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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“The Deputy knows the answer to that. I am as anxious as he is to get a flood relief plan enacted and implemented as quickly as possible. The Deputy does not have a monopoly on concern. I went down to visit and meet with people who were victims of the floods on that occasion.”
“If the Deputy can do so, I would appreciate it. There were some challenges some time back in terms of that entire issue. If I am thinking of the same issue the Deputy referenced, there was a reason change had to happen. Revenue will identify what is required.”
“Revenue is the guiding light, obviously, in this matter. I will discuss it with the new Minister for Finance but I would have thought Revenue implements the impact of the legislation faithfully and dutifully.”
“I am glad the Deputy has raised this matter with the National Transport Authority, which has statutory responsibility for it. The sectoral transport plan under the national development plan will be published today, although that is for bigger projects. There is substantial money for public transport if the need and demand is there. I do not understand why Bus Éireann and the NTA do not provide additional capacity on the route. The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot look over every bus route in the country but there is no shortage of resources being allocated.”
“It is a good idea to follow up with the newly appointed Minister for Finance on this issue. I agree with Deputy Neville. We have to look more generally at disincentives to investment and returns. This also affects quite a number of other areas. We need balance. When we try to do something like this, there is an inevitable cry that we are only looking after wealthy people and so on. We are trying to release money and capital into the economy. Britain has a far more effective framework on entrepreneurial reinvestment. We are not bad, but we could be better, in particular in respect of successful entrepreneurs who develop very good start-ups or companies that have grown to scale. When companies are sold, many go elsewhere instead of some of that money being used to build new start-ups and create an entrepreneurial dynamic.”
“I thank the Deputy for so eloquently articulating the situation in the two beautiful towns of Broadford and Cooraclare. The Minister recently brought a memorandum to Government to deal with the issue. The scheme was announced some time back when local authorities were given supports. To be fair, the Deputy is correct when he said there has been a problem in the delivery of those schemes. The Minister recently introduced supports for that. I will ask him to speak to the Deputy. What he is endeavouring to do with the county councils is positive in terms of making sure we get action on these specific projects identified two years ago.”
“The first thing the Government did when coming into office was to commit to establishing a national in-school therapy service. Within a very short time we will establish it, with €16 million allocated to that in the budget. CDNTs are now supporting almost 45,000 children, an increase of 5% since December last year. Waiting lists have come down by 21%. Workforce capacity within CDNTs has grown significantly; it has increased by 26%. The vacancy rate in CDNTs nationally has fallen from 29% in 2023 to 18% today. Resources have increased for CDNTs. Many of the issues are related to recruitment, not funding. It is about getting people in. With that in mind, we have created additional places in colleges.”
“For those who are working that is the general view across society. It was always provided for in legislation in respect of those working in direct provision who have residency and could be earning good wages. Surely it is not too much to say that they should make a contribution to their upkeep. That is all. The Deputy is way out of order to suggest that it is something extraordinary to ask for or put in place. There is a tightening up in terms of the procedures being announced by the Minister, and the Government has approved this, which is necessary and relatively modest. The Deputy has used language in an attempt to create a sort of image of the Government. He has thrown in Nigel Farage, which is unnecessary and inappropriate. It is not anything to do with UK legislation.”
“The lifelong package is there. We have a liaison person from the HSE and there is an office working with survivors and victims of the thalidomide drug. It is substantial. No one wants to get this concluded more quickly than I do, and indeed the Tánaiste and others do. We met recently with the group. We had a very good meeting. We will be meeting again in early December. We had set up a mediation process and a judge was appointed. I do not want to say too much in public, but I will put it this way. I am annoyed, quite frankly, about the pace of this. I will say no more, but there are issues that have delayed this and that I have concerns about. I articulated that to the group. We agreed we want to progress this as quickly as possible and I think we can.”
“The draft multi-annual financial framework only gives farmers about 80% of what we got on the last occasion. That is a big issue we have to negotiate down the line with the Commission as well. On the blocking majority, all countries are engaging with the Commission, including those countries the Deputy mentioned, in respect of Mercosur. It is not as clear as Deputy McDonald suggested.”
“We committed in the programme for Government to work with like-minded states, particularly France, Poland and Italy, in respect of the Mercosur deal. Additional safeguards which resulted from that endeavour are now, hopefully, being translated into a legal instrument. Of course, we still have concerns with the Mercosur deal. There are many issues on the agricultural portfolio that I am dealing with. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, is dealing with the Commission on the nitrates directive, Mercosur, the financial framework for farmers-----”
“I do not disagree with the Deputy's basic call for guideline frameworks to be in place. I was in Eli Lilly some years ago and I opened a solar farm. It had a dairy farm around it. That solar farm now provides 25% of the energy for the Eli Lilly plant.”
