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.”
The complete record
Every one of 5,818 lines we hold for Micheál Martin, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 79 of 117.
“I will talk to the Minister responsible in this area. I need to get the background to this before I commit. There are obviously reasons why that is the case right now. On the surface, it does not seem equitable but I will have it examined.”
“Yesterday, I read the education indicators. Approximately 94% of all children between the ages of three and five are now in early years services, which is a huge increase from where we were a decade ago. It represents substantial progress. When we talk about State-led care, we have to be very clear as to how we intend to increase that provision and the methodology by which we would do it. A lot of people have invested a lot in the existing childcare infrastructure. We have to make sure we do not disrupt that in any processes as well. On the specifics of the Deputy's case, which town did he mention?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Bheadh sé deacair rátaí difriúla a chur i bhfeidhm ó chathair go cathair ach admhaím go bhfuil fadhb ann. There is a problem in terms of the cost of housing for workers and key workers. Through housing, I would like to see if we can create specific, affordable housing provision for key workers in given locations and whether that would it work side by side with the broader housing developments. I want to see if that could that happen and whether we could focus on that side of it. In terms of pay rates and conditions, it is difficult to ring-fence one part of the country with different pay rates. There would be huge issues in the industrial relations process to bring something like that about.”
“I thank Deputy Dempsey for raising this issue. It is unacceptable there are such high waiting times for those seeking driving tests. As she has acknowledged, the Road Safety Authority has developed an action plan. We are beginning to see a reduction, as she said. We have to continue to focus on that. The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, has been very much on top of this and he has been in discussions with me to make sure we maintain this downward trajectory. The Deputy's point is very valid. We need to focus on this as opposed to creating new layers or whatever. I agree with the Deputy's approach that all focus should be on the action plan itself.”
“In many respects, the Shannon free zone was a feature of an earlier era and there have been many changes since then. I will talk to the Deputy about it.”
“In November 2022, the European Commission adopted Ireland's territorial just transition plan and associated programme. That was launched in April 2023. There is a total commitment of €169 million to the just transition process in the midlands designated territory, as approved by the Commission. Of the total, €84.5 million is from the EU just transition fund out to 2027. The Deputy's question relates to whether we could create a zone. I refer to the legislative framework under which such a zone would be created in the modern era, or the context. In terms of incentives or supports, they tend to national as opposed to zone by zone. I will discuss it with him further but we need to be very clear about what we are actually looking for.”
“Last Wednesday, sorry. Business cases are important and all projects have to go through the gateway process in terms of the Department of public expenditure. As the Deputy knows, on another day in here - his own party is fairly adept at it - expenditures that are just approved without going through those gateways-----”
“There is a need for more renewables, without question, but I am concerned we are increasingly facing obstacles to achieving that agenda.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this serious issue. I agree on the need for additional capacity in the planning sense within local authorities and generally within the planning system. I was in the House yesterday and a question about solar panels and agricultural land was raised. People also want guidelines to restrict onshore wind. We need a general debate on how we plan this because renewables are the most sustainable way forward into the future. I will examine with the Minister the issue of guidelines on anaerobic digestion but we have to be careful it is not with a view to restricting it entirely and tying it up so that it will not be possible. It is an important technology that can yield important results in terms of our energy requirements.”
“An Garda Síochána will be to the fore in examining this and the background to it. I cannot comment on the case. Perhaps it is still under investigation and, potentially, a follow-through on that. I will talk to the Deputy afterwards. I was not aware of the ownership there.”
“That is something we need to examine. The proliferation of private centres militates against the overarching objective of the State, which should be optimal outcomes and top-class centres of excellence with multidisciplinary teams providing treatment and care.”
