It was a regime of repression and that regime came for people. It created the largest migration out of Venezuela ever in that country's history. I met with migrants from Venezuela when I was at COP. They told me in a very sad way of the demise and destruction of their country by Maduro and Chávez before him.
TDs / Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin
Taoiseach
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
688,766
words spoken in the chamber
686,628 as a minister, 2,138 as a TD
197
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 6,546 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Contributions |
|---|---|
| December 2024 | 11 |
| January 2025 | 6 |
| February 2025 | 438 |
| March 2025 | 518 |
| April 2025 | 317 |
| May 2025 | 426 |
| June 2025 | 424 |
| July 2025 | 344 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 146 |
| October 2025 | 375 |
| November 2025 | 291 |
| December 2025 | 281 |
| January 2026 | 326 |
| February 2026 | 529 |
| March 2026 | 229 |
| April 2026 | 385 |
| May 2026 | 474 |
| June 2026 | 425 |
| July 2026 | 181 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 198 |
| October 2026 | 222 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 6,426 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Cork South-Central 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
- office Taoiseach 23 January 2025 to now
People on the other side of the House were sneaking regarders of the Maduro regime. It always strikes me as extraordinary that the main Opposition party attended his inauguration. That is the difference in the House here. Let us be under no illusions.
I am. Of course I am.
We have compromised not one iota of our values in terms of our engagement with the United States-----
-----or in terms of our position, for example, on the Middle East, where there was significant pushback. Ireland is recognised around the world as asserting its principled position. I salute what Prime Minister Carney said at Davos. It is exactly what we have been doing: application of principle and pragmatism. The principle is we believe in an international rules-based order. We have not compromised on that and will…
That has been a consistent thread in that group's presentations here for the past two decades.
Not just Deputy Coppinger personally but people with her and Deputy Murphy and so on like that.
"Bread on the table" is about workers of this country-----
------who you purport to represent. You ignore the reality of the importance of that economic relationship.
Could I first of all say that yesterday in the House, Government sought sanction for a loan for Ukraine? The Deputy was not there to vote but her colleagues voted against that. We support peace-----
I will answer now in whatever way I deem to answer-----
-----and if you do not like it, that is your problem. The bottom line is this. The Deputy and her colleagues have been consistent on Ukraine. They will preface remarks by saying "We're against Putin, blah, blah, blah" but move on quickly.
There are 30 million people-----
Deputy Murphy voted against €90 billion for Ukraine that Europe wanted to give to support the ordinary people of Ukraine to weather the appalling assault by Russia. That is his position.
You always find an excuse. I want to say this. In terms of our fundamental principles, we do not compromise. We have had a long historic relationship with the United States. It is family and the migratory experience. The Irish built America, along with others.
We have made it clear with European colleagues that our main interest is in Gaza and the Middle East in terms of contributing to peace.
That will be the approach we will take.
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. She is correct in saying that the parents of Grace Lynch, Siobhan and Martin, have shown extraordinary courage and bravery in the context of the devastating loss of their beautiful daughter. I have spoken with them, as has the wider family. I have spoken with them.
We are very clear in respect of this matter. I have discussed it with the Ministers for justice and Transport.…
I have convened a meeting for later today with the Ministers. I will have better clarity around the timeline after that, but it will not be a long timeline. The Attorney General will be at that meeting as well. This is something I want done very quickly. The parents who have lost their beautiful daughter in the most appalling of circumstances do not even have to ask for this. We want to make sure that something like …
I would like the Deputy to outline the powers and the basis for what she said. I have never been one for witch hunts. Notwithstanding the issues, I just do not like them. Governments have to do things properly and have to behave properly and appropriately. In terms of individuals, I have no relationship or whatever with Mr. Murrin. However, Bord Bia has performed exceptionally well. In total, Irish beef exports to 70…
I know, and farm organisations-----
We have to run organisations properly and effectively.
There has to be some balance.
The board met-----
-----and it took a view.