“I take the Deputy's point. By the way, Galway East is a strategic region of growth for the Government. We are putting a lot of money into towns like Ballinasloe, Loughrea, Athenry, Gort and Portumna. They are being strengthened as a result of residential, commercial and service centres. We want to create more investment flow into east Galway, more economic opportunities, better regional balance and so on. There is big stuff happening in terms of infrastructure, such as national regional road networks, Irish Water investment and the national broadband plan. As a strong advocate for increased rail improvements, the Deputy knows that money will be allocated to rail for east Galway and the whole corridor there. Housing targets have to be developed. All that will need energy, so we have to weigh it up in the balance.”
“In some areas where it is happening, people are beginning to very quickly see a transformative alteration in the landscape that they have been used to for 100-odd years, or for their entire lifetime. There is a land use review that has been under way for quite some time around the optimal land use options for the country more generally. That will look at key demands, both public and private, in terms of land also.”
“There is an issue, and I have asked the Minister to bring in guidelines in respect of solar in rural Ireland, particularly in terms of a tiered approach where there is excellent agricultural land, and to weigh it up because for the future of the country, food security and food production are equally important. The farming community has different views on that, by the way. People want to retain their right to sell their land, so it is not simple. It is an issue that needs further development. Solar is a growing source. About 2.1 GW of solar power capacity is currently installed. We want more solar, but I take the Deputy's point that it has to be done on a planned basis. That is fair.”
“It will look at all those issues such as setback distance, noise, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections, because the grid connection is equally important, and a greater consistency of approach to planning for wind energy development and clarity to the industry and to local communities in particular. The technical context changes and technology has advanced hugely. The finalised national planning statement will be informed by the most up-to-date analysis and take account of international best practice. That will then have to go for strategic environmental assessment and public consultation where the public and all interested parties can make observations. Solar is growing very fast but there was a very low level of coverage on solar around the country.”
“I thank Deputy Dolan for raising this issue. Obviously, the big challenge facing this country is energy sustainability and security into the future. That is a significant challenge. We are importing about 80% of our fossil fuels from the United Kingdom essentially through the gas interconnectors. We have developed a very strong onshore wind performance nationally, which is to our credit. It is at about 48%, but that has created challenges and the technology has advanced. The Deputy is correct that the turbines are much higher. There has been quite considerable pressure for the updated guidelines, which go back to 2006. The Minister will announce a national planning statement, which will take all of this on board, particularly in terms of wind energy guidelines.”
“I certainly will revert to the Government in respect of that and will also ask the relevant Ministers to engage with Coimisiún na Meán on this. It is hate across different sectors. What happened to Citywest was appalling, as was the deliberate attempt to burn out a family in Drogheda. These are new thresholds that are being crossed. Children could have been killed. It was a very lucky escape for children and a family. Someone deliberately tried to burn them, essentially. We have to be extremely conscious of what is happening. In Citywest, the principal of a school spoke afterwards about the impact on children going to school the following day, or not going to school, because of the anxiety generated as a result of the aggression, hostility and hate articulated towards them.”
“Toxicity is directed at quite a number of politicians. The Deputy was a victim of quite a bit of that when he was a Minister. The Garda does exceptional work in helping politicians and helping people to deal with such attacks. The gardaí involved are very professional and have a great sense of perspective in terms of the various types of threats and incidents that happen. It is at a level that I have never experienced in my life, in terms of the approach to the political world, and it is very serious. As the Deputy will recall, with the hate crime Act we bought it last year, the last Government got into very choppy waters within the House politically. However, we got it through and the penalties have been substantially increased for hate crimes relating to ethnicity, sexual orientation or whatever.”