“The Minister met with clinicians in Letterkenny recently and there has been significant investment in Letterkenny hospital over the years. There can be challenges. There have been contributions from the Republic in investment in Altnagelvin. Looking at Donegal geographically, particularly Inishowen, the cross-Border services and capacity need to be strengthened to facilitate access. Under earlier cancer strategies, Galway was the main centre for the north west, which is a significant distance. We need to look strategically at concentrating cancer services, which I believe in. That was the prevailing expert view for a long time. I am slightly concerned that there is an erosion of that principle and people are going back to a county hospital approach to cancer treatment, which, in my view, will not give optimal outcomes.”
“As the Deputy heard earlier, there are no delays in issuing of visas and there is no wrangling going on. There have been about 45 in total, adults and children. The original WHO agreement was one on one but we did not observe that in many respects because there are complex issues involving families, siblings left behind and the need for carers. Logistically, evacuating children from Gaza is very difficult and much of it is not within our control. We work with the WHO and others. Rest assured everything that can be done to get those children-----”
“I know but I am just making the point. I have made the point previously about the most effective way to investigate or have inquiries into matters of this kind, given the enormity of what had to be covered in the decision yesterday. I had no issue with that, obviously, but I have broader concerns about the commission of investigation methodology and model as a basis for dealing with issues of this kind.”
“First, it is critical that the recommendations of Dr. Shannon be implemented and that our focus is on that. There have been many calls for inquiries in many areas. The Government yesterday took a very significant decision on the establishment of a commission that will have an enormous body-----”
“-----highlighting in particular that I would like to see additional supports for students with disabilities and students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and through SUSI and thresholds to help a broad range of students.”
“I gave a comprehensive reply to the Deputy yesterday at Leaders' Questions. The simple matter is that we are in the same position this year as last year. There is an Estimates process under way and then there will be a budget. It is at that stage that clarity will be brought to a range of issues pertaining to supports for students-----”
“Approximately 3,600 farmers have applied for support under the Farming for Water EIP. It aims to support up to 15,000 farmers over five years to 2029. Of course, there are also 54,000 farmers participating in ACRES. We will do everything we possibly can. We are working collectively on it as a Government and using all avenues at our disposal to get the right result.”
“I appreciate that farming and the food industry have been extremely important to the national economy, but of course it is particularly important to regional economies and to communities across the length and breadth of the country in terms of purchasing power and the impact on other sectors, the supply chain and so forth. It is a significant industry in Ireland, and farmers are taking unprecedented actions to improve water quality. We are providing financial support to farmers in this regard. We have the Farming for Water European Innovation Partnership. That is a budget of €60 million, led by the local authorities water programme in partnership with Teagasc and Dairy Industry Ireland. That is providing financial support for specific targeted actions to improve water quality.”
“Based on that and the advice from the Attorney General there is a clear need for the State to develop a process to ensure the next action programme and derogation are compliant with those requirements. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, is engaging intensively with stakeholders, including farm organisations and industry, as part of the process of developing Ireland's case for continuance of the derogation post-2025. The Department of agriculture has also provided an update to the agricultural water quality working group this week and we are looking at the optimal way to proceed from a catchment perspective. We will do everything we possibly can to secure the future of farmers in this respect.”
“The Minister for agriculture and the Minister for housing brought a memo to Government last week, highlighting progress on the development of the next Nitrates Action Programme and engagement with the Commission to agree a pathway to secure a continuation of our nitrates derogation. The Commission recently wrote to Ireland regarding the need for compliance with the Habitats Directive, in addition to meeting the objectives set under the water framework directive. This change has significant implications. The Commission's request of course arises from the ongoing case by An Taisce challenging the validity of our action programme and derogation which is currently before the courts with a number of questions referred to the European Court of Justice. There is other jurisprudence with the Dutch case and the implications of that.”
“I have also raised this issue and the issue of derogation with the Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, has raised the derogation with the European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall. The Minister has invited her to Ireland to witness first hand our grass-based system and the importance of our derogation. We are currently engaging with the Commission on the process and have made two presentations to the nitrates committee, the important advisory committee made up of member states. We will continue to engage with that committee and with Commission officials.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important question because the nitrates derogation is of course a critical element in the economic sustainability of many family farms and the broader rural economy in Ireland. I acknowledge the huge efforts being made by farmers in terms of the water quality issue and compliance. Water quality remains the fundamental issue as does the Habitats Directive. However, the Government has said it will do everything in its power to make the case at EU level to secure the retention of the nitrates derogation given our unique grass-based production model. There is an unprecedented engagement across the entire agrifood industry to drive improvements in water quality. I have established a Cabinet subcommittee on water quality to co-ordinate these efforts, with the most recent meeting last month.”
