I accept what the Deputy is saying. There is a fundamental issue with the urban landscape, and with high streets in particular. The world has changed and that needs to be taken on board in the modern planning of towns and cities. We need more residential in our towns and cities. I believe there is a future for retail but it will be a different kind of retail than the multi-stores we had in city and town centres in th…
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
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 6,501 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
What has happened in the past is there was a modification for those terminally ill. I know that is not a great message either in terms of allocation of medical cards. I think Government is sympathetic but then it would have to apply to all. There are different forms of illness, like motor neurone, dementia, chronic cardiovascular disease and others. The principle advanced so far on the ground is that every case shoul…
I thank the Deputy for raising the case. It has been a traumatic experience for the family and that continues to the present day. Will the Deputy send me the details? Generally speaking, in terms of maternal and infant mortality there are issues we need to be constantly vigilant about. There have been a number of cases. I will not say they are ongoing but there is no question but that issues have arisen from time to …
The official record is the official record.
It has not been voted on.
I attended a meeting of the European Council on Thursday, 20 March in Brussels. The agenda covered Ukraine, European defence, the Middle East, competitiveness, the post-2027 EU budget or multi-annual financial framework, migration, oceans policy and multilateralism.
We can arrange that.
In his contribution to today’s debate, the Minister of State for European Affairs, Deputy Byrne, will provide further detail on the multi-annual financial framework, MFF, including the question of possible new own resources for the EU budget, as well as further detail on migration, oceans and multilateralism. I will deal with all other issues.
I welcomed further discussions at the European Coun…
That is so untrue. The truth never matters.
Ar dtús báire, is mian liom a rá nach n-aontaím in aon chor leis an méid atá ráite ag an Teachta McDonald.
Tá sé dochreidte an méid atá ráite aici. Níl i gceist againn ach ocht nóiméad ar an Mháirt agus ocht nóiméad breise ar an gCéadaoin a thabhairt do chúlbhinseoirí-----
-----an Rialtais agus Teachtaí Dála neamhspleácha. In essence, I have to say that-----
-----the distortion of the debate is extraordinary. The disproportionate response of Sinn Féin and indeed the Opposition is extraordinary. Considering that this Dáil meets 101 days approximately per year.
What is being proposed for 60 TDs is that they would have an opportunity-----
-----of eight minutes on a Tuesday and eight minutes on a Wednesday to ask a question of the Taoiseach of the day. That actually means that for an individual in that group of 60, it could be an opportunity-----
I have not interrupted anyone. It basically means that once a year-----
-----a backbench TD may get that opportunity to speak in these sorts of questions.
For all that, the Opposition has manufactured a political row and has raised this issue to heights that are quite farcical given the enormity of the issues we have to face as a country.
If I may say-----
Again, I respect-----
I respect the rights of every Deputy who is elected to this House. I respect their rights.
I respect their rights to be heard-----
-----as well as their rights to speak.
There is an attempt already to frustrate my attempt to speak here this afternoon in response to Deputy McDonald.
In a more serious vein, the Opposition has been endeavouring to, if you like, direct or dictate a new departure, whereby it becomes the Opposition-----
The Opposition is now saying that it is up to it to decide who sits where in this House, who forms what group-----