Micheál Martin
Cork South-Central · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“At the beginning of April, the Government approved the establishment of the Cork city futures group to guide development of Cork city for the future.”
“We have to have a budget that reflects the need to sustain that level of work in our economy so that people will have access to jobs. The AI issue is causing a lot of concern. I take heart from the investment announced by Intel this week, which will be AI-propelled, actually.”
“Dublin City Council is progressing the establishment of this new legal entity, in line with the timelines laid out in the roadmap; a ten-year integrated area strategy for Dublin city centre to optimise funding and investment and tackle vacancy and dereliction; and accelerated delivery of landmark capital projects in the city centre throug…”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 to 30, inclusive, together. This will be a long answer because there is one task group and one futures group.”
“I think Deputy Hayes was being a bit petty, if that is the word I am looking for, in what he said about Spain. Well, using the word "petty" might be a bit uncharitable today. It is more a Spain is more vociferous than us kind of thing. We have worked very well together on the Middle East. It is a very serious issue.”
“A dedicated body, to be known as The Cork City Futures Group, will work to unlock the city’s full economic, cultural and academic potential, alongside further investment, innovation and infrastructure. I think people are familiar with the terms of reference.”
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“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 authorities to build and to have a quota in every scheme for people with disabilities in the first instance and not do so on the basis that if they get wraparound services, they will build a house. They must just go and build it. We will have to put pressure on the HSE side, on the healthcare side, to make sure there are supports.”
“Budget 2026 is a first step in the Government's ambition to deliver the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030. I believe we have made a strong start in year one of our programme of work and investment. I am determined that this will be a government that moves forward with purpose, in improving the level and scale of support for disabled people and their families.”
“In all, we expect there will be almost 290 staff supporting the overall education therapy service. This service is not a replacement for existing services; rather, it will work in an integrated and complementary way with existing services, recognising that special schools support children with complex needs. Other initiatives to support a whole-of-government approach to disability include increased investment in housing adaptation grants and in the public transport retrofit programme, along with enhanced supports for employers for the employment of disabled people. In addition, budget 2026 also contained targeted and mainstream social protection measures which will support households with disabilities, including increases in weekly rates, expansion of eligibility to schemes and amendments to income disregards for carers.”
“Further roll-out of the service will occur on a phased basis with a wider roll-out to special schools commencing in the 2026-27 school year. Additional information not given on the floor of the House It is planned that this service will be extended to special classes and mainstream classes following the roll-out to special schools. Initially the service will include occupational therapy and speech and language therapy services. Over time further disciplines such as physiotherapy may be included. A recruitment campaign for senior and staff grade occupational therapists and speech and language therapists has recently taken place to support the 45 schools in the initial phase. Posts are currently being offered and it is expected that the first therapists will be in post very shortly.”
“Special education also saw record investment under budget 2026, totalling €3 billion, which will see an additional 860 special education teachers, SETs, appointed along with more than 1,700 additional special needs assistants, SNAs. A national therapy service in education has been established, commencing in special schools and subsequently extending gradually to schools with special classes and mainstream provision. As announced by the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Naughton, in early February this year, the first 45 special schools to benefit from this service have been selected and are based in clusters in counties Carlow, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, Louth, Laois, Limerick, Longford, Meath, Monaghan, Tipperary, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.”
“A record €3.8 billion allocation to the Department of Children, Disability and Equality for specialist disability services represents a 20% increase in funding for disability services, which will improve both sustainability of the sector and delivery of residential, respite and therapy services for children and adults. The disabilities workforce is growing year on year, and budget 2026 will allow for further targeted expansion in the workforce across key services. Funding has been allocated for an additional 945 whole-time equivalents, which will bring the disability workforce to almost 23,600 by the end of this year.”
“The Government's new National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 was published in September 2025. That is the framework for the whole-of-government approach to addressing disability. It represents our commitment and ambition that all disabled people in Ireland can live the life of their choosing and participate in their communities and our society to the fullest extent possible. In budget 2026, we have taken initial steps to deliver on this commitment, with a strong focus on investment in both specialist disability services and mainstream services.”
