Micheál Martin
Cork South-Central · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“At the beginning of April, the Government approved the establishment of the Cork city futures group to guide development of Cork city for the future.”
“We have to have a budget that reflects the need to sustain that level of work in our economy so that people will have access to jobs. The AI issue is causing a lot of concern. I take heart from the investment announced by Intel this week, which will be AI-propelled, actually.”
“Dublin City Council is progressing the establishment of this new legal entity, in line with the timelines laid out in the roadmap; a ten-year integrated area strategy for Dublin city centre to optimise funding and investment and tackle vacancy and dereliction; and accelerated delivery of landmark capital projects in the city centre throug…”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 to 30, inclusive, together. This will be a long answer because there is one task group and one futures group.”
“I think Deputy Hayes was being a bit petty, if that is the word I am looking for, in what he said about Spain. Well, using the word "petty" might be a bit uncharitable today. It is more a Spain is more vociferous than us kind of thing. We have worked very well together on the Middle East. It is a very serious issue.”
“A dedicated body, to be known as The Cork City Futures Group, will work to unlock the city’s full economic, cultural and academic potential, alongside further investment, innovation and infrastructure. I think people are familiar with the terms of reference.”
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“I thank the ambassador for her work over the past number of years. We enjoyed our engagement with her and I really appreciate that. Deputy McAuliffe raised the issue of Beaumont Hospital. There are four major projects under way there. The national development plan has allocated very substantial funding to the Department of Health and the HSE for the realisation of those projects. The key is to keep the pressure on to get them through the various stages. Health capital tends to be slow and health projects tend to be slow moving. We need to accelerate some of these projects and get them delivered. They are well under way in some respects, with planning going on and so on. I appreciate the point the Deputy made. Beaumont is a national centre for key disciplines and a very important centre.”
“Care is being delivered closer to home in 180 primary care centres through 96 community health networks. Twenty-seven community specialist teams for older persons and 26 community specialist teams for chronic disease are now operational and 23 community intervention teams are operational, with national coverage secured. We will continue to invest and reform, changing the way our services are delivered this year and into the future”
“All of these commitments build on the investment and reforms undertaken over the past number of years, including the delivery of approximately 1,330 acute beds, an increased workforce of over 29,000 whole-time equivalents since December 2019, more affordable healthcare through a reduction in the drugs payment scheme threshold to €80, the removal of hospital inpatient charges, the extension of the eligibility for free GP cards for all children under eight and to all earning no more than the median income, State-funded IVF, free contraception for women aged 17 to 35 and free access to HRT. From September 2021 to the end of August 2025, there has been an almost 56% reduction in the number of patients waiting over 12 months. The surgical hub for south Dublin opened in February this year with additional hubs becoming operational in 2026.”
“In older people’s services, we will support people to live at home within their own communities and strengthen the nursing home sector. The forthcoming national policy on adult safeguarding for the health and social care sector, a programme for Government commitment, will set out how existing protections will be strengthened.”
“We will continue to invest in a healthier future, with a national physical activity framework and action plan due to be published in 2025 and a new obesity policy and action plan to be published in 2026. We are launching a new era of innovation and digital transformation in health. The national patient app has been rolled out. The national shared care record is being developed and the electronic health record will also be progressed. Additional projects which are key to the increased digitalisation of the health service include a national system for electronic prescribing and remote health monitoring and virtual care solutions. In mental health, we will continue to build the mental health workforce and infrastructure and support community-based services.”
“Funding of €420 million has been allocated for the waiting list action plan this year. The new regional structures within the HSE have been established, with six new health regions and 20 integrated healthcare areas. Health and social care services are planned and delivered around the specific needs of local populations, leading to better co-ordination of care and access to services. We will continue to review capacity in emergency departments, increase the number of public-only consultants in emergency medicine and ensure more senior staff are rostered in emergency departments during weekends and public holidays for better decision-making. We will continue to build our workforce through the recruitment of key roles, retention measures and additional college places for key disciplines.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 10, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on health last met on 17 July and is due to meet again soon. The committee oversees implementation of programme for Government commitments in relation to health, receives detailed reports on identified policy areas and considers health reforms including Sláintecare, the reform of public health and health system preparedness for future health threats. It also receives reports in relation to programme for Government commitments in the areas of mental health and drugs policy. Sláintecare 2025+, our latest Sláintecare strategy published in May 2025, aims to forge the way forward towards accessible, affordable and high-quality healthcare for the people of Ireland when they need it and where they need it. We will deliver faster access to care.”