“He should concentrate on the increases in numbers in the health service. He cannot and should not ignore that because to do so reduces his credibility. He is making good points on one level but he is also using language like "antique" and suggesting that everyone is feeling the hospitals when there are increases in the number of staff year after year. We have invested hugely in increasing the number of people. Close to 30,000 extra people have been employed in our health services over the past four or five years. That is additional people coming in. With regard to the west, we had issues in Galway, where infrastructure and further investment are required. There is no question about that.”
“We have more work to do. That is acknowledged. In his commentary, the Deputy has acknowledged that there have been improvements but he gives no credence to the fact that there has been very significant investment in cancer services. The number of staff in our health service has expanded dramatically.”
“-----because all the experts told us that centres of excellence were the way to go. I would appreciate greater clarity from the Deputy in respect of his assertion that 93% of patients attending private hospitals had a better outcome as against those attending public hospitals-----”
“On the county-by-county breakdown, one of the better developments of the past two decades was the development of proper cancer centres in the major tertiary hospitals, where the bulk of treatment should occur. I am aginm concerned about the proliferation of treatment in private hospitals-----”
“On capital funding, approximately €140 million has been used over the past eight years. We now have state-of-the-art radio-oncology facilities in Galway and Cork. They are not antique but state of the art. We have a new national cervical screening laboratories and various cancer infrastructure, including chemotherapy wards and lab facilities, across the country. That will continue this year with the oncology units at Cavan General Hospital, Tallaght, Kerry University Hospital and the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore. There is further chemotherapy infrastructure in Kerry, Cork University Hospital, Letterkenny University Hospital and so on. We will continue to invest.”
“I appreciate the Deputy's own personal experiences and how he has properly articulated them to highlight issues because cancer diagnoses put enormous pressure on individuals and families. However, that 220,000 is 50% higher than the equivalent figure a decade ago. That is a huge transformation. Survival rates have increase progressively over recent years because of the development of national cancer strategies, which have improved screening services. Over the past two decades, our screening has expanded enormously. I refer particularly to BreastCheck, cervical screening and bowel screening. We have hugely increased staffing and there is greater access to diagnostics and survivorship programmes. The funding will continue. I will not go through all the figures in terms of those who have been recruited.”
“Balance and perspective are required in discussing this issue, which is very serious. The Government is very committed to continuing investment in cancer care. It has invested very hugely in cancer care in recent years. It invested up to €645 million between 2021 and 2024 alone. New treatments such as CAR T-cell therapy, radio-labelled therapy and specialised radiotherapy are now available in Ireland for the first time. We now have top-class radiation and oncology equipment that we did not have five, six, seven or eight years ago. Let us not brand the entire cancer treatment system as antique. That is not fair. Cancer survival rates are improving. More people are living after cancer than ever before. Today more than 220,000 people in Ireland who are living with cancer or after cancer.”
“We need to reflect on this. I get the short-term politics. The Deputy would probably have loved it if we came in and had an approval motion. Then he would have, from the comfort of Opposition, attacked us day in, day out for, as he put it, jacking up insurance premiums.”
“I have just said it to the Deputy. It will be laid before the House but there will be no accompanying motion to the House to approve. However, this is something that the Oireachtas in its entirety has to reflect on. There will be implications in that decision for the Personal Injuries Assessment Board because essentially now we have a vacuum here in terms of personal injury awards. There is a legislative framework there which had to be amended because of a Supreme Court decision. This has led to a situation where the Dáil has to approve whatever the Judicial Council recommendations are if they are to take effect. If the Dáil does not do the approval, they do not take effect but that could lead to consequences within the courts and within cases. It could ultimately have the impact of undermining the Personal Injuries Assessment Board.”
