Nothing is ruled out in respect of brownfield sites, as far as I am concerned, in particular in the cities. That said, we will also look at other initiatives to incentivise private sector investment, particularly in apartment building and, again, in cities and large towns. That is where there is a challenge.
The €450 million is additional. It will build houses and units that are not built now. Nothing could be clear…
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
705,467
words spoken in the chamber
703,329 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 4 November 2026.
Contributions to debates 6,677 in all
Dec 2024Nov 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 |
| November 2026 | 131 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 6,554 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
Equally, in terms of the other initiatives we decided on yesterday, which I have elaborated on, the strategic housing office established and the national-----
Like the Deputy, I express my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Quham Babatunde on his shocking death on the streets of Dublin this weekend. We think of all the victims of crime recently in our city and in Stoneybatter. It is unacceptable. Significant additional resources are being put into high-visibility policing in Dublin city centre. More than half of the gardaí who attested last year were allocated…
I referenced that in the earlier replies, though some took issue with it, when I said the level of violence in our society needs to be addressed. We believe in proactive measures. We believe in prevention. We need to deal with excess alcohol and drug use, which are factors in violence on our streets and definitely in some instances, though not all, a factor in the unrestricted level of terrible violence people visit …
We need to look at the underlying issues giving rise to such violence on our streets because the Garda will never be at every scene every time. That starts right through our education system and the community in terms of creating an intolerant approach but also different strategies. I do not disagree with the Deputy.
The Minister, Deputy Foley, has brought that issue and we anticipate it now will be dealt with in the context of the WRC. My understanding is the WRC suspended talks for the duration of the general election. My understanding is also, and my hope, those talks will resume very quickly with a view to getting a resolution of this issue and a just resolution of it. We will be focusing on that.
I agree on increased resources toward services for children with additional needs. In respect of school there should be no excuse for an absence of any place for any child. It is a constitutional right and there is legislation that places an obligation on schools and on the State. We may need to strengthen that legislation if it is not being enacted. There has been a reluctance to enact it in some cases. We had a sit…
The Deputy is clearly in line with Standing Orders because that is what the Shandon clock was known as. I am very sympathetic to facilitating that request and will speak to the Minister about Shandon, which is one of Cork's greatest landmarks. It is refreshing to hear the words "biggest clock face", which are only appropriate given it is the city of Cork. We need to revisit the issue of Shandon Craft Centre. I will w…
I was mentioned once or twice in dispatches.
In the context of the European Parliament - I did not see the exact motion by the way - we do not impose the same rigid discipline on public representatives generally that the Deputy's party might because they have to look at the broad range of issues. Motions can be long and they can be this and that. We are against the Mercosur deal on the basis that we have asked our farmers to reduce emissions by approximately 25…
Developing areas have to be prioritised, as they have been for a number of years, because they are growing very fast and there is an inadequacy of provision. Special education is another area in which we must ensure extensions for autism classes or centres are fast-tracked, accelerated and provided in schools that are taking in children with additional needs. More proactivity is needed in changing school types and ut…
Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Teachta Callaghan. I congratulate her and her family and wish her the very best in her time in Dáil Éireann. In respect of the new disability unit, we have already had meetings and I have already identified to my officials that I want a disability unit which works with all Departments in respect of the broad issue of disability to make sure that, over the next while, both in the context …
I am very aware of those attacks, as well as the violent events and incidents on the streets of Cork last summer. We need to recruit and allocate more gardaí to Cork city in particular. We intend to establish a city task force for the city centre area. More generally, there is a proactive plan ahead to increase the number of gardaí throughout the country which will enable us to deploy more to areas like Cork and else…
As I said, these talks are going back to the WRC in the context of the last pay agreement. We are aiming to achieve pay parity. In the context of the earlier contribution to which I responded, we will be pursuing this as part of a wider range of issues in terms of disability more generally. This is part of it.
I can confirm that I visited with Deputy McAuliffe at the time. We sought to unblock some funding and it is my understanding that it went through.
I will certainly follow that up with the Minister. That is not acceptable that there is a 28-day delay. There should be cover for any tester who goes on leave. If there is no cover, the list will only grow. I will follow that up with the Minister.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 9, inclusive, together.
Proposals are currently being developed regarding the establishment of a task force for Cork city centre. Once they are finalised, the proposals will be submitted to the Government for its consideration. In essence, the role of the task force will be to examine and develop a strategy for the renewal and refurbishment of the city centre of Cork and issues …
I wish to be associated with the comments of Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan in respect of the late Dan Wallace. He was a good friend of mine, a Member of this House for over 25 years and a Minister of State. He was a very decent man and a fierce advocate for the people of the north side of Cork. In some respects, I learned the nuts and bolts of electoral politics as a student with Dan Wallace on the north side of Cork, wh…
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 19, inclusive, together.
I most recently met with Prime Minister Starmer on 3 February in Brussels in the margins of a dinner with European Union leaders that we both attended. We discussed our shared ambition to strengthen our bilateral relationship and looked forward to seeing each other at the first in a series of annual Ireland-United Kingdom summits that will take place in…
I have one minute now, is it?
I just want to get a bit of discipline here now. There are 45 minutes for Questions to the Taoiseach. It is not an hour. We need to make up our minds.
We can.
I do not mind. I am open to that, if it is means ten minutes or whatever.
Deputy Brendan Smith and a number of other Deputies raised the issue of the legacy legislation. I remind Deputies that I took the decision as then Minister for Foreign Affairs to refer that legislation to the European Court of Human Rights. To be fair to the new Government in the United Kingdom, it has moved to remove core aspects of the legac…
Hear me out, please.
It happened already where the bespoke legislation was passed in respect of Kingsmills, for example, with a judge there paying tribute to the Irish Government. I am clear - I have been saying it to the Minister for Justice and his predecessor - that in respect of the Omagh bombing, there is an inquiry up and running and information should be provided by the Government, and the Department of Justice in particular.