We all come from backgrounds, by the way. I know exactly what the real world is all about-----
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
-----and I engage with people all the time.
All along during the energy crisis, the proposals Sinn Féin came forward with, particularly during the energy crisis-----
-----after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, would have been catastrophic. Sinn Féin now wants us to do more to underpin the companies.
Sinn Féin wants us to support the companies further and further.
I understand the pressure on households and families as a result of energy price increases. We are living through a period of huge issues around energy, particularly since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Government has intervened, particularly at the height of that crisis, in a substantial way. However, retail prices are influenced by several factors, as the Deputy knows, including wholesale energy prices and supplier he…
The Deputy is not saying targeted.
The Deputy did not say it there. That word was not used there. She is to a certain extent playing to the Gallery.
I do acknowledge the issue. The Deputy mentioned VAT reductions. It costs to keep VAT at 9%. That has been factored in for the next five years. We should keep it at 9% for gas and electricity. There is a problem, a huge issue, here. Over the next five years, we have to invest triple what we invested in the grid in the last three years. There is going to be more investment in the grid. That simply has to happen to gua…
The Minister is working with the companies to help families who are in difficulty, and in particular those who are in arrears, by establishing hardship funds and making sure there will not be disconnections. That is over and above the measures we have taken to increase the fuel allowance for the working family payment cohort and to increase it more generally. The Minister has engaged with the companies in respect of …
First, I will say that we earnestly hope that the peace will be sustained in Gaza. It is extremely important every effort is made to get huge volumes of humanitarian aid into Gaza, clean water and clean fuel in sufficient quantities to enable the people of Gaza to feed themselves, that the United Nations and all of its agencies would have primacy in distributing those goods, and that there would be sufficient deconfl…
I will answer the questions but the Deputy has made assertions and I am entitled to make assertions and make our point, which is that the Irish Government has been one of the strongest advocates for the Palestinian cause-----
-----for Palestinian self-determination and the Deputy will never acknowledge that. She keeps on having a go at the Government all of the time about this aspect or another aspect but the reality is very clear and if you talk to the Palestinian Authority or Palestinians, they will say that.
In relation to the occupied territories Bill, I have been saying this for quite a while, and by the way I have read the Oireachtas committee report. In fairness, it makes the point, "The Joint Committee notes that no data was available to it to ascertain the quantity of Services imported from the Occupied Palestinian Territories and recommends that the Minister attempts to obtain and publish this information."
The c…
"-----are unknowable and recommends that the Minister undertakes efforts to establish and publish a range of likely scenarios."
Goods can be traced fairly easily through documentation, certificates of origin and physical supply chains. Services are a very different kettle of fish and we should all acknowledge that. I am just being honest; that is all. That is all I said yesterday.
No decision has been made in relation to services.
I am just endeavouring to be a bit honest with people. Financial consulting, software development-----
-----digital services - they do not have a clear territorial link-----
-----so there are issues there that we need to work through if we are honest about this.
The presidential election is about the person who people believe is the best person to hold the Presidency over the next seven years.
With respect, the Deputy raised it.
Sorry-----
I am just responding to the Deputy.
This Government has done a lot, internationally, through the various international legal forums and so on. We have sought advice on one aspect, but I have referenced in the House on a number of occasions that the objective here is not to punish Ireland. I read out that section from the Oireachtas committee report in terms of repercussions for multinational companies based in Irela…
-----because of boycotts and divestment? There is an issue there. Is it beyond us-----
Is there something wrong with raising that issue?