I do not have the specifics of the case but I take on board what the Deputy is saying. I will talk to the Minister for Education and Youth and others to see if we can get some get allocation to that project.
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
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
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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 |
| 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
I congratulate Louth on its historic victory, which was a cliffhanger, and extend my sympathies to Meath.
My late grandfather, who I never got to know, was from Arodstown in County Meath. The last time Meath won a Leinster final was in 1957, the year it won the all-Ireland football final against Cork. As a child, we were reared on the one that got away, among others. We genuinely wish Louth continued success. Clearly, as the Gospel says, it is now ambitious for higher things, so now it wants the stadium to go along with …
Earlier in this session, a number of Deputies expressed their deepest sympathies to the family of Garda Kevin Flatley, his wife, Una, and his daughters, Aoife and Erin, and to the entire membership of An Garda Síochána on his sad passing in the line of duty. We mourn his loss. There will be reflection on this and road safety in general. I could go through a whole range of measures that have been taken. The Road Traff…
The Minister for Justice has no issue coming before the House to deal with these issues.
I will raise the matter with the Minister. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, are working flat out on this issue. I will bring the specifics of the cases the Deputy has raised to their attention. Wherever we can, we will resolve the issues locally.
My understanding was a lot of issues outside of Dublin were getting resolved but there are a higher number in Dublin that s…
The Deputy knows I am a frequent visitor to Killarney but I do not have the same detailed grasp of the roads he has named. That is a National Transport Authority project, I would imagine.
I understand to some degree what the Deputy is saying. There should be a thorough evaluation of the value-for-money aspects of any of these projects and everybody should be clear on the objective. Sometimes it is to provide for cyclists, but sometimes the roads are so narrow to begin with that the outcome of works makes it difficult for everybody to use such a carriageway. I have seen it myself. Some roads are histor…
I am trying to be helpful, Deputy, but-----
They should not be passing each other, anyway, I suppose, in one way.
I will come back to the Deputy and talk to him. It is probably an NTA project.
I thank the Deputy for raising that. He is saying there are two special classes in one physical classroom. I will get on to the Ministers in respect of this and get this issue resolved.
The Deputy said it was over a ten-year period.
When he said they were overturned or quashed, I would have to interrogate his language in terms of how he defines "quashed" and "overturned". The Minister is bringing in legislation to deal with all of this but there was a time ten years ago when a Deputy like Deputy Tóibín - maybe not Deputy Tóibín himself - would stand up in this House and make an appeal to the Minister of the day not to have somebody deported. The…
Opinions have changed and I understand why. I am just making the point we can put ten years together and try to-----
I understand what your narrative will be. I understand what the soundbite on social media will be. You are trying to create a story around certain parties doing X while you are doing Y. The bottom line is society was in a particular place ten years ago on this and is in a totally different position right now. Circumstances have changed-----
------wars have happened, conflicts have happened. We need a bit more honesty and sensitivity in what we are doing.
In terms of people who are not entitled to seek asylum here, the Minister has effected deportations. A lot do leave. The gardaí tell us they leave the jurisdiction and are not availing of any resources.
I do not have the specifics of the case. As I explained in an earlier reply, huge resources are going into additional needs. We have thousands of SNAs - I think it is 23,400. I do not know whether it is an SNA the child requires or some additional-----
I do not know the engagement the school has had with the National Council for Special Education. A lot of resources are being made available to try to ensure a child can not only go to school but can be there for the full time, like any other child. I do not have the specifics of the case but if the Deputy sends them to the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and me, we can see the precise issue and follow it up.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 14, inclusive, together.
The National Economic and Social Council advises me on strategic policy issues relating to sustainable economic, social and environmental development in Ireland. NESC is currently working in four main areas. With regard to Ireland’s future power system and economic resilience, this work investigates the impact of renewable energy targets in four areas: e…
Quite a number of questions were asked about the NESC report. I certainly will revert back to NESC on Deputy Brendan Smith's consistent seeking of a particular study on the challenges facing the central Border area. A number of reports have been done by NESC on North-South development but Deputy Smith wants something a bit more specific on the central Border area and the challenges in respect of the area. I have made…
-----to take on the might of Dublin and the big cities. In any event, we will work on that.
In response to Deputy Murphy, I believe that local authorities should be far more active in the pursuit of CPOs on derelict sites. There is the Derelict Sites Act. Some complain that it is not strong enough. I have never bought into that. I have always sensed that in a lot of local authorities there is a degree of inertia aro…
In response to Deputy Geoghegan, I met with David McRedmond recently. We are making progress. The interdepartmental group will, I hope, bring proposals soon and I will bring that to the House in due course before the recess.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 to 25, inclusive, together.
The Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland was created on 18 February 2025 to oversee implementation of relevant programme for Government commitments and ongoing developments in relation to Northern Ireland, Irish-British relations and the shared island initiative.
As well as considering issues relevant to the Government’s position as a co-guarantor of …