“Russia should not have a veto over Ireland's decisions to participate in peacekeeping. We are peacekeepers. We have always been peacekeepers. That is what we want to be in the future. That is our commitment.”
“I ask the Deputy to let me finish. Not on foreign policy but on any decision we would make to send Irish troops abroad. It is quite interesting that a number of Sinn Féin Deputies are asking that we send the Irish Naval Service out to international waters in the Middle East. That would breach the triple lock.”
“The second point I will make about the specifics is that the world has changed dramatically since 2013. Russia, the United States and China have the veto on Irish foreign policy - well, not foreign policy.”
“There have been very substantial increases in funding in recent years. I appreciate what the Deputy has said about the fantastic work that CDYS is doing in Mitchelstown and in the hinterland. It provides very important interventions and opportunities for young people to progress. I will convey the Deputy's views to the Minister for Education and Youth, Helen McEntee, in respect of the issue he has raised.”
“There have been quite a number of very large commencements in Cork city. There is the Greenfield site, for example. The old Dairygold site is now commencing, and money has been released for that. There are the Railway Yard apartments and the docklands. So there has been some very significant-----”
“The legislation is on a priority publication list. It is being worked on intensively. Hopefully, given that it is on a priority publication list, we will see its publication shortly. The Dáil has been back two weeks and work has been under way for quite some time. I will consult with the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, in respect of any communication to the Deputy in respect of this issue.”
“The Ministers were very clear and acted in good faith. The Minister for justice was clear that there was not sufficient documentation. Any future visit should be properly organised well in advance and there should be engagement with the national sporting authorities of any particular code of sport and then with the Government well in advance of the submission of any applications in order that we can avoid any issues that emerged as in this occasion. That might be one way of avoiding what transpired the last time.”
“My understanding is that the Minister for education met with the group or representatives of the group yesterday. Obviously, I would ask people to come off the hunger strike. It is difficult for the survivors concerned to be on hunger strike. It can have health implications. The Government will engage, and I hope people will come off the hunger strike.”
“My understanding is Carlow County Council made a submission to Irish Water. I do not know how recent that was. The Government and the Minister, Deputy Chambers, have allocated substantial funding to Irish Water in respect of the national development plan. We have engaged with Irish Water on this particular proposal.”
“Approximately 66,000 ha of cereals in oilseed, rape and straw were submitted for incorporating in 2025 and all farmers will be paid who have applied under the scheme this year. Then there are other schemes like-----”
“I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue. I fully acknowledge the tillage sector is under significant pressure. I met with some individuals at the recent national ploughing championships and also met with the IFA in respect of the issue, as well as the ICMSA and other organisations. Substantial support has been allocated by Government, including about €32.4 million under the tillage and horticulture support scheme in February of this year, which the Minister, Deputy Heydon announced. The budget for protein aid increased to €10 million annually from 2024, with an overall Common Agricultural Policy allocation of €47 million. The straw incorporation measure has an allocation of €50 million over five years.”
“I thank the Deputy and he has made a very fair point. Obviously, there are pressures on budgets all over. There are ongoing discussions between the respective Ministers and the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Chambers, right now. We are conscious of the pressures on schools in respect of capitation and the need for longer term sustainable funding to deal with increasing costs.”
“Funding has been allocated to develop the designs for this project and progress through the statutory consenting processes. We will keep in touch with and keep pressure on Uisce Éireann to make sure this happens.”
“It is very disturbing. Irish Water should have the highest standards. Something like this should not be occurring. In recent months, Uisce Éireann had been assessing the feasible options for addressing the primary issue relating to the nine terraced houses and associated septic tank and percolation area in Shannonvale Park. The option is to establish a pumping station and transfer flow across the river towards the Clonakilty wastewater network. That is being progressed. This will involve the requirement to purchase land, establishing wayleaves, applying for planning permission and completing the required wastewater discharge authorisation reviews. Two local legacy developer-provided infrastructure wastewater treatment plants will also be included in this project. Projects of this nature take a number of years to deliver.”
