Micheál Martin
Cork South-Central · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“At the beginning of April, the Government approved the establishment of the Cork city futures group to guide development of Cork city for the future.”
“We have to have a budget that reflects the need to sustain that level of work in our economy so that people will have access to jobs. The AI issue is causing a lot of concern. I take heart from the investment announced by Intel this week, which will be AI-propelled, actually.”
“Dublin City Council is progressing the establishment of this new legal entity, in line with the timelines laid out in the roadmap; a ten-year integrated area strategy for Dublin city centre to optimise funding and investment and tackle vacancy and dereliction; and accelerated delivery of landmark capital projects in the city centre throug…”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 to 30, inclusive, together. This will be a long answer because there is one task group and one futures group.”
“I think Deputy Hayes was being a bit petty, if that is the word I am looking for, in what he said about Spain. Well, using the word "petty" might be a bit uncharitable today. It is more a Spain is more vociferous than us kind of thing. We have worked very well together on the Middle East. It is a very serious issue.”
“A dedicated body, to be known as The Cork City Futures Group, will work to unlock the city’s full economic, cultural and academic potential, alongside further investment, innovation and infrastructure. I think people are familiar with the terms of reference.”
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“That will cause its own controversy when it is published towards the end of the summer. It will endeavour to say that some lands can be used for this and some can be used for that. It is not simple. However, at the moment we have an opportunity to get a regulatory framework in place. While it is growing, solar is not at any huge level yet. Rooftop solar is vital. That should be done and facilitated. Rooftop is improving dramatically. For example, at PepsiCo in Carrigaline, 25% of its plant is now done by its rooftop solar. I do get the point about whether, if it is very rich agricultural land, it should remain to be used for agricultural purposes. I envisage that in the future, in less productive areas, we need to incentivise more alternative revenue streams for farmers. We definitely need to do that into the future.”
“The various climate reports show that Ireland is falling significantly below the targets in terms of the 51% or in terms of the European Union target. One of the most effective routes for us to try to achieve targets is through renewable energy, be it offshore wind, onshore wind or solar. There are competing interests against that. We are not achieving it at the level we should. Equally, agriculture is extremely important and is vital to local communities in its economic impact and so on. There is a third factor, by the way; private individuals' property rights are enshrined in the Constitution. That cannot be ignored either. There has to be a planning framework governing the use of land. There was a recent study done on land use in the context of climate change, which is a very significant issue.”
“I do not criticise Enterprise Ireland for supporting a technology company or a drone company. There are applications of drones that would be particularly legitimate. Why someone has to get a drone for a cup of coffee is beyond me. You need to walk around to the local shop and get your coffee, or make the cup of coffee, or green tea or whatever your poison is. I have to agree with the Deputy there. We need balance and perspective but we cannot all control human behaviour. There is an issue in terms of regulation. If it gets to a stage where there are 2 million flights, clearly there is a danger and a health and safety issue if nothing else. Deputy James O'Connor raised the major solar installations across the country. There are competing issues there.”
“The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, will publish a policy framework in the summer in respect of drones. I do think there are issues. There is a balance in respect of the growth of technology and Enterprise Ireland supports up-and-coming technology companies. Drones will be used everywhere in different contexts.”
“I was at a pitch with the Deputy and noted it could not be accessed at all by the club for three months of the winter because it had no floodlights. The councils in Dublin need to get a move on. In Kerry and Cork, there are facilities everywhere. They are not owned by the councils. In many cases around the country, the councils offer long-term leases. In Dublin, a lease is about five years, ten years or 20 years; in Cork, it is 100 years. I am being provocative but if I were a Dublin TD, I would really be kicking someone regarding this issue because there is a paucity. Some clubs have great sports facilities but in others, as in the Deputy’s locality, access is restricted. I never actually recovered from the 60 m sprint I did with the Deputy. Every joint of the body was suffering afterwards as a result.”
