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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“That is an increase of 10% on 2024, and is driven by domestic violence, homelessness, addiction, criminal activity, sexual exploitation and mental health challenges. I think of a lot of the people who work in Tusla too because they are at the coalface of very challenging situations. I fully respect the Deputy's perspective and why he is concerned.”
“First, we need to continue to work with Tusla. It is all great calling for independent reviews, inquiries and everything. That just paralyses organisations. That is the other side of that coin. We have to deal with children now who need care today, tomorrow or the day after. A balance needs to be struck in terms of how we deal with this. There are very serious issues here and all is not well in certain aspects, particularly in terms of special care and particular individuals who need very specialist care. However, if we keep putting every organisation endlessly under a microscope, then where is the space to actually get things done, improve the organisation and build up confidence? There are thousands and thousands of cases. There were 106,000 child protection and welfare referrals. That is enormous.”
“We will examine it. Again, obviously, the market has to operate as well. I am just making a general point. We will certainly examine the legislation, constructively and in an engaging way, and we will see if we can-----”
“Absolutely, and I repeat and endorse everything I said. As I said at the time, the review has not been brought to Cabinet but it is complete. I would not hold my breath and have some disappointment with the review in terms of its lack of focus on urban councils. There is a focus on municipal area districts. We will examine it and bring it to the House for debate. I believe we need to look at some urban areas to begin the restoration of urban councils. That is a view I have but the system has a different view. We are elected to do what we believe is right. I think it was a mistake to abolish councils for a number of reasons. One reason was that they gave a cohesion and sense of community to given towns and allowed them to create a vision for the town.”
“It has obviously gone on the open market. I will talk to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, who has responsibility for the National Parks and Wildlife Service, but these are issues it pursues. We do not normally talk about land sales but obviously it is out there. I will see what its position on it is.”
“I will talk to the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, in respect of this fascinating location and site. It is very historic, so obviously we would like to have it reopened, but I will have to get the timeline for the Deputy.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of Carrabane National School. If the tenders were issued in January 2024, it is difficult to comprehend why it did not get the green light soon after that. I certainly will engage with the Department of education on this and more broadly in terms of capital allocation to education. We have invested a lot in school buildings in the last number of years but it is vital to the quality of the learning environment for the children concerned. I will take up the matter.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue. General practice is one of the cornerstones of our health service. Forty-three percent of the population now has access to free GP care and Government investment has significantly increased. We spend in excess of €1 billion annually on general practice to support patients. There is a strategic review of general practice under way. The Minister for higher education has increased the places for medicine training to have more output and throughput of GPs through the colleges. We will await the strategic review. We increased funding substantially in terms of the 2019 GP agreement and a further €130 million investment under the 2023 GP agreement. We are making it more attractive. On training and recruitment in particular, there were 350 places in 2024 and 2025.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, is working on this, and is making progress. We recently signed an agreement with Moldova for truck drivers to be able to come and work here automatically. It is needed for the diaspora. There is no question about that. The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, is making progress on it.”
“Deputies all over this House were advocating for this long before Progress Ireland was ever established. There have been cases in rural Ireland where people have had difficulties with extensions and buildings in their back gardens, fields, or whatever they were attached to, including farmhouses and so on. There is a balance here. The Deputy has opposed every single measure to do with supply of housing that we have introduced. You name it. It includes any of the housing Acts, and everything else. I do not know what Deputy Murphy's agenda is, ultimately. I am not saying this is perfect but it is needed. It can be for family members and will be useful for family members but family members will not be staying forever in a unit out in the back. They will want to move on as well. These are not sheds, by the way.”
“Online fraud is an enormous issue and has been for quite some time. There are regulatory frameworks governing this and obligations governing the companies as well. There is an issue with some of the revenue models of some of the companies in respect of advertising that defames people, for example. There is revenue in that and there is also revenue in the shocking case the Deputy outlined with a young couple being defrauded to the tune of €2,000 in respect of a villa. At both European and national levels, we will keep the legislation under review to make sure this is stamped out.”
“My understanding is that a new regulation has been introduced by the Minister in respect of this in recent months. It is shocking that this would occur. I presume the matter has been referred to the Garda in terms of any fraudulent activity here, because it is absolutely unacceptable that would occur to any student. The Minister has acted on that, but I am sure he would be willing to engage with the Deputy’s representatives in order to provide an update on where we are on it and to take on board any constructive suggestions.”
“-----and a further 1,400 are preschool-age children. To be very clear, the Government is absolutely committed to meeting the needs of every one of those children. The €646 million approved by the Government is additional to the Estimate that was agreed at budget time. This money is largely to cater for the additionality that has arisen as a result of the change in the system that we brought in with the early date in October. The investment in special education has been enormous, and rightly so. In the context of all that talk about failure, we have doubled and trebled the numbers across any metric to do with special education.”