“If you prohibit, you prohibit from 1 October. My briefing note states a limited total allowable catch of 2,000 tonnes of sprat will be permitted for vessels over 18 m long overall within the 6 nautical miles and inside baselines from October 2025 to 30 December 2026 only. The Deputy will know the story of the extensive public consultation that happened prior to this decision being made and the 5,000 submissions received. Some 94% of those submissions wanted a new ban on trawling activity. I have been pursuing it myself with the respective Ministers to get this decision.”
“It is but I will get the most up-to-date information for the Deputy and will communicate it to her directly. From 1 October, trawling activity and fishing vessels over 18 m in length over all waters inside the 6 nautical mile zone will be prohibited.”
“The Departments of agriculture and climate and energy, with respect to the ESB, farming and all of that, will ensure there are proper free corridors in respect of trees and so on.”
“That review is going before the emergency development forum, which is imminent. I met with many of the groups after Storm Éowyn. Irish Water, in particular, undertook to immediately procure additional generators for the number of facilities where there had not been generators prior to or during Storm Éowyn. That was one practical step that we could take. We have also undertaken to resource various community-based groups and centres, so there would be one focal point in every area in the event of a storm like this happening again. That would have the necessary generating capacity and the various resources and amenities available for people in a given area to access in the event of being cut off from electricity, hot water, water in general or connectivity through communications.”
“House prices are very high, and too high for many young people. That said, since 2020, notwithstanding Covid, about 148,000 new houses have been delivered in this country. The percentage of first-time buyers has been steadily increasing from about 25% of all purchases in 2015 to just under 40% in July 2025, and the latest data indicate further increases. First-time buyers continue to make the largest contribution to the mortgage market, accounting for 63% of approvals. Notwithstanding high prices - and they are too high, in my view - first-time buyers are getting opportunities to buy. About 119,000 first-time buyer mortgages were drawn down from 2020 to the first quarter of 2025. We need more supply – that is the key. The national development plan outlines the enormous Government expenditure that will ensue in the coming years.”
“I know. In any event, in terms of the bike shed the Deputy referenced earlier, the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, is saying the approximate cost for the actual bike shed was €32,000. There is a lot more going on there. In terms of the IPAS, that report was circulated today and we need to examine it. We have transferred responsibility for migration and IPAS centres from the Department of children to the Department of justice. There was huge pressure over the past number of years in respect of the migration system. This necessitated urgent responses by the Department of children in terms of the location and securing of places on an emergency basis. We will examine that report. Certainly, our aim is to reduce costs significantly and get better value for money. The Minister for justice is taking a number of initiatives designed to do that.”
“The Deputy's representations are heard, along with those of his colleagues. Although it applies to both urban and rural Ireland, there is no doubt there are certain counties, particularly given the seasonal nature of rural Ireland and holiday areas, such as west Cork, Kerry and the west of Ireland, where it is a significant issue.”
“I understand the issue the Deputy is raising. The costs increased significantly for the sector. I acknowledge that. The data we are getting in is not showing any significant decline in employment, but there could be churn. Some people could be in difficulty while other new businesses are established and opened. We want long-term sustainability for the industry and the hospitality sector. You could have a crowded restaurant but the margins might not be great when it comes to the owner’s bottom line. A lot of hard work goes into this industry and maybe the yield has not been what the hard work would deserve in terms of margins and so on. We are looking at viability in a number of sectors. More generally in terms of the budget itself, Deputy Collins understands that I cannot announce the budget today as it is not the norm.”
“I am not quite sure everything in some of these establishments is nightmarish. I spent a few evenings in west Cork. I had better be careful what I say. I was not able to participate in any lock-ins for obvious reasons, but that might be what is behind the Deputy’s reference to nightmarish experiences the following day. It was a very pleasant experience. People need a break in terms of viability and that is where we are focused.”
“A lot of work has been done on that. I am not in a position to indicate what will actually happen on budget day itself but I recognise that this is a very important issue. In the context of the global situation - the turbulence, the tariffs and all of that - investment in infrastructure is key. We are putting a lot of money aside too. By the end of next year, there will be €22 billion in our Future Ireland Fund. That is a substantial fund despite what is being said about our being reckless with the public finances. We are putting substantial amounts of money to one side but we want to maintain competitiveness in domestic industries such as the hospitality sector. We will certainly be examining all of the issues the Deputy has identified. I think we need a bit of perspective in the debate as well.”