“We have the Constitution and legal frameworks, and people have rights and there are societal rights. In any event, I hope a decision comes through quickly because we do need to get the work under way. The provision of water, to me, has to be the number one priority. On Deputy Moynihan’s point, public transport is extremely important. There will be significant investment in public transport under the national development plan. I take the point on sustainable communities. I travelled around Lucan and Clondalkin with the Deputy in respect of a very serious issue concerning access to playing facilities and what I would see as poor provision by local authorities in respect of existing land and pitches for clubs, restrictions on them and so on. We do not experience that in other counties. Dublin has particular problems in that regard.”
“The new planning legislation seeks to streamline the practice of judicial reviews but it was opposed by everyone in the House bar those on the Government side in the last Dáil. There is no point in coming in here and asking me what will be done at the highest level. We all agree in here that there has to be separation between An Bord Pleanála’s decision-making process and the Government and Oireachtas. If we started interfering in various decisions, it would be a problem. I do believe there is an issue. I take the Deputy’s point on being honest in our conversation on infrastructure that is vital nationally. Water is an essential existential resource for the citizens of a city or country. Wastewater treatment is like this. Therefore, these are issues we should keep under review.”
“We want it out of An Bord Pleanála as quickly as we can but, given the experience of the High Court the last time, I presume those concerned do not want to end up there again. We have the commission, An Coimisiún Pleanála, which will over time be given mandatory timelines to deliver on planning positions. It is a very serious issue. One wonders why we have had serial objections to wastewater treatment plants over the past two decades. Even those who are for the environment oppose water treatment plants even though they are designed to treat raw sewage going into the harbour. This has been a feature of Irish society for quite a while. Then we end up with judicial reviews.”
“I thank all the Deputies for the contributions. Deputy Bacik raised the greater Dublin drainage project. As she said herself, it was quashed by the High Court, for some technical reason or whatever. The Government is not responsible for that. I do not know what the issues were that led to-----”
“To oversee the work of the division, an accelerating infrastructure task force has also been established, chaired by the Minister, Deputy Chambers, and is comprised of independent experts along with representatives from commercial, semi-State bodies at the front line of infrastructure development. The Cabinet committee on infrastructure is also overseeing the review process for the national development plan, which will be completed in the coming weeks. The review will set our investment priorities for the next five years, ensuring focus on programmes which will enable economic and social development, with a particular focus on housing, energy, water, grid infrastructure and health digitalisation.”
“The division includes experts who have been deployed from EirGrid, ESB Networks, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Uisce Éireann and An Coimisiún Pleanála. These experts are working with officials in the Department to develop impactful policies that improve the speed and efficiency of critical infrastructure delivery. The new division is currently engaging with experts, consulting with stakeholders and the public and reviewing international best practice. Through this process, it is identifying the most critical barriers to delivery and will develop a set of high impact reform measures to address these barriers.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 to 27, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on infrastructure last met on Monday, 28 April and is due to meet again on Thursday, 17 July. The committee oversees programme for Government commitments in relation to infrastructure delivery and its work reflects the importance this Government is placing on the issue. The delivery of growth enhancing infrastructure is a key enabler for our national competitiveness, fostering regional development, delivering on our housing commitments and meeting social needs. The new infrastructure division is now up and running in the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. It is examining the means by which infrastructure development can be accelerated.”
“----but maybe the Minister can respond to the specifics of that. On Deputy McGuinness' question, as he knows there had been a previous industrial relations issue about secretaries' salaries. That was settled with Fórsa trade union. The term used at the time was full and final settlement. I acknowledge pensions is a separate issue. First of all, school secretaries are an extremely important part of the entire staff of a school and are key. I welcome the fact we were able to arrive at a settlement on the pay front. The Minister is keeping this issue under review. Obviously, this is an issue that at some stage has to get into a process to get resolved.”
“I do not know what is happening with individual schools' allocations but the numbers are growing exponentially. We are close to 23,000 SNAs now. It has been a story of increases and increases. I acknowledge the numbers of children who have been identified with a disability has increased as well. It was quite high in the most recent census, much higher than the previous census. Demand is rising but so are the allocations.”