“To date, the committee has considered issues, including the new national human rights strategy for disabled people, the provision of therapists in special schools, improving the delivery of services and reform of the assessment of need process. Despite the committed efforts of so many working to provide services, and significant increases in funding and resources in recent years, we acknowledge that we can and have to do better and do more. Reflecting the importance of disability issues, I have established a dedicated disability unit in my Department. An initial programme plan for the unit has been published, outlining the work of the unit, including its role supporting the Cabinet committee on disability and ensuring a truly all-of-government approach to disability, as set out in the new national disability strategy.”
“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 programme for Government, we are committed to delivering a step change in disability services and to advancing the rights and improving the lives of people with disabilities. To deliver on this, I established a stand-alone Cabinet committee on disability. This committee has met eight times to date, most recently on 27 April and it is due to meet again shortly.”
“I see a lot of potential here for harmony. Farmers signed up to this as well. The number of non-governmental organisations that endorsed the plan was also remarkable. Deputy O'Rourke talked about the need for investment. There is a plan there for investment in Duleek and Stamullen, he said, and we will certainly work to activate that plan and to make sure to prioritise the funding there. The investment is planned for there. As the Deputy knows, the Minister, Deputy Jack Chambers, has been working on faster delivery of infrastructure and so forth to make sure things get done much more quickly.”
“That is the work I have under way. I know the Minister of State is working strongly with us and the relevant Ministers to bring that over the line. We have established the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund. Some €2 billion went to the metro initially, and probably more. We also need to do funding for nature. Some of the good European Union projects will come to an end. They have been very effective. I refer to the lapwing and others. We are making a lot of progress as well on some fronts but we need to do it on a sustained basis over the next decade or so. There has to be a sustainable funding framework to enable us to restore biodiversity and really make progress. That will have benefits for farmers as well. It is a way of supplementing income for farmers, particularly on the western seaboard, in the north west and so on.”
“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 biodiversity and habitats. I have met with the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Minister of State, and they have a plan on how the funding can be built up but it will not all be spent immediately or in one year. We are making progress. We have to have further discussions within Government to try to earmark over the next five years allocations of money from the nature fund for the implementation of this plan.”
“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 reviewed. Our view is a far more flexible approach needs to be adopted.”
“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-----”
“There is a lot of mapping going on and so on, and work being done to make sure that proposal is implemented efficiently, effectively and comprehensively but it is the right direction of travel given that the Derelict Sites Act, as administered by councils over the past decade or so, has not been as effective as it should have been. Deputy Paul Murphy raised the issue of South Dublin County Council. Again, I do not have the specifics of that. There has to be sustainability in whatever situation is there but the Deputy is saying rents will go up 53%.”
“On the Derelict Sites Act 1990, again, the local authorities have responsibility on dereliction. It is, fundamentally, a function of local authorities. I accept it has not happened with the uniformity or consistency across the country that it should have. Some councils are better than others, so the Government, in this year's budget, decided to hand responsibility to Revenue for a tax on derelict sites that would be administered by it, which will deliver a better outcome in bringing derelict buildings back into use much faster.”
“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 otherwise have been the case. I do not know. I have not the specifics of it but I will follow it up. On Deputy Quaide's question, to be fair, two of the big significant interventions in terms of dereliction have been the grants we have brought in to enable people to refurbish and bring back to life vacant houses and dilapidated or derelict houses. Up to 7,000 people have applied for those grants and they have been effective.”
“In response to Deputy Boyd Barrett, I do not think I have the full story from him. I probably have the story from his perspective but I would be interested to know if it will definitely go for housing. A thousand houses will be built there.”