“The other area is competitiveness, stronger investment in research and development and also competitiveness of certain sectors like hospitality. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment did a study over a year ago on the impact of increased labour costs and increased costs generally on small businesses. It was accepted that the hospitality sector bore the brunt of many of the extra costs such as the bank holiday cost, the additional sick leave, the minimum wage increases and the approximation to the living wage, and found them difficult to absorb. That is well documented in the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment’s document. The Restaurant Association of Ireland commissioned the economist Anthony Foley to do some work on the correlation between reduced VAT rates in the past and job creation in a specific sector.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue for a very significant industry in the country. He spoke eloquently about the west Cork experience. As he will know, the Minister of State, Deputy O’Sullivan, has been hounding me on this issue, as has the Minister, Deputy Foley, from the Kerry perspective. All the counties where hospitality is particularly strong in the summer period have been strong advocates for an initiative along the lines of the one the Deputy is proposing. The budget will be an investment in the future of the country. The first phase of that was announced in the national development plan in terms of infrastructure, water, electricity, energy, public transport, road transport and digital health. These are fundamentals that simply have to happen for the future of the country.”
“However, we want to go faster now in moving to a position where we can eliminate the means test in its entirety. The commitment is like that in the Social Democrats manifesto, which I looked at before I came in. It did not say that this would be done in one budget. It indicated that it would be done over the lifetime of the Government.”
“The Deputy is correct when she says we have choices. Everyone in the House has choices. The estimated cost is around €600 million. We also want to increase domiciliary care allowance and other categories of social protection, which the Minister will bring to the Government in the first instance and then the measures will be announced on budget day. It will all come under an overall amount that will be allocated to the Department of Social Protection. If we increase one category, by definition other categories may not get a similar increase or may not get an increase at all. We have to balance this and that is why it will be done incrementally. We have made significant improvements in the disregards in the past two to three years and that should be acknowledged.”
“That series of proposals will be in the context of an overall welfare budget that could be in the order of €1.7 billion or €1.8 billion. However, other categories of social protection have to be looked after as well, in the context of the budget.”
“For example, the income disregard went up in July from €450 to €625 for a single person and from €900 to €1,250 for carers with a spouse or a partner. That was a result of last year's budget measure. That means more and more people can avail of the carer's allowance payment. In terms of the respite, the carer's support grant itself has been brought up to about €2,000. That is up significantly from where it was some years ago. It is up about €300 since 2021. In the budget there will be a series of measures in respect of carers. Carer's benefit has been extended to the self-employed for the first time since January. Furthermore, the Minister for Social Protection will be bringing proposals to the Government, in the context of the budget, specifically on carers.”
“The number of recipients is up from about 63,000 in 2015, which is nearly a 62% increase. Expenditure has gone from about €611 million to €1.24 billion. It can be more, but that does not suggest nobody cares on the Government side. We need to reconcile the Parliamentary Budget Office's estimate of €300 million with the Department of Social Protection, which is saying €600 million. That is what is being estimated in the current round of Estimates. The Department is saying it could even go up, because obviously there would be an additional increase in the numbers. That is something which needs to be reconciled in terms of the actual cost. The Government proposes to phase in the removal of the means test. Broader progress will be made on income supports more generally.”
“I thank Deputy Cairns for raising a very important issue. We value the work of carers. Michael Woods brought in the carer's allowance quite a number of years ago. He was a Fianna Fáil Minister for social protection and at the time it was a novel concept. It was quite innovative. It started at a very low level, but incrementally things have improved significantly. We committed in the programme for Government to eliminate the means test. There is a tendency in the House to deny any progress at all about anything, and the world always seems to be miserable. There are huge challenges out there facing people and there are particularly huge challenges facing carers. Nonetheless, there has been progress. There are about 100,000 people now in receipt of carer's allowance. The numbers are increasing every year.”
“The Nayagam report on governance has still to come, which should feed into any inquiry that emerges. That work can be useful to any inquiry team. We must bring clinicians along. Operations and surgeries will have to continue while an inquiry is under way.”
