I will come back-----
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
198
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 6,461 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
Sorry, the bottom line is the deal was the formation of Government in terms of the programme for Government. The now Minister of State, Deputy Marian Harkin, went through the programme for Government line by line. Deputy Seán Canney, now Minister of State – all the independent group – went through the programme for Government. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae – Minister of State - went through the programme for Government. D…
Independent Ireland, for example, was not happy with aspects of the programme for Government and we were not prepared to accept some of the issues it wanted us to deal with. Independent Ireland actually had a decent discussion with us but there were some demands that we were not prepared to concede. But the Regional Independent Group went through it line by line. It was policy based but the Deputy will never accept t…
The bottom line is ----
On speaking time, no. And by the way, the Regional Independent Group would, I would say, prefer a far different arrangement than what is being proposed by the Chief Whip.
In respect of what by any yardstick-----
-----is a very modest rebalancing -----
-----where you get eight minutes on a Wednesday, eight minutes on a Thursday.
It is a joke.
First, I stand over the Government’s record on Gaza. I do not accept the Deputy’s criticism on that.
We have been very clear in our condemnation of Israeli violence in Gaza-----
-----and equally of our condemnation of Hamas's atrocity on 7 October, something which the Deputy and her colleagues have never condemned which I think is a shame and a stain on you that you have never condemned what was an appalling slaughter of the innocents. It is noticeable that you have always refused to do that.
Look at this morning. We have had Leaders’ Questions from whom? From Deputies McDonald, Bacik, Depu…
The public will see all of this over the coming weeks. This is feigned outrage. It is very modest, the Deputy is correct. The Deputy asked a question. I am not dying in any ditch. I think it is a reasonable, balanced solution which took about 20 hours.
By the way, the commitment of the former Chief Whip was to engage fully with the Dáil reform committee and to work to secure an agreement as soon as possible that was acceptable to the Government and Opposition. Not just Opposition but to the Government as well-----
-----as regards formation of technical groups and the rights of unaligned Members.
I have said the precedents that have been set by the Opposition of this Dáil will be very hard to overturn in future Dáileanna.
I think this situation is a new departure. I will say why because the Deputies are going through the various procedures which a Ceann Comhairle was meant to do. The Ceann Comhairle, in my view, repeatedly asked Sinn Féin to table its amendment and it refused to do so.
I was there; I witnessed it. Four times. The point I am making is this. If it is the tactic-----
I was here yesterday and I endeavoured to respond to Deputy McDonald and, in an organised manner, the Sinn Féin Deputies in particular conspired to make sure that my voice could not be heard. The same thing happened to the Ceann Comhairle by any objective observation.
The Ceann Comhairle stood up on a number of occasions. All of you were barracking, shouting, intimidatory behaviour, aggression. Deputy Doherty - there was naked aggression from you in your approach and posture.
That is what I witnessed yesterday. It is form for you, too, by the way.
That is very regrettable-----
-----in my view and it is a precedent that has been set. It cannot be opposition by veto. This House cannot be run on the basis that if the Ceann Comhairle of the day, whatever Ceann Comhairle -----
-----does not agree with the Opposition's perspective or approach then the Ceann Comhairle loses the confidence of the Opposition.
This is not a normal Dáil. That is the precedent that is being set. I saw yesterday Sinn Féin in particular endeavouring to prevent procedures from being implemented, processed and properly followed through.