“Hopefully, within the next number of weeks, we will have clarity on that and those guidelines will be brought to Cabinet. In response to Deputy Cleere, I pay tribute to Eamon Langton as well. It is a wonderful tribute and he has joined an elite group of people. Fair play to the mayor, Councillor Coonan for his initiative in this regard. I have enjoyed their hospitality from time to time as well in the past while in Kilkenny. I note that Brian Cody was among the recipients as well. He is a good man to give a pep talk to any group of people, be they hurling or political. I do not know the man's politics at all but he is a man who speaks a lot of sense. On the rural housing guidelines, similar to Deputy O'Meara, Deputy Cleere has been championing that and arguing for it. I hope we will have the guidelines in the next fortnight or so.”
“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 that community, to grow up in it, to support the clubs, to maintain a population critical mass and to keep heritage and a community vibrant. The Minister, Deputy Browne, and the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, are close to new rural housing guidelines. We have discussed this. We are looking at the Gaeltacht as well.”
“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 income thresholds. I will pursue the issue again with the Minister. It is something that should be done and we need to do it. Deputy McAuliffe has been very active on the ground. He is so active that he is gone out now doing something else and meeting somebody else. He referenced the fact that there are 600 units. I was going to suggest to him that he should engage with the LDA and so will I in respect of that matter.”
“Along with the agency's role in managing the State-owned lands to help develop new homes and regenerate underutilised sites, it will continue to unlock stalled private planning consented developments through its market engagement and home builder partnership initiative, Project Tosaigh. Through these various delivery channels, the LDA has delivered more than 3,000 homes to date and to scale up housing supply, we need to significantly zone more land and more serviced land. All 31 local authorities across the country have been tasked with ensuring that more than enough land is zoned to meet the needs of our citizens. The process is well under way, with local authorities signalling they will have over 70% of required land zoned complete by the end of June.”
“We have made available the highest ever commitment of Exchequer funding for housing - €28 billion up to 2030 - along with additional funding through State vehicles, including the Land Development Agency, the Housing Finance Agency, Home Building Finance Ireland, the first home scheme and the Irish Strategic Investment Fund. The Land Development Agency has revised its corporate strategy in line with its expanded mandate - a wider geographical focus, an emphasis on starter homes, a greater mix of tenure to include more social and private housing delivery and infrastructure-led delivery, with an updated business plan expected by quarter 3 which will outline expected annual delivery to 2030.”
“In 2025, over 36,000 homes were completed, up 20% from 2024, while 2025 saw the highest number of people buying their first home in well over a decade, with first-time buyer mortgage drawdowns of almost 28,000, supported by Government-backed measures such as the first home and help to buy schemes. In addition, we now have the highest social housing build per annum on record. Clearly, the measures we have implemented, backed by unprecedented State investment, are working but we have an awful lot more to do and are still not at the scale we need to reach to make sure we can provide for people to be able to buy or rent a house at an affordable rate.”
“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 that 2026 is off to a very good start, with almost 8,000 new homes built, which is the highest number of quarter 1 completions since the series began 15 years ago. Apartment completions in quarter 1 of 2026, at 2,355, are up 33.3% from quarter 1 of 2025. In quarter 1 of 2026, more than half of the completions were scheme dwellings, 30% were apartments and 18% were single dwellings.”
“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 Minister with responsibility for the CCPC and also with the body directly.”
“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 something is happening and there light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. I will pursue the matter with Irish Water.”
“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 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.”
“I thank the Deputy and pay tribute to him for the role he played in advancing this issue and the work he has done with the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. This is an issue the Deputy has championed for quite some time, with Jason Poole and others. The Government approved the Domestic Violence (Judgments) Register Bill 2026 today. The Minister brought it to Cabinet. It will provide for judgments in respect of those convicted of domestic violence against a former partner or partner to be included on a public register. We will seek to get the Bill through the House as quickly and efficiently as possible. The Chief Whip is very much focused on doing that. It shows that Members of the House and backbenchers generally can play a significant role in getting legislation through. This is one that matters to many families.”