“In one case, a guy said to me his younger sister was chased home from school because of their ethnic background. There is a very real issue here. I recently spoke to people involved in the Dublin city business initiative providing supports for people in different communities. A number of employers instanced to me the number very serious assaults on employees because of their ethnic background. These are not isolated cases any more. I believe it is very serious. I met the church leaders recently, all the interfaith groups, and the common issue was the fear of attack. The Indian community suffered significant harassment recently. There is fear there. This is something we did not have to deal with to this extent five years ago. It is above party politics. I fully agree with the Deputy that the question of the algorithms is an issue.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I agree with him. There is a serious issue facing society which will undermine the cohesion of society in terms of the level of hate out there and the level of hate that is articulated online and, worse, in terms of the actual murder of people and physical attacks, as the Deputy mentioned, on two drag queens in Cork recently, but also the murder of a person because he was from another country - I spoke to the minister from that country at the time in respect of that murder - and in terms of various other attacks. Recently, I met a group of young people who were working with my Department in respect of the child poverty programme. It was a group of teenagers, Irish citizens with different ethnic backgrounds. They spoke about the fear of going into town.”
“I know the Deputy's job is to criticise the Government and so on, but there are more fundamental issues at stake in terms of violence against women. The Minister has done some research and so on. Universal access to violent pornography, for example, is now emerging as a factor in the level of violence that has been perpetrated against women.”
“-----in an informed and evidence-based way. The Minister will be very open with Opposition spokespeople in dealing with this in the context of what is possible and what is not possible. The Government's view is very strongly supportive of reducing significantly, and seeing how far we can go-----”
“-----and that disclosure takes place only when, in the court's opinion, it is necessary to avoid an unfair trial. Drafting is at an advanced stage and is continuing at pace. The Minister will also examine other steps, including additional adjustments to legislation, in order to further restrict the disclosure of counselling records and is consulting with the relevant stakeholders in that regard.”
“The Minister secured Cabinet approval for the drafting of legislation to address the disclosure of counselling records in sexual offences criminal trials. This will amend the current statutory framework to ensure that judicial oversight governs the disclosure of such records-----”
“The Minister secured Government approval on 21 October to progress the criminal law (sexual offences, domestic violence and international instruments) Bill. That includes measures to allow perpetrators of domestic violence to be included on a new register run by the courts and strengthen the law on sexual consent. Convictions will be published online by the Courts Service under a specific heading of domestic violence judgment register. This will help people who are in a relationship or considering a relationship with a person to discover whether the person has a history of serious domestic violence convictions. Victims will be required to provide consent before the convicted abuser can be named on the public register.”
“We will accelerate the delivery of additional refuge spaces and safe accommodation while also providing stronger supports. There is funding for additional safe spaces, with a commitment to provide 282 safe spaces by the end of 2026. I am sure the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and Cuan can provide the Deputy with their timelines for the various centres that need to get done and their development. The Minister is also introducing significant legislative change to allow for the removal of guardianship rights from a person who has been convicted of killing their intimate partner under the proposed Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill and has advanced provisions to limit the disclosure of counselling records in rape and sexual assault cases under the proposed criminal law and civil law Bill 2025. That was agreed some weeks ago by Cabinet.”
“I could not agree more in terms of the depraved and shocking violence against women in our society on an ongoing basis. It is truly shocking. This is despite the fact that the Government has taken unprecedented actions legislatively to deal with this, including the establishment of an agency, Cuan, which is doing good work. The previous Government established that to deal with domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. About €80 million has been allocated to support Cuan and services working to tackle domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. That is an increase of €12 million year on year. However, that on its own will not solve what are more fundamental issues within society itself. The Government has a zero tolerance attitude to this, and we are supporting quite a number of community organisations that support victims and survivors.”
“The Deputy spoke about a €300 million VAT reduction for construction and apartments. If we get more apartments built, we will get a net increase in revenue out of it, not a reduction. We do need more apartments. There is no question about that. We are not building enough of them. That is why the VAT reduction in the budget was introduced, along with all the other measures we have done on housing, including rental reform of the RPZs, which was recommended by the Housing Commission, to make sure we will get accommodation and private sector and public sector investment in housing to get the number of houses and apartments we need built.”
“We have announced a €270 billion national development plan. That is the fundamental pillar of this Government, and we have already allocated the funding. Today a transport sectoral plan will be published which will be significant for roads, rail and bus developments that will happen as a result of that. We will have a children and disabilities sectoral development plan. We will have a health sectoral development plan that puts flesh on the bone of real projects that will happen. It will be transformative. It is not just investment. It is also reform led by the Department of public expenditure and Jack Chambers in respect of the infrastructure division and getting infrastructure done faster. If we could have fewer objections and judicial reviews, we might achieve that.”
“I want to make sure we have a medium-term fiscal rule with the Minister for Finance and Deputy Canney and the Independents that reflects reality, population growth and potential expenditures, and once we agree it to stay within those limits. The rule has to be realistic in the context of real economic growth and inflation forecasts and we are working on that. The IMF has done some work on this in respect of Ireland.”