“I will have to look into the background of that and come back to the Deputy with an answer from the Minister. On Deputy McDonald's question about special needs assistants, the numbers are growing exponentially.”
“I am not quite clear what Deputy O'Sullivan was referring to in respect of the Department of children and equality not reconciling pay and numbers between the HSE and the Department of children. I will check that with the Minister for children and come back to the Deputy. On Deputy's Heneghan's issue, is it that the school has privately resourced a teacher?”
“A Fianna Fáil Minister introduced DEIS more than two decades ago. Norma Foley in the last Government dramatically expanded it. The good news is that progression from DEIS schools to further and higher education has risen to 64%, closing the gap with the non-DEIS schools, which stands at 80%. These are real achievements at third level and we should not lose sight of them in all the other commentary. I dealt with that issue earlier. The budget and the Estimates will deal with the provision for third level education for the next academic year. I think I answered Deputy O'Rourke's question on the commission of investigation, in that the Minister and the Department officials are working on that issue. They have a bit more work to do. They will come back to the House when that is completed.”
“When we provide additional places, it is important they are for children on the waiting list, primarily. That is why they are being secured and the NCSE is working hard on that. In response to Deputy Coppinger, what is significant in terms of third level education is that we are now third in the OECD for tertiary attainment. In Ireland 54% of adults hold a third level qualification which is well above the European Union average of 35%. The national access plan, SUSI grants and the fund for students with disabilities have significantly widened access for disadvantaged, disabled and under-represented students. That is a story of progress that does not get highlighted at all. The share of higher education entrants with a disability rose from 12.4% in 2022 to 14.7% in 2024. Over 14,800 learners with disabilities are now in further education.”
“I will come back to the Deputy on recruitment of teachers for the 400 extra classes. Deputy Ó Murchú raised class places for children with special educational needs. Some significant work has been undertaken by the Minister with responsibility for special education, Deputy Moynihan, and the Minister for education, Deputy McEntee. Both are working hard on special education and securing places for children in advance of the school year. They have made good progress. Some schools will need structural work. Some may not be ready in September but will certainly be ready at some stage in the next school year. We are doing everything we can to ensure that in future years planning starts earlier. Trials are being conducted on a common application system to streamline that.”
“Dividing the number of teachers in schools by pupils gives extraordinary outcomes. The pupil-teacher ratio is 12.8 in a primary school, down from 14.5. It is 12.2 in post primary. That is dividing the number of teachers crudely into the number of pupils. That has created challenges as we seek to expand special classes this year. Some 400 special classes have been confirmed. We need to assess it again. There are particular issues in particular locations with housing and so on but the overall story when you stand back and look at what has happened in recent years is more and more people have come into teaching. Listening to some of the commentary, one would imagine it was going in the opposite direction. There needs to be balance and perspective in the debate. I just thought I would make that observation.”
“As well as setting up the inquiry, the Minister and her Department are working on that issue. Deputy O'Meara raised the teacher refund scheme. I will talk to the Minister in that regard. I think that is an omission. Counsellors in schools are teachers, predominantly. Deputy Connolly spoke of teacher vacancies. I want to make the point to everyone in the House that the annual education indicators report for the 2023-2024 school year was presented to Cabinet today. It is published jointly by the Department of Education and Youth and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. We have more teachers than we ever had. Total teaching posts rose to 76,223 in the last year; that is up from 69,221 in 2020. The pupil-teacher ratio is declining. Class sizes have decreased from 23.3 to 22.5 since 2020.”
“That is difficult as well. One has to make an assessment of what is happening. That said, the Department is working on this. Fundamentally, those who have committed the crimes and those responsible for them should pay. That is the religious orders, in particular. A significant degree of work is under way in the Department to identify various scenarios. In previous times, the State went first and got roundly criticised by everyone in this House. I am particularly thinking of the institutional abuse case, where the State got criticised even though it moved quickly to avoid people having to go through the courts and provided a redress scheme for survivors of institutions. In this instance, many of the orders have resources that they can allocate. In any event, that work is under way.”