“Both towns are rapidly growing and we do, at all levels and in a co-ordinated way, have to deal with antisocial behaviour. A lot of investment has gone into sporting organisations. A lot of investment is going into community-based organisations with a view to providing alternative activities, services and opportunities for people and young people, in particular. Then, along with that, we are getting increased throughput in Templemore, so we need more gardaí on the streets and we need greater visibility of gardaí on the streets. That is occurring but maybe not yet at the levels required in Newbridge and Kildare town. Hopefully, with the increased numbers coming through and out of Templemore, we will be in a position to increase the number of gardaí in the locations the Deputy has identified.”
“Valid insurance details were also reviewed as part of this process. Tipperary County Council acknowledged in court proceedings during 2025 that the granting of a pending exemption to the property in January 2025 had an administrative flaw in the process.”
“It has been providing accommodation under contract to the Department of justice since 2022 for people fleeing the war in Ukraine and people applying for international protection. A new contract commenced in April 2025 at this property to provide accommodation to people and families seeking international protection in Ireland. Then, a proper template must be completed and sent to the Department of justice. That requires details of accommodation services offered and regulatory matters like planning, building regulations, valid fire certification, insurance and staffing details. Once all that documentation is received, a contract may be offered. Confirmation of the required planning exemption for the local authority was provided to the Department of justice as part of agreeing this new contract.”
“That is a very difficult situation if it is just one pupil short. The Deputy knows there are basic frameworks and rules governing the pupil-teacher ratio in terms of enrolment numbers. The previous September governs how many teachers we have in the subsequent September. Some schools gain teachers; other schools lose teachers. There is a clause there, in terms of developing school status if numbers are potentially going to increase in a given location, that can be used as a basis for upholding an appeal or suggesting that the school would retain its teacher. Again, the appeals process is independent but I will make the case to the Minister in respect of the school.”
“The Deputy kind of answered it himself when he said that the scheme has quadrupled. The Government is investing in this scheme and expanding it. We have to have some balance and perspective here too. We do not allocate individually to each scheme. The scheme has increased again this year and funding has increased quite significantly. I do not know whether the scheme has expanded beyond the original parameters. We should always be targeting our resources to those who need the resources the most. However, I will alert the Minister to the fact that the Deputy has raised this.”
“I agree with what the Deputy is saying. This has been an issue that has been raised on a number of occasions. I will talk to the Minister for housing to see if additional legislation or regulation is required. Very often, it is the enforcement of existing regulations and laws that is the issue. There is a great reluctance to move in relation to people who are behaving in a significantly antisocial way and who are making life almost impossible for all the other residents. I have always been of the view that a firmer position has to be taken by the councils and approved housing bodies in respect of tenants who are not upholding the tenancy agreement in terms of proper social behaviour and cohesion within a residential estate. I will discuss the matter with the Minister for housing.”
“That said, we need to get this decided upon as quickly as we possibly can. My understanding is it would be on the agenda for the July meeting of the HSE's drugs group, but if we can bring it forward, we will, although I do not want to make any commitments on that. However, there are many families out there who are very worried and stressed. I acknowledge that.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I will very quickly go through it because I think he is looking for clarification. Basically, the HSE received an application for pricing and reimbursement on 1 August 2024 for Skyclarys, for adults and adolescents aged 16 years and older. On foot of a rapid review of the application by the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, the HSE commissioned a full health technology assessment, HTA, on 25 September 2024. Necessary materials were submitted by Biogen Idec on 2 July 2025, ten months after the HTA was commissioned by the HSE. The agency met with Biogen Idec on 12 February. However, despite several requests, a commercial proposal from the applicant was not received until 28 May. This is the information that I have available.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I will discuss the issues he has raised with the Minister for justice. He called for an independent inquiry but, again, we would have to discuss that in terms of the type of inquiry. We have had many inquiries. They take an inordinate length of time. I will talk to the Minister and see if we can get answers. That is a more important point for the family concerned here. It has been a long period of time. I will talk to the Minister and come back to the Deputy.”
