We are resourcing at an unprecedented scale. I mean, 80% of every house built in this country now has State backing, one way or the other. Some €9 billion has been provided in the budget. Of that €9 billion, €3 billion is to deliver 12,000 new social homes in the budget 2027 allocation. The total Exchequer funding available in 2027 for housing is approximately €7.7 billion, comprising approximately €5 billion in capi…
TDs / Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin
Taoiseach
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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
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From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
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Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
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|---|---|
| December 2024 | 11 |
| January 2025 | 6 |
| February 2025 | 438 |
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| April 2025 | 317 |
| May 2025 | 426 |
| June 2025 | 424 |
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| 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
The Deputy's presentation, in my view, is completely disingenuous. I note his inability to observe and articulate the fact that what in essence he was saying is that Ireland should depend on the say so and the agreement of Russia, a state that has violated the UN Charter in a most egregious way, killing innocent civilians, behaving like a rogue state.
In essence, what Deputy Murphy is saying is we cannot participate in any peacekeeping mission from hereon unless a state such as Russia, the United States or China, agrees, particularly Russia because Russia has broken all rules under the UN Charter.
In terms of peacekeeping and peace enforcement, there have been peace enforcement missions under the UN. The Deputy knows that, so why did he deliberately create a false narrative there to suggest that this was the Bill?
No. The Bill is, in essence, in terms of what already exists in terms of peacekeeping and peace enforcement. We have been on different missions, ever since we started in the 1960s getting involved in peacekeeping. The Deputy knows that very well.
It would be for the Government or the Dáil in terms of deciding what peacekeeping missions we would become involved in. We are not a military power. Let us get rid of all t…
-----particularly good at it, and recognised internationally. That is all we want to continue with.
When I have been out in Lebanon, I have talked to our soldiers. I talk to our navy. They feel fulfilment in their military careers, particularly when things were very difficult during the attack on Lebanon by Israel. When I went out there, I said that it must have been particularly tense and difficult. They said, "Thi…
-----but the Deputy's defence of Russia and all of this in terms of them being the decision-makers-----
-----in terms of where do we get the law in peacekeeping is now erroneous. It has no substantive basis anymore because of the behaviour of Russia-----
-----in terms of how it is behaving across the world, and others.
We do not want to participate. By the way, there is no one breaking any law here. How dare the Deputy suggest that we want to break international law?
Under the existing peace missions we have been on in Lebanon, Hezbollah have murdered a number of Irish soldiers. The Deputy did not say that. Under the existing peace missions, only very recently, there was the appalling murder of Seán Rooney by Hezbollah, and he was not the first killed by various groupings there. I condemn Hezbollah for what it does and for how it has been undermining Lebanon for so long.
Trainin…
I thank the Deputy for raising a very serious and important issue, particularly for those in the mid-west in terms of health services at University Hospital Limerick. I commend all the staff and all who work at all hospitals in the mid-west, including UHL, on the work they do. It is true that UHL is one of the busiest emergency departments in the country, with presentations totalling 95,000-plus in 2025, which was th…
A winter plan has been developed with the region. I understand there was a recent conference in the royal college with all the regions to work through a winter plan to deal with the winter surge.
On the procurement of additional beds, in order to develop a greater sense of efficiency and value for money for the State, a national tender competition was entered into recently, and a bespoke national panel arrangement h…
I listened to the interview as well, so I do not have to. I thought it was a very calm but determined presentation by the Minister.
I did, actually, particularly in terms of the achievements in social housing, which the Deputy ignored. I mean, 60,000 social houses in the past five years is no mean thing. It is a significant, dramatic change from what we were doing previously. Close to 60,000 social houses have been built since 2020, and that takes in the Covid period as well.
The Deputy is endeavouring to undermine the sincerity-----
Irrespective of his political view, he should acknowledge the integrity, sincerity and commitment of the Minister to increase housing supply, which was clearly what he said throughout that interview. Supply, supply, supply, and I really want the Deputy's support when it comes to various projects.
I have responded on a number of occasions and I have met with survivors of long Covid. We have responded at every juncture, as the Deputy has kind of acknowledged there. This issue has been through the WRC, as the Deputy knows. It is not as if consideration has not been given to the issue. I have met trade unions in respect of this. We will continue to keep the matter under review, but it is not simple.
I discussed the recent issues along with others with President Zelenskyy on Friday. I welcome the Deputy raising this issue because, to be fair, she is correct that Ukraine deserves our unwavering solidarity and support. I was extremely disappointed when the Sinn Féin Party and others, not Labour, opposed the €90 billion financial support to Ukraine that the EU decided on. Sinn Féin said that we were wrong to support…
It is a shocking situation and our heart goes out to the family. We support restrictions, particularly at a European Union level. President von der Leyen, in her recent state of the Union address, announced that the Commission will publish a proposal in respect of restrictions on access to social media for children. An EU-wide report would have far greater impact with regard to enforceability and protecting children …
I can indeed. The day before yesterday, at the Cabinet sub-committee, we met EirGrid. We discussed the €18 billion investment to 2030 to enhance the capacity of the grid, which is important, but also storage. We have had some good developments, particularly in the midlands, on battery storage and so forth, but we have to move at pace. I get frustrated that some of the renewable projects are still with An Coimisiún Pl…
I thank the Deputy. He might be aware that a mechanical issue arose at the Birr water treatment plant last weekend, which was repaired on Sunday. Water supply was returned to affected areas on the morning of Monday, 19 October. There are leakage reduction programme works taking place daily from 20 October until 23 October in the area, which may have impacted some supplies. All of the works in progress should be compl…
The Government cannot be intervening in every local authority and there has to be sustainability in social housing so that we can provide for the long-term and so that people on the lists and so on have some opportunity on a continuing basis to access social housing. I am not familiar with the specific details in Wicklow County Council, but rent schemes should reflect incomes, they should be fair, and they should als…
I thank Deputy McGrath for raising a very important issue in Carrigaline. We have had a lot of investment in quite a number of schools but this situation is pressing on this school. I acknowledge that and I will engage with the Minister for education in respect of it.
My understanding is that the Minister and the Department are endeavouring to help the clubs in terms of mentoring, advice and so on. I will talk to the Minister for sport in respect of this development. The situation that has emerged is clearly very difficult for the clubs. I thank Deputy Lawlor for raising it. We do not have mechanisms where the Government intervenes in every case a construction company collapses or…