“I pay tribute to Mark and David Ryan for what they did in providing a catalyst for the establishment of this inquiry and the scoping inquiry before it. It would be unprecedented to have a redress scheme in advance of a commission of inquiry.”
“These commitments include setting an ambitious child poverty target, progressively increasing the child support payment, expanding eligibility for the fuel allowance to families in receipt of the working family payment and exploring a targeted child benefit payment. Investment in education is central to this work to address child poverty and disadvantage. The Government’s vision for education is to deliver a world-class education system which breaks down barriers and ensures every child can achieve their full potential. That is why we remain committed to building on the work of the DEIS programme, which since 2006 has been operating to tackle educational disadvantage. The Cabinet committee meets quarterly and will meet for the second time shortly.”
“The programme for Government contains many important commitments intended to improve the lives of all children, and especially those children who need our help most. One of the key areas relates to Government ambitions to reduce child poverty and enhance child well-being. The programme for Government commits to retaining the child poverty and well-being office in the Department of the Taoiseach to break down silos between Departments and drive delivery of measures aimed at reducing child poverty. The programme for Government also contains many commitments directly relevant to reducing child poverty and promoting child well-being.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 13, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on children and education oversees the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the area of children and education. It receives detailed reports on identified policy areas such as child poverty and well-being and education. The membership of the Cabinet committee on children and education comprises the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Minister for foreign affairs and Defence, the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, the Minister for Children, Disability, and Equality, the Minister for Health, the Minister for Social Protection, the Minister for Education and Youth and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.”
“I just gave an answer. The Deputy does not like it. On dementia services, I will talk to the HSE and the Minister in respect of what is happening at the Royal Hospital Donnybrook. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, did exceptional work on dementia during the term of the previous Government and improved resources significantly. More generally, we will focus on dementia provision in the budget. I do not have the details here today but it is something we have consistently improved upon in the past number of years and, notwithstanding a more challenging scenario, we are anxious to do what we can for dementia.”
“-----which is a very positive development that the Deputy should acknowledge. The previous Government also introduced minimum pricing for alcohol to target young people in particular in endeavouring to reduce the consumption of alcohol. We have some of the highest prices for alcohol in Europe, which has impacted-----”
“Alcohol is a contributory factor to cancer. The more fundamental issue is to reduce the levels of consumption of alcohol in the country. The significant story is that, from 2000 to now, there has been a very substantial and significant reduction in the consumption of alcohol-----”
“I am just saying it. There are too many coming into the House asking for more and more. To be very frank about it, I have watched O'Devaney Gardens and Oscar Traynor Road over the years and it should not take a decade to get agreement on what we do to build houses on a massive site.”
“They did not have a whole lot of money but they had good vision for their areas, which then dovetailed with national plans, resulting in very good cultural, social and developmental progress in towns the length and breadth of the country.”
“I will talk to the Minister. The abolition of town councils was a big mistake. I said that at the time, although I was in opposition. I think it was introduced by Brendan Howlin but he subsequently said it was a mistake. I am a great believer in restoring councils or creating new councils in line with the programme for Government. I will have a look at who is on the task force because there are always people who just want to maintain the status quo . Local representation is positive for local democracy and for local areas. I want to see that advance and that is the Government position. I particularly refer to new and growing areas. Many towns around the country had great visionary urban district councils in the past.”
“The scheme has been very effective. The targets were refined this year by the Ministers for housing and public expenditure with a view to making sure resources are targeted at those who are in immediate danger of homelessness. We do not want local authorities only doing acquisitions as part of their social housing programmes. We want local authorities building new social houses and to do more of that. That, said the Minister is looking at particular cases. He is constantly engaging with local authorities on what could be done. Some €329 million has been allocated to the tenant in situ scheme nationally but we are getting reports that, in some areas, some cases are falling through the net so the Minister is reviewing that.”
“The northern distributor road will be looked at in the context of the roads programme. It should happen because of the incredible role Apple has played in providing employment in the area. Up to 6,000 people are working there and the transport infrastructure should match that. I will come back to the Deputy.”