“I think the Minister is taking a strategic approach to the development of maternity services. There is a lot in what the Deputy says, although it needs to be discussed in more depth. As a former Minister, I have been through the home birth situation. It is not easy. There are a lot a complications, difficulties and challenges. Modern obstetrics has become far more complex and complicated but we need to strive for safety wherever a baby is and in whatever context a baby is delivered. Safety and a quality outcome have to be the number one priority for mother and child. The Minister is feeding into a new strategic direction. It seems to me that one of the issues this recent controversy has shown up again is that in health the institution seems to take precedence over the patient.”
“-----FIFA and UEFA. There is an issue here - of course there is - and the Government has taken a stand on a whole range of issues in respect of Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and much more in terms of the international positions we have taken. There is an issue for the Irish football team in that it could be the main loser in all this, not anybody else - not FIFA and not UEFA. They continue on because those organisations have not, if we are honest, shown themselves to be very politically focused or conscious in what they do-----”
“-----on our getting this over the line. I have discussed this. I had an official with me yesterday when I met one individual who is living with Friedreich's ataxia and with his parent. The commercial proposal came in on 28 May.”
“I have discussed this with the Minister for Health. We want all those living with Friedreich's ataxia to have access to Skyclarys as fast as we possibly can. The company made its commercial proposal on 28 May-----”
“I will make the point that, on location, there may be people for or against any given location but someone has to decide on a location from an objective engineering and wider planning perspective. I know of a wastewater treatment plant whose location was decided by one vote but, 30 years later, no one has complained. It did the job and it was the correct decision at the time.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them on this sad day for the family. We thank them for what they do. On the wastewater treatment plant, from what I can see, Uisce Éireann is now engaging in extensive works. The Foynes sewerage scheme will include a new wastewater treatment plant and 3.5 km of new pipelines to convey wastewater to and from the new treatment plant site and an upgraded terminal pumping station with storm storage and an extension to the existing marine outfall will be constructed. It is fairly significant in and of itself.”
“I also pay tribute to Marion Fossett and the Fossett family for their extraordinary contribution to Irish life. I remember attending Fossett's Circus as a young child. Some might say I learned a few tricks from that experience.”
“There may originally have been cost issues, although we have substantially increased the allocation to Uisce Éireann now and into the foreseeable future through the national development plan. I will ask. The Deputy is absolutely correct that tertiary treatment is the optimal way to go to ensure quality of water, particularly where it is discharged into the river, which has implications for ecology, biodiversity and human health. We will respond to the Deputy's query. I will seek a response from Uisce Éireann on the specifics of the proposal.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. We have made a lot of progress in the country with regard to wastewater treatment facilities. I am of the view that it should be tertiary and not secondary where possible. I am not aware of the specifics of the actual proposal for the wastewater facility earmarked for Foynes. I will check with Uisce Éireann on this. It may not be a waste of money because I presume it can be designed and constructed with a view to adding. Let us not look a gift horse in the mouth on one level. We need more treatment plants, particularly if planning has been secured and so on. We just need to get infrastructure in place. There may be funding issues.”
“We will engage with the European Commission because there was a view that Aughinish is important for the alumina supply chain in Europe. It is a European competency. Europe decides what gets sanctioned and Europe decides what we do not put on the sanctions list. Europe did not put alumina on the sanctions list, no more than it put-----”
“I reject what Francesca Albanese said. I have significant issues with much of what she has said on this issue, in terms of Ireland in particular. We will work with the European Commission in respect of Aughinish. The Deputy said many jobs are at stake and a solution must be found. Let all of us be honest in the House. We will work with the Commission. We are conscious that there are about1,000 people directly depending on it from a jobs perspective. It is not going to be simple. If a call is made one way or the other, the repercussions will be what they will be. I do not think the Deputy should try to sugar-coat it to say there is a magical way to find a solution to this, and everything will be all right on the other side. We are not in that space.”