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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“We saw over Christmas, just as we saw in Dublin city, the impact of greater visibility of gardaí on the street in terms of confidence in security in the city centres. Many traders and citizens have articulated the psychological impact alone of that visibility. That presence, both in Dublin city and in Cork city, cannot be overstated. Regarding the events centre, Cork corporation is overseeing the tender processes for that and is making progress. Because of the way that had escalated, it needed to go out to tender in a proper, formal way that is legally watertight and so on. That simply had to happen. Deputies Séamus McGrath and Pádraig O'Sullivan were focusing on the city centre itself. We have to look at residential and we have to look at commercial. It is a different type of city into the future.”
“This is really setting the future solid for the Cork area and region and, indeed, nationally in respect of the area of semi-conductor research, photonics and other vital areas, such as frontier technologies, which will bring in further investment. Of course there is also the investment in the universities, MTU and UCC. Above and beyond anything else, Cork city is an education city and continued investment in education will be there. As I said, there is a meeting this week with the CEO. I hope we conclude that work and, in the next two to three weeks, we go to the Government and we establish the group, which will focus on the city centre. The visibility of the gardaí has improved very significantly with the recent out-take from Templemore which saw up to 30 gardaí appointed.”
“Deputy Séamus McGrath raised the issue of a task force for Cork city, as did Deputies Pádraig O'Sullivan and Thomas Gould. First of all, we have not been awaiting the establishment of the task force in respect of investment in Cork city. The most significant investment recently was the up to €90 million announced for the Crawford Gallery, which is a national institution. It is very substantial and will transform that aspect of the city centre. The refurbishment of the Shandon area, for example, has received very significant multi-million funding. Most recently, it was announced that the Tyndall national research institute, which is vital for inward investment, has been allocated well over €100 million by the Government.”
“A follow-up meeting with the council’s chief executive has been scheduled for next week, and I expect the terms of reference to be finalised and submitted to the Government in the near future. There will be regular reports to the Government on developments in both Dublin and Cork cities from then on.”
“Changes to the living city initiative announced as part of budget 2026 will also support regeneration and efforts to tackle vacancy and dereliction in the city. The programme for Government commits to applying the Dublin city task force model to other cities, towns and regions in need of revitalisation, starting with Cork city. Recognising Cork city’s unique character and potential as our second city, implementation of this model will demand a tailored response in line with the specificity of Cork city and with stakeholders in Cork. We have met with the council, universities and others. Following meetings between my officials and Cork City Council, draft terms of reference for Cork city are at an advanced stage.”
“In addition, the roadmap creates an enabling environment designed to build confidence with business, landholders and investors to get involved in achieving a new vision for Dublin city centre and to drive private sector investment. An oversight board comprising all of the relevant Departments and agencies has been established to oversee and provide strategic direction for delivery of the roadmap. It is chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach. The board has been meeting regularly since its establishment in July. In line with the roadmap, Dublin City Council is currently recruiting staff with the required technical skills for an interim programme management unit, which will drive delivery while work is advancing to set up a special purpose vehicle.”
“Through this roadmap for delivery, we will see implementation of the task force report across three phases, over ten years, at the heart of Dublin city. Central to this will be a special purpose vehicle to drive delivery and to support the specific capital developments relevant to the project. The council is currently working on the establishment of this new legal entity. A ten-year integrated area strategy for Dublin city centre will optimise funding and investment and tackle vacancy and dereliction. There will be accelerated delivery of landmark capital projects in the city centre through additional funding in the URDF under the NDP review. Redevelopment of the GPO complex as an ambitious and historic flagship project will be managed by the Office of Public Works.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 18, inclusive, together. In May 2024, the Government appointed a task force to take a holistic view of the measures required to rejuvenate Dublin city centre, north and south, to make Dublin city centre a more thriving, attractive, and safe cityscape and a desirable location to live, work, do business and visit. Following the task force report and recommendations, as agreed by the Government, the Department of the Taoiseach convened an interdepartmental group to examine the recommendations made by the Dublin city task force. The group, chaired by my Department, submitted a report to the Government with a ten-year roadmap for delivery setting out a comprehensive implementation path for the task force report.”
“I move: That, pursuant to subsection (2A) (inserted by section 2 of the Standards in Public Office Act 2001 (No. 31 of 2001)), of section 21 of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 (No. 22 of 1995), Dáil Éireann recommends the appointment of Ms. Justice Elizabeth Dunne, currently a Judge of the Supreme Court, by the President on the advice of the Government to be the Chairperson of the Standards in Public Office Commission.”