“First, 7,860 children who have applied for special placements in our schools. That is more than twice the number who did so ahead of the current school year. Please acknowledge that. It is because of the earlier date being forward. Six thousand are already enrolled in schools-----”
“We are very conscious, and have been, of the need to protect regional tourism, rural Ireland and the jobs that go there. That is why we took the population threshold of 20,000. We will be back to the Deputy.”
“When the Government has a final position, there will be plenty of opportunity for debate in the Dáil. We are not rushing anything in and we are not going to ram anything through. The Deputy needs to be clear as well. Long before any of this happened, change of use always required planning. The Deputy knows that. He is pretending the Government has suddenly invented that. We have not. He has been around meetings and is on Facebook every second night at a meeting here and a meeting there-----”
“The fundamental objective is to continue to support tourism in those areas where tourism is a key industry and that is all along the western seaboard, the south west, the west, the north west, along the east coast, the south east coast and so on. They are all well below the 20,000 threshold and the idea is to balance the need for long-term housing supply and greater housing availability while also protecting rural and regional tourism and jobs. The national register is to be compiled by Fáilte Éireann for short-term let providers. It is to be established by Fáilte Ireland. The issue is still being examined by Government in terms of the planning statement and so on and how to enable people to adjust to the situation and the policy position we have identified and announced.”
“Basically if someone is operating an Airbnb for seven years he or she does not need planning permission. That is my understanding, my lay-person's articulation of it. Essentially, there would be great difficulty in enforcing anything at that stage. I am sure the Deputy would accept that. He is wily enough in terms of planning issues as they affect people so I am sure he will agree that is the position. There is an EU directive governing this as well and that is governing all of Europe. In the cities we want less of the short-term lets and we want more housing because we need more housing for younger people. People are arguing about the rents being high and we need more supply. There is an issue there and the Deputy should acknowledge that. It is not a foolish idea. There is a logic behind it and there is a rationale behind it.”
“First of all, no one is wiping anybody out in rural Ireland. It suits the Deputy to create a storm and to spread rumours saying the Government is going to do this and that. Let us get the background to this. Everyone in this House was agreed that housing was the number one priority, or at least I thought it was the number one priority, facing this Dáil at its commencement. The objective in terms of the short-term lets legislation is actually to get more houses back into the rental market. The policy decision we have taken, of which the Deputy is well aware, is that it relates to towns over 20,000, so that excludes straight away all of the western seaboard and the north western seaboard, all the way along. We are looking at towns and cities above 20,000 people. Planning law is planning law and the seven-year rule is there.”
“On this side of the House, as the Deputy will be aware, it is a vote of conscience on matters of this nature. Life or death matters are votes of conscience. We will examine the legislation. There will be debate around the area of fatal foetal abnormality. There was significant debate around it on Committee Stage in advance of the referendum and during the referendum campaign. There is a desire in many people to maintain faith with the amendment and the debate around the changes that occurred, which were debated during the referendum campaign. I think everyone facilitates debate in the House, or at least they should, from First Stage into Second Stage. We should allow people to examine the Bill in detail and come to their positions on it.”
“Ultimately, the legislation calls for ministerial guidelines to arbitrate - that is the wrong word - to guide clinicians in respect of fatal foetal abnormality, which is an issue for some of those who are travelling out of the country to have terminations. It is not all cases. The three-day wait and other issues in the legislation also need to be discussed. If we learned anything from the referendum, it was that-----”
“Overall, the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 is consistent with commitments given to the Irish people prior to the repeal of the eighth amendment. That said, there is a broad range of sincerely held opinion on the issue of legislative changes to that Act. It is important that all voices are heard, that we have a respectful debate and discussion on this and that we listen to one another with a view to achieving the maximum consensus possible before proceeding with change. The Social Democrats' legislation will give an opportunity for that to happen in the House. I have spoken to the Minister about this and she will engage constructively with the legislation the Social Democrats will bring to the House.”
“As the Deputy says, a review of the Act was completed in 2023. Significant progress has been made on implementing the operational recommendations arising from the review. Termination services in early pregnancy, up to 12 weeks, are now provided in all 19 maternity hospitals. That was not the position some years ago. There has also been a sustained increase in community providers, which currently stands at 491. Furthermore, the revised model of care introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic has been approved as the enduring model of care. It is also now possible for one of the two consultations required for termination in early pregnancy to take place remotely. The Deputy will be aware of the safe access zones legislation coming into effect.”
