I will talk to the Minister for justice. Obviously, there is a capital programme for the refurbishment of courts. The Deputy is saying this is a derelict building and I presume it is still owned by the Department. Therefore, it, along with the local authority, should work to get this resolved.
TDs / Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin
Taoiseach
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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
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
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 6,426 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 allocation of 20 new gardaí to the area is very good news and a manifestation of the progress we are making in recruiting more and more gardaí. The numbers applying to go into Templemore are in or around 200 now per term, so that is good news. I will engage with the Minister. It is primarily an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner but I will seek clarity on the background to what is happening here.
I thank the Deputy for raising a very important issue for the people of Tipperary town and the surrounding district. I will again engage with Irish Water on the question. There has to be clarity of information for the people. At least if people know what is happening, there is some solace. Even if it means it is going to take some time to install a particular well or whatever is required, at least people know somethi…
This is a very important issue to many people. People individually have to behave responsibly as well but this is the role of the CCPC. We have funded the organisation so this is something it needs to pursue to protect the consumer. We create bodies and authorities to regulate and to make sure things are done properly and the consumer is protected. The Deputy is raising this again with me. I will revert to the Minist…
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 16, inclusive, together.
The Cabinet committee on housing last met on Thursday, 14 May. The committee will next meet on Monday, 29 June. The committee works to ensure a cross-government approach to the implementation of our commitments regarding housing policy.
Housing supply has increased significantly over the past number of years and home completions data for quarter 1 shows…
Did the Deputy say An Taisce?
I thank all the Deputies who raised numerous issues. Deputy McGrath raised qualifying limits and thresholds for social housing. I agree with what he said and a lot of working people, because of their income being just a bit above the income threshold, are not in a position to buy or get a mortgage or get a social house. I have spoken to the Minister for housing on this. He is actively considering increasing the incom…
Okay. It is good to see. He outlined that close to 1,000 houses have been built and now there is a further proposal for 600 houses. There is a lot happening on the housing front. We just need more and more of it and to keep the momentum going.
Deputy O'Meara asked about one-off rural housing. I accept the basic principle that on your own land or in your own community we need people to have the capacity to regenerate…
I do not know. I do not know the background to this. I do not run every council or every subsidiary of every council, nor should I.
We delegate authority to local councils that are elected by the people in the given locality to get things done, but the Oireachtas pays lip service to that idea and notion.
They decide the subsidiary, I imagine.
Maybe things will get done there because, in regard to the councils on the other side, Dublin City Council had land for a long time - O'Devaney Gardens and you name it. Nothing happed there for a decade. We need people to get things moving and maybe the other side of this story, which I have not heard, is that people are anxious to get things moving here and that we could have 1,000 houses much faster than would othe…
Not for everybody, I presume.
I will have to examine that and see what the position of the council is in respect of that. In regard to Limerick-----
I am not running the council.
On another day, the Deputy would be attacking Government if we interfered in local authorities and local government. We need to make up our mind in the Oireachtas. Do we believe in a local authority system or not? Do we believe in delegating-----
Do we believe in delegating authority to them or not?
Deputies are paying lip service and playing both ways as it suits.
I will come to the Deputy in regard to Limerick. Who was it?
I was going to say, "Get your act together there". We are providing the funding. We have asked the council to zone land. Is the Deputy saying the density is too low?
I cannot; it is a rhetorical question. We are anxious for it and we will work with the local authority to make progress here. We have provided substantial funding. We believe the councils, generally, should be rezoning more land to get more housing. In some places, density can be an issue, where apartment blocks may not be feasible or sustainable. I do not know which is which and in that case, that needs to be review…
I thank the Deputy. We are on the one page in respect of that. I will talk to the Minister about that and ask him to talk to the Deputy.
In response to Deputy Whitmore's question, I am working with the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan. The plan has been recently concluded, chaired by Dr. Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin. It is a fine, comprehensive plan that lays out a roadmap to preserve and enhance our bi…
I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 33, inclusive, together.
The Cabinet committee on disability has been established to oversee the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the area of disability, with specific focus on children's disability services, as well as disability more generally under the Government' s new national human rights strategy for disabled people for 2025 to 2030.
Under the p…
By who?
I thank all the Deputies for raising these very important questions here.
On Deputy Martin Daly’s question, I have also met the group, Before We Die, in relation to vulnerable adult children and the fear and anxiety of parents in terms of providing for them if they were to pass from this world. The Minister for housing has met the Minister of State for disability. The Minister for housing is instructing local author…
That is the point. That is what invariably happens with industrial relations so that may be the factor here.
I accept Deputy Paul Murphy's general point. The incidence of autism seems to have grown dramatically. Although some say it is better diagnosed, I am not so sure any more. The numbers are significant in terms of expansion of services in health, but particularly in education. Even this year it has been signifi…