“We always put the worker first. I question much of the basis of the Oxfam report, as I have in the past, as the Deputy knows. Economists are dubious about some of the basis and premise upon which the research is based and its application to Ireland, in particular. Certainly, there is no €1 billion waiting out there in terms of a wealth tax.”
“I thank the Deputy. As he said, other Members have also raised this issue. I did a tour of Maynooth with Deputy Ó Cearúil. It is a classic education town. It is a beautiful town with tremendous potential at all levels of education. Is féidir leat do thuras oideachasúil idir bhunscoil, an dara leibhéal agus an tríú leibhéal a dhéanamh trí Ghaeilge. Is áit speisialta é. We are very committed to expanding investment in schools in Maynooth and across Kildare more generally.”
“I appreciate the Deputy taking the opportunity to express sympathies on the death of his late colleague, Mickey Brady. I join in the sympathies to his wife Caroline and his family more generally. On the carers situation, I answered the Deputy's party leader earlier in respect of that. Nothing has changed. There is no additional taxation. Rather, the Government has significantly increased the income disregard to record levels for couples and for single people, which is quite dramatic in its impact. We have also increased the value of the carer's allowance by €10 this year but by €50-odd over the past number of years. Other measures are also committed to in the programme for Government. We will continue to work on this over the coming months.”
“Public transport is the way forward. Rail is particularly important. The more people we can encourage and incentivise towards using rail, the better, particularly in areas like Kilkenny and Carlow which are very close to the Dublin area where people would commute for work and so forth. Sustainability in terms of financial sustainability is potentially an issue. Sometimes charges are made because if they did not have charges, the car park would be filled by others who might not even be using the facility. I will reflect on what the Deputy is saying and will engage with Iarnród Éireann on the points he has made, particularly in terms of Bagenalstown and whether further capacity is needed there and the impact of the charges. It is costly enough to get the train. I take the Deputy's point.”
“There is a responsibility on the local authority. The derelict sites levy is there. We are changing that as a result of the budget, as the Deputy knows. The Government has decided that the responsibility for dereliction and derelict buildings will transfer to Revenue. Work is under way between the Department of Finance and local authorities to get the proper maps for local authority areas that will fall under the remit of Revenue to determine dereliction and to apply the appropriate levies to get activity going.”
“DEIS status affords very significant opportunities to schools in terms of pupil-teacher ratios and additional supports. The Deputy has outlined the position with DEIS+. The budget has approved it and allocation of resources has happened. Obviously, a scheme has to be developed. It is going to be a very targeted programme for those most in need in education. I will ask the Minister to revert to the Deputy. The Deputy has outlined the details in terms of where we are with stakeholder consultation and so on. Hopefully by the next school year, we will have this in place.”
“Again, these issues are optimally resolved locally. All idle property that is not earmarked should be used. There should be more proactivity among State agencies, the OPW and local authorities in utilising existing buildings. A good local authority will do that and will proactively seek to get buildings utilised, particularly for an organisation like Men's Sheds, which has been very impactful in terms of men's health and well-being. I do not know whether the HSE has any temporary premises. The Deputy has identified one and we will pursue it and see what we can do.”
“I accept that 19 years is far too long to spend in temporary accommodation. I am not aware of the specific background but I will talk to the Minister to see what can be done to improve the situation. In relation to Stepping Stones Special School, there has been a significant uplift in capitation for special schools arising out of the last budget. I presume that will take effect some time this year. I will ask the Department to look at the financial situation in respect of Stepping Stones to see if any once-off help can be delivered while that uplift is awaited. That uplift in capitation is significant and has long been sought by those involved in special education.”
“The Deputy failed to mention the fact that Billy Kelleher, Barry Cowen and Cynthia Ní Mhurchú will be voting against Mercosur in the Parliament. I am intrigued by his language. I know he is a former member of Sinn Féin. He spoke about reining in these MEPs and controlling them.”
“------and those seeking housing. There are reasons particular cases like this happen. They are disgraceful but they happen. We will work hard to resolve this in the best interests of the taxpayer and those seeking housing.”
“What is the Deputy saying? It is wrong that it is happening but the developer and the approved housing body have contractual disagreements. Is the Deputy saying the Government should just ignore that and take a side?”
“The most effective way to prevent elderly people becoming homeless is through social housing. Some 52,000 social homes have been added to the social housing stock between 2020 and now. In addition to that, about 14,000 voids were brought back into use - these are houses in the social housing stock that were empty. In quarter 3 of last year alone, 1,600 new social homes were delivered, including 1,330 new-build homes. We can and will work to prevent elderly homelessness through the increased building of social homes, acquisitions, the tenant in situ scheme, and other mechanisms that would prevent elderly people from becoming homeless.”