“First of all, I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Government is committed to ensuring that there is safe and equitable access to termination of pregnancy services. Significant steps have been taken in this regard, including the expansion of hospital services, the introduction of safe access zones and the continuation of the revised model of care for termination in early pregnancy. These measures have substantially reduced barriers and they have increased accessed to services for those who need them. Given that there is a broad spectrum of sincerely held opinion on the issue of legislative change, proposals in this regard require careful consideration. There was a referendum, as the Deputy said, on the eighth amendment and termination of pregnancy services came into operation on 1 January 2019.”
“Essentially, the revamp or overhaul of the scheme has resulted in a very significant increase in the numbers applying, which means it is responding to the needs out there.”
“I would not agree with the Deputy that it is too slow. Look at the response to the measures that the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, announced in February. There have been over 1,730 applications for attic insulation, up 81% year on year; over 1,000 applications for cavity wall insulation, up 62%; 350 applications for heat-pump installations, up 95%; 7,000 applications for window and door upgrades - that is a new grant; over 10,000 applications for solar PV, up 65% year on year; and over 1,500 homes at risk of energy poverty upgraded under the warmer homes scheme to the end of March at an average cost per home of €31,000, up 18%; 900 heat pumps installed to the end of March; a new grant for first-time buyers, 225 active applications; and new energy-poor grants for attic and cavity wall, also significant numbers.”
“There is very good feedback from the Minister's strategic approach to energy saving, insulation and so on, which has been quite significant over the last number of years in terms of the impact it has had on thousands of households across the country. I agree with the Deputy that this is one of the more effective ways to cushion people and help them to bear the brunt of what are very serious increases in energy costs arising out of the war and other events.”
“It will also mean a lot for fishers, for example, who need support and help, farmers, contractors and the general public through the reduction in excise duties. The Deputy must realise that, before the war, way back in February, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, announced a significant overhaul of the retrofitting schemes and an expansion of them, increased grants for attic and cavity wall insulation, an additional attic insulation top-up grant for first-time buyers, attic and cavity wall insulation, a second wall measure, a new grant for energy-efficient windows and doors, an expanded heat pump systems grant now totalling €12,500, and so on. The results of all that is that about 29,000 people have applied in the first quarter alone, which is a substantial increase on last year.”
“There is a targeted approach in terms of families on low incomes and the extension, as we provided, of the fuel allowance, in terms of everything to do with food production, and also in terms of the broader haulage logistics supply industry, which is critical for all of us. That is being strategic. We are a small exporting island. We export 90% of what we produce, so it is essential that logistics regarding the supply chain and haulage are enabled and assisted for it to do its business in terms of the measures we are bringing in and that were approved by Government today but were announced, as the Deputy knows, as part of the €750 million package. They will mean a lot for hauliers. They will mean a lot for people who transport goods and services.”
“First of all, we will not be introducing a mini-budget. I will say at the outset that we have taken a strategic approach to this. The most fundamental approach we should take is an understanding of the impacts of this - not just the immediate impacts of this, but the medium-term impacts on our overall economic life in terms of the impact on jobs potentially, the impact on prices and so on. We have announced €750 million. There is general relief in terms of the reductions in excise duty on diesel and petrol, which benefits PAYE workers, all other workers and all workers and everybody who uses their car and so forth.”
“-----and there is a budget in October. We need to also bear in mind how best we target the resources we have. We do not have money in the bottom of a drawer like Deputy McDonald is suggesting. Much of that surplus is in the Future Ireland Fund and the infrastructure and nature-----”
“Tá an Rialtas dáiríre faoin gceist seo agus tá an-chuid déanta againn ó thaobh costas maireachtála. Níl aon amhras faoi sin sa mhéid atá déanta againn sa gheilleagar agus leis an gcáinaisnéis a bhí againn an bhliain seo caite agus an bhliain roimhe sin. What Deputy McDonald has outlined is something for everybody. It could be €4 billion or €5 billion in terms of what she announced. Sinn Féin did not cost it.”
“We are a big food-producing country and it is right that we should alleviate the pressures on farmers in particular around food production areas and alleviate the pressures on contractors given the role they play in food production.”
“These very substantial schemes will also help farmers, fishers and contractors. We must remember that about 240,000 workers are involved in the haulage and logistics industry. I know the Deputy described them last week as a sectional thing and that we were only looking after particular sectors but it is key to everybody and all workers that we can get goods to port and get them exported at an affordable price, and that we can get goods on our supermarket shelves at an affordable price. When we alleviate the pressure on hauliers, logistics and supply, we are alleviating pressures on everybody, and likewise in terms of food production. We are not scattered all over the place, this was strategic to deal with food production. This is a critical period in terms of food.”