“Future expenditure rules in my view should be credible and reflect growth of the real economy and inflation rates. Perhaps the fiscal target of 5% at the beginning of the previous Government did not adequately reflect real economic and inflation growth. What happened subsequently was that budgets went ahead of the 5%. When you factor in population growth in particular and the consequential pressures on services you begin to see how expenditure rose over that fiscal rule. Of course, we will be submitting a medium-term fiscal plan to Europe as is required, but we have to get it right. Deputy Bacik will be the first Deputy in here at next year's budget or the budget afterwards saying that we should have spent more on this or that.”
“They will grow strongly. Global sales will reach 62 billion in 2030. The patents do not expire until 2036 or 2037. The global minimum tax pillar 2 will generate extra top-up revenues. The point I am making is that we need downside and upside scenarios in economic planning. Invariably, if it is a downside, IFAC has to do that as that is its job. However, it is equally valid to say you need upside scenario planning as well in future forecasting and planning. That does not tend to happen. I am saying that as a criticism of Government as well as the Government tends to go on the downside. That is acceptable. I have no issue other than to say that we should look at the other side of the equation as well. There is also the determination of expenditure rules.”
“Yes, they will. I will say on the IFAC criticisms that you have had both sides. I also welcome the transition year students. By the way, the Deputy's party was notified by email at 2.30 p.m. on Friday that I would not be here yesterday. There was maybe a bit of inadvertent misleading of the House yesterday but we will pass over that. IFAC did a research note recently on the impact of US tariffs and other policy changes that might affect corporation tax receipts. There is a downside to it. We know about the exceptional reliance on corporation tax, but that is accepted. Equally, IFAC stated in that note that while there was a surge in pharma exports due to the tariffs at the beginning of the year, there has also been a permanent increase in activity here. Ireland is still a key manufacturing hub for ingredients in popular weight-loss drugs.”
“-----and we will deal with it at every layer of Government. Sinn Féin has councillors on that council. Were its councillors with every other councillor tracking it? It is not good enough that there should be that level of expenditure, but we will deal with it.”
“-----despite Brexit, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the energy crisis that followed and the tariffs emanating from the United States. This has been a competent Government with regard to the economic management of this country.”
“The Deputy wants us to spend billions more than we allocated in the budget. Ireland's economy is one of the fastest growing economies globally. The stewardship of this economy has been good by this Government and by the previous Government despite Covid-----”
“The Minister, Deputy Chambers, has already introduced more robust and tighter procedures in the area of public spending. On the other hand, the Deputy is saying we are very mean and so on, we are being criticised for overspending-----”
“By any yardstick, that is unacceptable, notwithstanding whatever complexities were involved. Admhaím nach bhfuil sé sin sásúil in aon chor. Bhí an togra faoi stiúir ag Comhairle Contae Dhún Laoghaire agus Ráth an Dúin. Bhí sé ag oibriú leis an NTA ar dtús ach don togra faoi leith seo, is an iomarca caiteachais ar fad é.”
“I am sure the Deputy is aware, as she has probably spoken to her party's councillors and so on, that this particular project apparently included a new pedestrian-cycle ramp, new granite to upgrade the existing concrete footpaths, construction of a new signalised pedestrian crossing, traffic calming measures, retaining walls and so on, which were all put in. That is a significant list. Again, I do not personally engage in every item of council expenditure, although I think the work that Albert Dolan has done has been very effective in providing material for people to track public expenditure on specific projects. I am sure Sinn Féin can avail of his good work in respect of that. It is a serious issue if a council exceeds significantly. The original cost was in or around €400,000 and the final cost was €750,000.”
“We can pick the one project that is, without question, excessive and difficult to comprehend in terms of costs, but there have been many other projects I have witnessed that have revolutionised active travel in every town, city and county in the country. Thankfully, more funding will be announced today in respect of more active travel in terms of greenways and so forth. Yes, there has to be a rigorous focus on costs - there is no question about that - and on value for money in respect of changes. There is a local authority audit structure to audit what local authorities are doing, and also in respect of the NTA.”
“-----other than utilising a particular case, which was bad, to try to just go on the waste thing as a political and electoral exercise. In terms of the interaction between the NTA and the county council, €750,000 is too much. Accessibility is very important. In that context, accessibility for wheelchair users, cyclists, parents with buggies and so on was the original objective, apparently, of this scheme by the council and the NTA. More generally, about €360 million of capital funds has been provided for walking and cycling infrastructure in 2025, the vast majority of which was on budget and on time and provided exceptional resources to people. That is the other side of this story.”