“We have quite a flexible labour market in this country already. The previous Government introduced a right to request remote working. There is a significant degree of remote working happening within the economy. As Deputy Bacik knows, by definition, it is not applicable to every workplace. The Government is not disposed to support the Labour Party's motion tomorrow evening. That said, we have a healthy labour market in Ireland. Our objective is to try to maintain that for SMEs, major Irish indigenous companies and multinational companies. We want to make sure that we have an environment that continues to facilitate the generation of new jobs. In some areas it is much easier to organise flexible and remote working and in other areas it is less so. One can be overly prescriptive too-----”
“First of all, nothing has changed. Nothing has changed at all in respect of the tax situation governing carers. I think we need to keep everything in perspective and not create unjustified fears because I have checked this with both the Department of Finance and the Department of Social Protection. No new tax has been introduced, but what has happened on a forward-looking basis is the Department of Social Protection is providing Revenue with details of taxable carers' income in real time. About 90% of all carers are either registered already or are not liable for tax. We will obviously do everything we can because the Government, as Deputy McDonald knows, has dramatically increased the threshold for the means test income disregard. We have increased the carers' allowance by over €50. When you compare that to Northern Ireland-----”
“We need to be calm about this. We need to be firm on principle. We need to be showing solidarity with our European Union member states and I have no issue with doing that. I think that is the right thing to do, and that has to be our approach.”
“Ireland has not been silent on the Middle East. Ireland has not been silent on Gaza. This is recognised around the world, no matter who it annoyed or may annoy. We have stood firm on a whole range of issues in the context of the Middle East, and we will remain so. In the context of the US, up to 40 million people in America claim Irish descent. We have always had a very strong relationship with the US, irrespective of who the President happens to be or who is in power on the Hill at any given time. That has underpinned a very significant economic relationship that puts bread on the tables of Irish workers. That is the reality. It is easy for me to make grand statements and for the Deputy and everybody else. Grand statements do not put bread on the table. It is easy to do but it does not put bread on the table. We need cool heads.”
“Our guiding light is and has to be adherence to the international rule of law and to the United Nations, as imperfect as it is. I agree with António Guterres that the Security Council is long outdated, with the post-Second World War scenario there in terms of the powers that are on the Security Council.”
“No, no. In terms of the malign influence Iran has had in the Middle East, with Hezbollah, Hamas and - you name it - the Houthis in terms of trade routes and the economy, we never hear it really to any great extent or to any consistent extent. We are now hearing from Iran, potentially, that 4,000 citizens have been murdered, and up to 12,000 could have been murdered, because we do not know with the Internet blackout and so on like that. It is very difficult for citizens in Iran who want to adhere to the principles of freedom of association and freedom of speech. In Sudan, thousands and thousands have lost their lives in horrendous situations, with other external powers also being influential and negatively impactful on the lives of ordinary people in Sudan. We can go elsewhere in terms of violations of international law and so forth.”
“US firepower and US intelligence have, along with others in the European Union and the United Kingdom. That is the reality. If the Deputy wants to abandon all of that, that is fine. I agree with the Deputy in the sense that I do not agree with spheres of influence. I do not agree with the Monroe Doctrine but the Deputy is suggesting that we open up to that. I do not think he means it but those are the implications. Russia takes Ukraine and Moldova. Is that what we want? Iran does what it does. I mean, when we discuss the Middle East in this House, I never hear criticism of Iran - never.”
“As I said earlier, we are in a very serious situation. Our national interest, quite frankly, is to protect Irish workers. We will behave accordingly to do that and to achieve that, and to make sure that we can get a reasonable international legal framework through the UN to get countries to adhere to the international rule of law. The world is in a very bad place. Thousands and thousands of people are losing their lives all over the world. I have referred to Ukraine, for example. Europe worked with the US. Why? Deputy Boyd Barrett condemns Russia, correctly so, but what has stopped Russia from taking over Ukraine in its entirety? Let us be honest. What has stopped it? The Deputy might not like to admit it.”
“Yes, we are committed to peace, but we are also committed to the United Nations, the United Nations Charter and international rules of engagement and to supporting Denmark and our colleagues across the EU in respect of any attempt to levy tariffs indiscriminately.”
“As I said, the leaders of the European Union member states will convene next Thursday to consider the position we are now in. It is uncharted territory; there is no question about that. No one ever contemplated that Greenland would be under threat or that the friction between the US and Canada would be at this level, although when the leaders meet a different sort of vibe emanates from meetings between different leaders, including those of Canada and the US. There are profound shifts happening. From our perspective, the clear principles are solidarity with our fellow EU member states and a principled approach to international relations.”