“For children over the age of 12, it is by €16 and for children under the age of 12, it is less than that but still by record levels both ways. We also extended the fuel allowance to bring in those on the working family payment, which brought in an extra 50,000 people. About 26% of people are on the fuel allowance. That measure does help people deal with this, not comprehensively but at least it is a contribution to people to take pressure off them in respect of rising fuel prices. We announced a package of over €750 million that has brought down the excise duty by about 32 cent on diesel and by about 27 cent on petrol. Those measures affect and help everybody. Today the Government approved two very specific packages for the transport haulier sector, which is much more expanded than was the case during the Ukrainian energy crisis.”
“We acknowledge fully that this is creating pressures on families and on households. There is no question about that. There is an uncertainty about it as well because we do not quite know when this is going to end and when the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is going to end, which is key to getting prices down and getting supply reactivated again to a significant degree. The Deputy has not referenced any of that. It is as if it does not exist in the Deputy's world but those are the realities facing every government across the world right now. Yes, from our perspective, in the budget we majored very heavily on housing, on infrastructure, on disability, with a 20% increase, and on child poverty, with the support payments for children going up substantially by record levels.”
“I acknowledge that the war in the Middle East, which the Deputy somehow managed not to mention, is a war that has created shocking constraints in oil supply and has led to an increase in fuel prices across the world. Globally people are very concerned about what they see as the biggest shock to the energy sector in many a time. They are saying it is bigger than 1973 and 1979 combined, and even 1973, 1979 and 2022 combined. It is a very serious shock to the energy system that has been brought about, which has dramatically increased prices and will result in a global contraction of fossil fuel supplies with consequential impacts on other products like fertiliser, helium and so on, which in turn could have impacts on jobs and on food production across the world. These are very serious issues we are all facing.”
“We joined the Secretary General in calling for an end to conflict in the Middle East and a return to diplomacy. Ireland is committed to maintaining the strong working relationship between the EU and the UN over the course of our EU Presidency and focusing on underpinning the multilateral order. This was a significant and action-orientated meeting of the European Council. I look forward to continuing my discussions with fellow EU leaders in Cyprus over the next two days. I also look forward to continuing our discussions in this House on this very important agenda of work for Ireland, especially as we take up the responsibility of the EU Presidency from 1 July.”
“The European Union has noted its long-standing principled position against the death penalty and urged Israel to abide by its obligations under international law. At the European Council meeting, I advocated for the re-examination of the EU-Israel association agreement in light of egregious Israeli breaches of human rights and democratic principles. We have continued to call for this in light of continued unacceptable Israeli actions. Leaders had an exchange of views with the UN Secretary General, António Guterres. In this discussion, we reiterated our commitment to multilateralism and the protection of the international rules-based order and the need to support the UN system. We discussed multilateralism in the framework of challenges to international law, notably in relation to Ukraine and the Middle East.”
“The European Council also condemned the massive increase in settler violence against Palestinian civilians and underlined the importance of de-escalation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Ireland is extremely concerned by the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank. Leaders called on the Government of Israel to reverse the expansion of settlements, which are illegal under international law. Since the European Council last met in March, Ireland has condemned the law passed by the Israeli Parliament to expand the scope of the death penalty and revive its implementation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. Ireland is particularly concerned about the discriminatory nature of the law as it relates to Palestinians.”
“The Council called on Israel to reverse its decision regarding the new registration arrangements for international NGOs, which will severely restrict their ability to operate in the occupied Palestinian territory and significantly worsen the humanitarian situation. All border crossings should remain open. We remain very concerned and disturbed by Israeli actions that seek to undermine the stability of the Palestinian Authority and prospects for a durable path towards the two-state solution. Israel must immediately release revenues withheld from the Palestinian Authority and extend the correspondent banking services waiver between Israeli and Palestinian banks.”
“The European Council called for the full implementation by all parties of the ceasefire and all other provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2803, in line with other relevant UN Security Council resolutions. The Council also reaffirmed its commitment to international law and a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace. European Union leaders also discussed the humanitarian situation and the need for the rapid, safe and unimpeded delivery and sustained distribution of humanitarian aid at scale into and throughout Gaza in accordance with international humanitarian law.”
“We must do all we can to support a positive outcome that can lead to a comprehensive and sustainable peace. Such a settlement must include the disarmament of Hezbollah and security guarantees for both Israel and Lebanon as well as respect for Lebanon’s territorial integrity. European Union leaders and I have also been very clear that UNIFIL troops must be protected and their mandate respected. The killing and targeting of UNIFIL troops is completely unacceptable. I again commend our Irish troops for the huge contribution they continue to make in Lebanon in the service of peace. At the European Council meeting, European Union leaders reiterated that, despite dramatic developments in the region, Gaza and the West Bank must not be overlooked.”
