As I said earlier, we are in a very serious situation. Our national interest, quite frankly, is to protect Irish workers. We will behave accordingly to do that and to achieve that, and to make sure that we can get a reasonable international legal framework through the UN to get countries to adhere to the international rule of law. The world is in a very bad place. Thousands and thousands of people are losing their li…
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.
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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
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| 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 |
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| 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
US firepower and US intelligence have, along with others in the European Union and the United Kingdom. That is the reality. If the Deputy wants to abandon all of that, that is fine. I agree with the Deputy in the sense that I do not agree with spheres of influence. I do not agree with the Monroe Doctrine but the Deputy is suggesting that we open up to that. I do not think he means it but those are the implications. R…
No, no. In terms of the malign influence Iran has had in the Middle East, with Hezbollah, Hamas and - you name it - the Houthis in terms of trade routes and the economy, we never hear it really to any great extent or to any consistent extent. We are now hearing from Iran, potentially, that 4,000 citizens have been murdered, and up to 12,000 could have been murdered, because we do not know with the Internet blackout a…
This is a broader issue that affects the entire globe and many malign actors are involved.
Ireland has not been silent on the Middle East. Ireland has not been silent on Gaza. This is recognised around the world, no matter who it annoyed or may annoy. We have stood firm on a whole range of issues in the context of the Middle East, and we will remain so. In the context of the US, up to 40 million people in America claim Irish descent. We have always had a very strong relationship with the US, irrespective o…
We need to be calm about this. We need to be firm on principle. We need to be showing solidarity with our European Union member states and I have no issue with doing that. I think that is the right thing to do, and that has to be our approach.
First of all, nothing has changed. Nothing has changed at all in respect of the tax situation governing carers. I think we need to keep everything in perspective and not create unjustified fears because I have checked this with both the Department of Finance and the Department of Social Protection. No new tax has been introduced, but what has happened on a forward-looking basis is the Department of Social Protection …
-----where it is £83, our level of increase is very significant.
We will be talking.
Is it not a motion?
We have quite a flexible labour market in this country already. The previous Government introduced a right to request remote working. There is a significant degree of remote working happening within the economy. As Deputy Bacik knows, by definition, it is not applicable to every workplace. The Government is not disposed to support the Labour Party's motion tomorrow evening. That said, we have a healthy labour market …
-----with unintended consequences.
The most effective way to prevent elderly people becoming homeless is through social housing. Some 52,000 social homes have been added to the social housing stock between 2020 and now. In addition to that, about 14,000 voids were brought back into use - these are houses in the social housing stock that were empty.
In quarter 3 of last year alone, 1,600 new social homes were delivered, including 1,330 new-build homes…
It is not that we are letting it happen. Come on.
What is the Deputy saying? It is wrong that it is happening but the developer and the approved housing body have contractual disagreements. Is the Deputy saying the Government should just ignore that and take a side?
You do not sit back either but you get the thing resolved in the best interests of the taxpayer-----
------and those seeking housing. There are reasons particular cases like this happen. They are disgraceful but they happen. We will work hard to resolve this in the best interests of the taxpayer and those seeking housing.
The Deputy failed to mention the fact that Billy Kelleher, Barry Cowen and Cynthia Ní Mhurchú will be voting against Mercosur in the Parliament. I am intrigued by his language. I know he is a former member of Sinn Féin. He spoke about reining in these MEPs and controlling them.
We have a somewhat different ethos to the Deputy.
I have answered it.
I have.
I accept that 19 years is far too long to spend in temporary accommodation. I am not aware of the specific background but I will talk to the Minister to see what can be done to improve the situation. In relation to Stepping Stones Special School, there has been a significant uplift in capitation for special schools arising out of the last budget. I presume that will take effect some time this year. I will ask the Dep…
Again, these issues are optimally resolved locally. All idle property that is not earmarked should be used. There should be more proactivity among State agencies, the OPW and local authorities in utilising existing buildings.
A good local authority will do that and will proactively seek to get buildings utilised, particularly for an organisation like Men's Sheds, which has been very impactful in terms of men's healt…
Is St. Paul's a DEIS school at the moment?
It has not been ignored, so.