“Let us have a bit of realism and clarity about the debate. For me, there is a need for a review of the Judicial Council Act 2019 and the Minister for justice has committed to reviewing that Act. The Minister will also bring a memo to Government which will lay the guidelines before the Houses but he will not be bringing a resolution seeking their approval. The Deputy should not believe everything he reads in the newspapers.”
“It had a torturous progression and then, as the Deputy may recall, the Supreme Court became involved through the Delaney v . The Personal Injuries Board and Ors case. The court essentially said, in the context of the separation of powers, that it had to come back to the Oireachtas. If the guidelines recommended by the Judicial Council were to have effect, they would have to be affirmatively passed by the Dáil. Again, for the interests of the public watching in, this is not something that the Government is bringing to the Dáil to jack up prices. It is unusual to frame it that way, to say it lightly, because the Supreme Court took a decision. It was a four to three majority ruling, which was tight, by the Supreme Court. I observe the separation of powers absolutely and believe in it.”
“It is intriguing how the Deputy presents the case. In one sentence he says that the Government is going to jack up insurance awards and in another sentence he says that we are dithering. He is apparently urging us to bring clarity but I do not think he is urging us to bring clarity. I think he is urging us to fulfil maybe entirely the implications of the Act so that he can then start attacking the Government for political reasons. The reality is that the Oireachtas has created this situation. The Oireachtas provided the Judicial Council with the powers to propose amendments to the personal injuries guidelines in 2019. Those provisions were introduced by the then Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan, and were supported by all parties at the time, including Sinn Féin, the Deputy's party and the Labour Party.”
“That is the Government's intention, commitment and determination to do. The specific issues the Deputy has raised are being examined in considerable detail with a view to enabling Government to have the powers, ultimately, to deal with those particular mechanisms that have been used. We want to make sure that the financial capacity is retained in the country and made available to provide compensation.”
“We are examining changes to the Statute of Limitations on civil claims and changes to the status of unincorporated associations, as well as looking at the assets that religious orders have. An examination of how to ensure compensation from religious orders will run in parallel with the commission of investigation. It is complex work, will require detailed consideration and may take some time to complete. We will be open to engaging with the Deputy on any constructive proposals she has on this. Back in the late 1990s we amended the Statute of Limitations but it is acknowledged that more is needed. Some of the survivors' accounts in the scoping inquiry were quite horrific. Many of them were very clear that they want those who were responsible to be accountable and to contribute - more than contribute.”
“When the commission is ready to hear from those who wish to contribute to its work, it will be widely advertised. We have also accepted further recommendations of the scoping inquiry with regard to the remit of the commission, child protection issues, the legal system and memorialisation. It is clear from the scoping inquiry that many survivors view financial redress as an important measure of accountability for those who ran schools where sexual abuse happened. The Government is pursuing a very detailed examination to ensure that those responsible, including religious orders, are held accountable and make redress. The Office of the Attorney General with the Department of education and other relevant bodies is examining legal options that may be available to the State.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very serious issue. I agree with her about the work of the Ryan brothers, in particular, as a catalyst for the decision by the Minister, Deputy Norma Foley, to set up the scoping inquiry which led to the Minister, Deputy Helen McEntee, yesterday bringing to Government proposals for the establishment of a commission of investigation into the handling of historical child sexual abuse in schools. Yesterday the Government agreed to the appointment of Mr. Justice Michael McGrath, a judge at the Court of Appeal, as chair of the commission. The principal recommendation of the scoping inquiry was to establish such a commission. There will be a period of consultation prior to formal commencement.”
“That is not on my agenda and it is not on the Government's agenda. A Government memo is immaterial. We discussed this on Monday evening - the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach with the Minister for justice. There is no delay in this respect.”