“We have seen the very damaging impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on our economies, business and households. The Strait must be reopened, and free navigation must be guaranteed in full respect of the law of the sea. Ireland's position throughout the conflict is that all parties must uphold international law. The ceasefire in Lebanon is very welcome but clearly very fragile. Ireland remains deeply concerned about the appalling nature of what happened in Lebanon and about the security situation in southern Lebanon, in particular regarding the impact on the civilian population, which has been completely disproportionate and unacceptable. Initial discussions between Israel and Lebanon - the first since 1993 - are welcome. I hope these US-facilitated talks lead to a permanent ceasefire.”
“Ireland remains deeply concerned about the war in the Middle East and the Gulf, which has escalated significantly since the European Council met in Brussels last month. The extension of the ceasefire as announced by President Trump Is welcomed. However, the situation remains very volatile. The Strait of Hormuz remains blocked by Iran, the US blockade of Iranian ports continues and a return to negotiations remains unclear. My understanding is that three ships were attacked this morning in the strait, which is very worrying news. Dialogue and diplomacy offer the best path to a lasting solution. Only through negotiations can a permanent end to the conflict be achieved and wider regional security assured. Escalation is in the interests of no one.”
“This has happened while I am speaking and it is very welcome news. It is positive for that package to go to Ukraine. It will be a great relief to the people of Ukraine. Ireland remains a strong supporter of EU enlargement and we will work to advance Ukraine’s accession during our European Union Presidency. We commend Ukraine’s continued reform effort,s despite the very challenging circumstances and again, with a new leadership in Budapest, we are potentially looking at a formal opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine. We are also looking at Montenegro's accession process, which has made very good progress. Ireland would like to be in a position to have all chapters of that more or less completed by the end of our Presidency. It will be challenging but that is our objective.”
“These vessels are transporting Russian oil while practising irregular and high-risk shipping practices. They threaten maritime safety and security and pose an acute environmental risk. I regret that the US-led trilateral peace negotiations have effectively stalled. I hope that fresh momentum can be injected into this process, as we need to see an end to this war. Of course, President Putin could choose to end his illegal war tomorrow. Any peace agreement must be just and lasting, protecting Ukraine and Europe’s vital security interests. That is why the €90 billion is so important. It sends a real signal that Europe is behind Ukraine budgetarily and is behind Ukraine for the long haul. I am glad that Hungary has already lifted its block on the loan and its block on the new round of sanctions.”
“Ireland strongly supports the agreement for a €90 billion loan to Ukraine. Getting these funds to Ukraine on time is critical for both Ukrainian and European security and we regret any moves which delay its disbursement. With a change of government in Hungary, I am confident that this critical funding can soon begin flowing to Ukraine. I had a call with Prime Minister-elect Magyar last week and I look forward to working with him and his new government on this and other pressing issues on the EU’s agenda. We also need to secure agreement on the 20th package of sanctions. This is about increasing the pressure on Putin to agree a ceasefire and engage meaningfully in negotiations. Ireland strongly supports further measures to raise the costs to Russia, including by targeting the shadow fleet and its enablers.”
“Ireland and the European Union must continue to demonstrate our full solidarity with Ukraine. The European Council in March held an exchange of views with President Zelenskyy and leaders will continue these discussions with the President at our informal meeting in Cyprus tomorrow. Unfortunately, leaders were unable to reach agreement with all 27 member states on Council conclusions. Instead, a separately agreed text on Ukraine was agreed with 25 European Union Heads of State and Government, with Hungary and Slovakia not joining. We agree that Ukraine must have the budgetary and military means to continue to exercise its inherent right of self-defence to counter and deter Russia’s aggression, which continues. The crisis in the Gulf is very serious but we must retain the ability to support Ukraine and to keep pressure on Putin.”
“On mobilising investment, leaders reinforced their commitment to a savings and investment union with fully integrated capital markets being a necessary foundation for sustainable economic growth and competitiveness. This will enable more sustainable funding sources to support the development of fast-growing young firms at the technological frontier, including in digital and green technologies. Europe needs to improve its competitiveness to deliver for its citizens. The March European Council has set out a very ambitious agenda. The Commission’s One Europe, One Market roadmap, shared with leaders last week, sets out our action plan. The upcoming Irish Presidency of the Council will be strongly focused on delivering it. As Russia’s aggression enters its fifth year, we cannot allow this war to be normalised.”