“A year ago the situation pertaining to Ukraine was very dangerous. I would argue that European leaders successfully created a scenario where additional supports were maintained for Ukraine over what has been a very difficult year. These are very serious issues for people, not just for ourselves but for other countries like Ukraine as well.”
“Canada has been pivoting more to Europe in terms of trade and other areas, as others have. Diversification has been happening in respect of trade, hence my visits and those of other Ministers to Japan, China and other areas to make sure we diversify trade and we are not focused on just one given area. Let us be honest, however, that the US-Ireland economic relationship is critical. It is a very important relationship. There is no point in saying it is not; it is. We have to do everything we possibly can to protect it and the jobs that depend on it without compromising basic principles in terms of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of EU member states. That remains our position. I do not accept the analysis that has been given in terms of Europe being just all about flattery. It has not been all about flattery.”
“We want to honour agreements we have entered into. We are very conscious that a trade war between the US and Europe, being one of the largest trading relationships in the world, would have very damaging consequences for the US, Europe and the world, not just in terms of job losses, which would be significant, or decline in exports but also in terms of a read-across to the financial markets and the potential creation of real damage on that front, which would have a ripple effect on economy, society and jobs. Language is cheap here. We have to be very clear-eyed about what is at stake, and it is very serious. It is a grave moment for the transatlantic relationship. Europe will be strong and unified, and the principle of European Union solidarity is absolutely key here. We have been working.”
“First of all, the European Union will adopt and is adopting a principled, firm and robust stance in relation to the territorial integrity of Greenland, the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark and adherence to the international rule of law and to the United Nations charter. There are very clear positions from the European Union. Also, having already prepared various scenarios in respect of potential responses to any additional tariffs, we - Europe - have prepared significant packages, the clearest being the €93 billion of packages. There is no issue there other than that I think it would be better if this were resolved by dialogue. If the US wants to arbitrarily tear up an agreement or undermine an agreement it entered into, that is a matter for the US. Europe, however, should be very clear. We entered into an agreement.”
“We all talk to them regularly and they articulate that real sense of an existential fear, so we should not lose sight of that. This is why Europe has been endeavouring to work with the United States to get the fairest and most balanced outcome for Ukraine that creates sustainability for Ukraine into the future. That is very important. I will arrange a briefing for the leaders of the Opposition.”
“Yes, we have no difficulty in organising briefings of leaders of the Opposition. We need to be careful and look at things in perspective. The greatest threat on the European continent is Russia. It is not just a threat; it is happening and has been happening for four years. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, soldiers on both sides, all because of the decision by President Putin to illegally invade Ukraine, to bomb its civilian infrastructure to bits and to try to destroy its energy infrastructure. Nothing comparable to that has happened yet. Let us not try to equate the two. Let us not lose sight of the fact that Russia represents the greatest threat to other European Union member states on the Baltic and in Poland.”
“I did not say Labour. I said other Members opposed it. We also created the climate infrastructure and nature fund, which I think are important buffers, as well as having significant cash balances to hopefully help us deal with any potential negativity that could arise from this.”
“We are probably in a better position, although you could never be in a good position because of this. Tariffs are bad, but fiscally we are probably in a better position than we would have been if we had taken Labour's advice in terms of the expenditure side because we concentrated on looking after those on the lowest incomes and we concentrated on infrastructure to really make sure we can invest in the productive capacity of our economy, which is something we control and we can govern in the time ahead. It is very important that we protect that. We also put aside the future Ireland fund, which, again, Members of the Opposition criticised.”
“Second, I recall that in the context of the budget, we focused on infrastructure. We said we wanted to deliver more and we allocated money through the national development plan to water, public transport ad the electricity grid with potentially up to €18 billion to be invested. We got criticised because we did not do the once-off packages, which could have been €2 billion or €3 billion and which Labour wanted us to do. Now it is criticising us for not being budgetarily or fiscally prepared. It is a bit rich, to be frank. I argue that we are better-----”
“We are very conscious of this and the Deputy was correct that this affects people's jobs and their capacity to look after themselves and their families. That has always been my number one interest because in the conduct of foreign policy, we have national interests and the protection of livelihoods and workers is a key national interest in terms of how we contribute to these issues and how we help to try and resolve these issues. It is good that we are members of the European Union, by the way. At moments like this, the value of being a Single Market and being in a European Union should not be underestimated. Others are not and find it more difficult and more challenging as a result. The first principle that we adhere to is European Union solidarity in terms of fellow member states.”
