial and short-term issues in terms of supporting the sector and maintaining confidence among farmers so that they will plough, do minimum tillage or…