“At that stage there would have been newer members on the board. This is important. It is very easy. This is a challenge. The Government has a responsibility to maintain existing services. In the interim, you just cannot announce new initiatives off the top of your head. I signalled very early on the move that has transpired in respect of CHI coming in under the remit of the HSE. In fact, originally - I might have been in opposition at the time - my view was that it should have come under the HSE from day one. To be fair, these are big organisational changes. They are not going to happen overnight because there is a transition process and a lot of work. You have to bring teams with you, and so on. Clearly, we have had more reports since and we have more reports to come.”
“It was the same situation, with things taking too long and the institutions being at the centre instead of what is optimal for the patient, the children and the families. That is where we want to be. Progress is being made in terms of spinal services. That needs to be said, but it is not enough.”
“In earlier exchanges in the Dáil over the past number of months, I have been signalling that the Minister was heading in that direction. It makes absolute sense to me. The original decision was based on three hospitals being brought together under one umbrella but, historically, health has been too institution-centred as opposed to being patient-centred. The move to bring CHI under the HSE is a welcome move to make it more child-centred in this respect, and patient-centred. That is important in my view. One of the reasons CHI was established was the sort of institutional focus - dare I say egos and so on? - that was there. We had the same thing with Holles Street and the maternity hospital.”
“A substantive, empathetic discussion ensued and it was agreed there would be a partnership approach to developing proposals in relation to the structure of an inquiry into spina bifida and scoliosis services at CHI and that a follow-up meeting would happen in three weeks. The Minister wants to reflect and discuss further with the parents on the precise nature of the inquiry. It is important that we give this thought and think it through to get the most effective inquiry. Obviously, we need an inquiry that is transparent and public, can enable us to get to the truth and also can get us to a better situation post inquiry for services for children right now and into the future. I have supported the decision by the Minister to bring CHI under the HSE. In fact, I would be a strong advocate for that.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very serious issue that demands a very profound and comprehensive response. I again express my deepest sympathies to Gillian Sherratt and Stephen Morrison on the very sad passing of their son Harvey. We have to do much better when it comes to healthcare services for our children. I understand the anger and frustrations felt by parents and the children and young people who are either awaiting surgery or are engaged with clinicians and hospitals in respect of their individual cases. The Tánaiste and the Minister for Health met with Gillian Sherratt and Stephen Morrison yesterday. There were advocates there also.”
“She talked to me about being a smart alec. Her assertions today were bogus, flawed and not serious. No one is taking that kind of nonsense seriously. She should take heed of what the Minister of State said. Read the e-tender. Yes, we have spent billions of euro on infrastructure. A lot of the projects we spent on have come in on target. Many schools such as Edmund Rice College, Dublin, Gaelscoil Sheoirse Clancy, Limerick, Patrician Academy, Mallow, were all on budget, as was Walter Scott House, Forensic Science Ireland's facility. I could go on about the various road projects such as the Moycullen bypass and the Dunkettle interchange - a fantastic engineering project - which came in on budget and on time. These are serious projects.”
“-----and did not come in condemning the costs. I presume the one in the maternity hospital is for workers to facilitate them if they cycle to work. We need to be careful too. Are we saying workers should not have facilities in an active travel context to reduce traffic congestion and allow people to cycle to work?”
“There was an inordinate delay in getting that project off the ground, but some Members preferred to spend time talking about theocracy and the Vatican and everything else rather than the project getting the green light much earlier and getting it through. They will never have any public accounts committee assessment of that or the delays that can occur in this House or the delays that can occur by politicians objecting to this, that and the other. They will never do any value-for-money assessment of that; they will just go for a cheap headline. So it is time for the bike shed again, and Deputy McDonald arrives in with a contribution on a bike shed. This time it is €100,000; last year it was €300,000. It was too much last year. Go talk to the unions who fund some of you.”
“I am of the view that if particular facilities are being provided for workers, in particular, or for people visiting any public institution, for that matter, value for money should apply and they should not cost outrageous sums. It should be done modestly, and very simple structures should be put in place. It should not have to cost €100,000 to provide a bike shed. Again, I am not into the detail of a bike shed at a national maternity hospital. I do want it built. A lot of messing went on here for a couple of years about getting that project off the ground, and delay cost us far more than any bike shed will cost us in respect of that maternity hospital.”
“Members cannot be coming in here some days saying, "There is not enough money for active travel, there is not enough money for cycling, there is not enough money for that", and then come in the other day around the scrum and say, "Well, actually, there should not be a bike shed here or a bike shed there."”