“First of all, I do not believe €750,000 is right, proper or appropriate in terms of 14 steps, but it seems to me the scheme that was completed by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council was not just about 14 steps. Nonetheless, the cost is excessive by any yardstick. The Deputy said Sinn Féin had called for a waste audit. I think Sinn Féin could take the example of Deputy Albert Dolan here in front of me, who has done more than most Deputies in the House to shine a light on public expenditure with his online facility and so on. He is a Deputy who is doing the work Sinn Féin is asking us to do.”
“Leaders will return to many of these issues to assess progress and discuss further actions at future meetings of the European Council. This meeting of the European Council was very busy, addressing many pressing issues that are of vital importance to our people and to the future of the European Union. As Taoiseach, and as a Government, we will continue to ensure that Ireland plays a very active and positive role at the heart of the European Union. This will take on even more significance as we take on the Presidency of the EU in the second half of 2026 when it will be our responsibility to drive this ambitious agenda.”
“I underlined that the European Affordable Housing Plan should have a strong focus on addressing affordability and viability challenges. Ireland's ranking is very high in terms of supply and delivery across Europe. I strongly support the incorporation of affordable housing in the EU’s simplification agenda to support the delivery of affordable housing. I would be in favour of a review of the impact of existing EU legislation and policies on housing delivery. There is also merit in a pan-European investment platform that would help to develop innovative funding methods for social and affordable housing providers, helping to attract private investment. I also called for stronger co-operation at EU level in the elimination of homelessness, which is a key national priority for Ireland.”
“We are managing our particular housing difficulties in a context of very strong population growth, rapid urbanisation, an infrastructure and housing supply deficit, as well as construction cost inflation and affordability challenges. The Government’s new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities: An Action Plan on Housing Supply and Targeting Homelessness, is ambitious. We are creating the conditions to enable a step-up in private sector delivery while trying to break down the barriers that are holding back construction; to support people directly in securing a home of their own; and to support renters and tackle homelessness. The challenges differ across EU member states with varying root causes. In the discussion among leaders, I stressed the point that there is no one-size-fits-all solution.”
“I was delighted to announce at COP30 a new UNDP project office to be hosted in Dublin, dedicated to advancing sustainable finance. For the first time ever, European Union leaders held a strategic discussion on housing. I welcome the opportunity for such a discussion as it reflects the challenges being experienced in many EU member states. While housing remains a national competence, there are steps we can take at EU level to better support member states in addressing the crisis. This includes the upcoming European Affordable Housing Plan, the aim of which is to support and complement member states in their efforts to address their respective housing challenges.”
“Decarbonisation and sustainability are central to Ireland and the EU’s competitiveness and the well-being of our people. Following guidance provided by the European Council, an ambitious greenhouse gas reduction target for 2040 was agreed by environment Ministers ahead of COP30. These were difficult discussions and I welcome the fact the final agreement reflects the importance of food security, forestry, land use, renewable energy and a just transition, including energy affordability. Meeting existing and future EU targets is very challenging but Ireland must continue to be part of that effort. At a global level, we will continue to provide climate finance and continue our support for small island developing states.”
“I strongly welcome the broad-based political agreement we have established on the need for continued efforts at all levels to ensure a clear, simple and smart innovation- and SME-friendly regulatory framework. Leaders also held a strategic discussion on how to progress the green transition in a way that supports and drives European competitiveness. As I made clear during Ireland’s national statement at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, climate change is no longer a distant threat - it is a daily reality and we are all feeling its consequences. I also expressed the serious concern that the spirit of common purpose is weakening. There are other threats and crises that can seem more pressing, including geopolitical turbulence, economic pressures, conflict and dislocations, but global temperatures are rising and the clock is ticking.”
“Leaders welcomed the progress achieved on the six omnibus simplification packages already presented by the Commission in the first half of the year, and called on the Council and the Parliament to swiftly conclude their work on the remaining elements. Leaders also called on the Commission to bring forward proposals across a range of specific areas. This includes proposing, without delay, an optional 28th company law regime, allowing companies to scale up, as well as further ambitious simplification packages in the financial services, transport, energy, digital and food safety areas. The European Council also called on the Commission to intensify efforts to stress-test the EU acquis , including exploring new proposals to streamline and accelerate planning and permitting procedures for infrastructure development.”