“-----Government on a fundamental humanitarian question. That is not acceptable. From the very beginning of this war we did everything to get Irish citizens out of Gaza. Our embassies and our diplomats did everything possible to do it. Why does the Deputy think we would try to delay children coming out of Gaza? How dare you make that assertion.”
“They were fundamentally wrong. While there is no issue with raising questions and so on, the absolute motivation on the Deputy's side all the time seems to be to seek to sow doubt over the bona fides of-----”
“Is oth liom a rá nach bhfuil an Teachta McDonald cruinn leis an eolas atá aici agus leis an méid a dúirt sí ar maidin faoin gceist seo. Táim dearfach go mbeidh an Rialtas ag déanamh gach aon iarracht na leanaí seo a thabhairt isteach chomh tapa agus is féidir linn. Tá-----”
“We work with Jordan on a continuing basis wherever the children are. There is no issue for us in terms of the particular border crossing, the mechanism or the route out of Gaza. That is not an issue for us at all.”
“No current applications under this scheme are awaiting processing. The Minister is here and can confirm all of that. I would respectfully say that before making allegations and assertions, we should get the facts rights. As far as I am concerned, we will do everything we can to honour and fulfil what we have committed to, and do what we can to help children who desperately need treatment, care and wider supports because of the extraordinary trauma that has been visited on so many of them as a result of a horrific war that has no moral justification whatsoever any more in its assault on children. We want all the hostages released and an end to the war in Gaza. As a country, we will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza, the West Bank and the various agencies that support Palestinians in Jordan and Lebanon.”
“A Government memo will emerge that will, in many respects, adopt an even more generous response in terms of the number of family members, or siblings of an injured child, who can come. The presentation of a memo is not material to the next flight. It will regularise what has been happening already. The original Government decision allowed for one child and one person but, in practice, we have actually been doing much more than that. The amendment in the next memo the Minister will bring will regularise all that. It is as simple as that. It is not stopping anything. No one is saying the next flight cannot happen. There are obviously huge logistical issues in getting children out of Gaza. The WHO, medevac and others are working with us in co-ordinating that. There have been no delays in the processing of Irish-entry visas in this regard.”
“Approximately 12 children in total have arrived safely so far to receive medical treatment facilitated through those two evacuations, one in December last year and another in May this year. The children were accompanied by 12 mother-carers and 21 accompanying family members, so approximately 45 people, between adults and children, were facilitated. Ensuring the appropriate supports are in place to facilitate paediatric patients and their families is obviously key to the success of the overall operation. Planning is ongoing for the next medical evacuation operation. There is no delay. Nothing has been stopped. There is no bureaucratic wrangling. This is not subject to any Government memo.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. One of the appalling features of the war on Gaza has been the indiscriminate slaughter of innocent children. The serial killing of children as a result of indiscriminate bombing, attacks and shootings has shocked the world. The scale of injuries suffered by so many children is truly appalling. As a country, we have a strong tradition of providing humanitarian assistance. In September last year, following an appeal from the World Health Organization, the Government approved our participation in an initiative to evacuate a number of sick children from Gaza for treatment and care in Ireland. Four flights were agreed. Two have been successfully carried out.”
“I was intrigued by the Deputy's commentary that he has very good local contacts with Uisce Éireann and that occasionally he has very good engagement with the corporate level but suddenly it seems to have fallen into a lull at the moment.”
“I apologise. To Deputy Ó Cearúil, I absolutely agree on the need for social infrastructure to be considered alongside expansion, schools, creches and other social infrastructure. I agree with Deputy Heneghan on the detention ponds and all that. There are mechanisms that are low cost that can be used and should be deployed. On Dublin Bay more generally, we want to clean up our waterways and estuaries significantly. To Deputy Fleming, we have a target date of the end of July for publication of the national development plan. The Apple windfall, as it is called, will be allocated in the context of the NDP. The big priorities are housing, water, the grid, health digitalisation and public transport and roads. Deputy Ó Murchú referred to the EPA report. I do not have the exact specifics of the ones he referenced.”