“Aontaím leis an Teachta go bhfuil cúrsaí an tsaoil an-dainséarach, deacair faoi láthair agus go bhfuil dúshláin an-mhóra amach romhainn agus roimh mhuintir na hEorpa i gcoitinne. Is maith an rud é go ndearnamar an-chuid ó thaobh cúrsaí eacnamaíochta de agus ó thaobh an gheilleagair. Tá an geilleagar i bhfad níos láidre anois ná mar a bhí. We are in very uncharted territory and the situation is serious and potentially very grave for the European and Irish economies and, indeed, for the United States economy, if a trade war is break out and if we have a series of tariffs and counter-tariffs. In the latest iteration of this in the aftermath of the so-called Liberation Day last year, Europe prepared different scenarios in terms of tariffs. Those scenarios are still in place and can be deployed, if necessary.”
“Let me make the point. I fully accept that anything I have said is not a consolation to the Lavelle family. However, without question the reform has to be far greater deployment and upskilling of first responders, and the primary and community care-based approach.”
“There has been recruitment. An 25% increase in staff is a significant increase by any yardstick. The National Ambulance Service is also saying that it is developing alternative care pathways, which are important. It is in the process of reforming and expanding such pathways, which would include clinical capacity in terms of community paramedics deployed nationwide, clinical hubs and so forth. That would mean more appropriate treatment at the right level. That is something that clearly has to be worked on and further reforms need to be looked at with regard to the extent and nature of the coverage because the increase in urgent cases that the ambulance service is dealing with on an annual basis is quite significant. It will increase annually by a significant amount, so therefore resources have to be allocated.”
“That is where we want this to be. Again, anything I have said is of no consolation to the family concerned. I will refer the case to NAS and to the HSE for further examination of what happened here and what the correct response and specific conditions should or could have been.”
“This year alone, we are looking at another €8 million for 180 additional posts and the development of NAS specialist services. About 81 of those have been recruited to date, with the remainder at various stages of recruitment. At the moment, investment by Government had seen the total NAS staff rise to 2,430 as of August 2025. That is a rise of 25%, or 502 staff, since 2020, with 85% of the National Ambulance Service staff working in direct patient-facing roles. It deals with about 430,000 urgent and emergency calls - that was as far back as 2024 - which is up 32,000 calls on the previous year. The demand is increasing and continues to rise. The focus is on improving and increasing the performance of NAS, particularly in terms of life-threatening cardiac or respiratory arrest. It is improving but we will not be happy unless it is 100%.”
“There has been significant investment in the first responder approach and the whole professionalisation of the paramedical area, the principle being that the more first responders we can get to the scene of an accident or to somebody becoming very acutely ill is the most effective way of preventing loss of life and dealing with patients in very difficult and life-threatening situations. That has happened over a period. The National Ambulance Service, NAS, devised a national framework for ambulance coverage. There has been criticism of that framework in terms of how it operates. NAS defends the framework, which replaced a locally in situ -based ambulance service, as one that is nationally governed and nationally organised into the future. That drew on a lot of expertise at the time. Additional posts have been allocated to the service.”
“Déanaim comhbhrón le clann Stephen Lavelle as ucht an méid a tharla. Is olc an scéal é gan dabht. Mar a dúirt an Teachta, ní féidir le héinne nó aon fhocail sásamh nó aon rud a chur in iúl don chlann. Is drochscéal ar fad é mar atá á léiriú ag an Teachta inniu. No words can console the family of Stephen Lavelle in terms of what happened and the loss of life in the circumstances the Deputy described. I am not aware of the case specifically, but I take on board what she said about the delay in getting Stephen to the hospital. I do not have the full details of the case or the background to it. It is a devastating loss to the family. It is important to say, although this is of no consolation to the family, there has been very significant investment in the ambulance service over many years.”
“I look forward to continuing our discussions in this House on this very important agenda for Ireland, especially as we take up the responsibility of the European Union Presidency on 1 July.”
“Before concluding, I am sure the House will join with me in expressing full support for Denmark and our solidarity with the people of Greenland. The future of Greenland is a matter to be determined by Denmark and by Greenlandic people in line with well-established democratic principles and international law. Ireland has consistently underlined that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states is a fundamental principle of the United Nations Charter and must be respected in all circumstances. The meeting of the European Council in December was another crucial one. I am sure that there are many more to come as we grapple with the challenges of a very uncertain world and seek to protect and advance our values, security and prosperity.”