“Is Ballincollig on the south side or the north side? That kind of argument was used 30 years ago but the bottom line is that light rail will be good for every part of the city. On the Cork city task force, there has been huge investment in Cork over the last four to five years. I have indicated that we will be setting up a Cork city task force but we have to get the terms of reference and the focus right. I agree with the Deputy that the focus should be on the city centre but also the immediate suburbs around the city centre, including the old north central and the old south central, Douglas Street, Blackpool and all of those areas. However, it should not be too broad. As the Deputy will know, there is very significant investment in the docklands, which has been fantastic.”
“In addition to complying with the EU drone regulations, drone operators must also comply with national laws, including environmental, planning and privacy laws. While there is a comprehensive regulatory framework in place, I am not so sure everybody knows that and perhaps that is something a Dáil committee could interrogate a bit more. There are areas where the rapid pace of expansion of drone operations has resulted in gaps and uncertainty - hence the development of a policy framework.”
“My understanding is that the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien, is finalising work on a draft policy framework for unmanned aircraft systems. He expects to publish it in the summer and will seek to identify and address any public, regulatory or legislative gaps. There is a comprehensive EU legislative framework in place to regulate safe drone operations that is directly applicable in Ireland. These regulations cover both recreational and commercial use, including commercial drone delivery services. The aim of the EU drone regulations is to achieve the same level of safety for drone operations as in manned aviation. The Irish Aviation Authority, which is the civil aviation regulator, oversees the implementation of the EU drone regulations and standards.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I do not know whether the person concerned has secured a personal insolvency practitioner because that is the mechanism to deal with this in terms of engaging with whoever has the loan now. Generally, the courts have been sympathetic to people in their primary family residence, in terms of not evicting. A process of engagement is required to see if a resolution can be worked out that is affordable for the person, particularly given the circumstances-----”
“I will engage with the Minister in respect of this. It is my understanding that there is no cutback programme in place. We have been expanding services generally in the further education field but I will certainly bring this to the Minister's attention, with a view to reverting to the Deputy on it.”
“Again, as I said earlier, we are providing funding in the interim both to the HSE but also to private providers. Last year private providers cost about €6.8 million and we have allocated a further €10 million this year to deliver close to 3,000 more assessments and to boost capacity, with new assessment teams and so forth. Perhaps the Deputy could work with the HSE to identify private capacity within the Cavan area. Perhaps that is something we could work on, in terms of providing some resource there in addition to the HSE resource. I know, for example, that there is a zero waiting list for CAMHS in Cavan so it may be possible to do something on a localised basis.”
“The biggest major research into sexual abuse in this country was done nearly two decades ago and was quite revealing. It was not revealing in terms of race or anything like that. It was revealing in terms of the prevalence of abuse across the country. One can argue that was earlier, but it still continues. One can look at all of the inquiries we have had. We had one into institutional abuse in industrial schools and we have just announced today a commission of inquiry into sexual abuse in all primary and second level schools. By definition, given the historical timeframe for that inquiry, it is not a race focused thing.”
“At the moment, the way things are legislated for, it is the assessment of need first and then there is a long delay while they are awaiting access to services. The CDNTs are getting more people recruited and that is also a positive.”
“I answered some of this earlier in response to a different question. Just to get a sense of perspective, progress is being made even within the existing system. There is no doubt there is a significant increase in people waiting. However, over 4,000 assessments were completed in 2024, a 30% increase on 2023. Some 1,400 assessments were completed in the first three months of this year, a 65% increase compared with the same period last year. A total of 2,479 assessments were commissioned from private providers at a cost of nearly €7 million, targeting the longest waiting families through the HSE's waiting list initiative. We will do everything we can to accelerate procedures, but we need to change the legislation so that we prioritise access for children to therapies.”
“MARA is part of the solution. In 2022 the Government introduced the nitrates action programme. The Deputy knows there is an action plan there. She also knows it is the most robust nitrates action programme to date in terms of water quality. Last August the Department of agriculture and marine published Water and Agriculture - A Collaborative Approach. Progress has been made with a 10% reduction in nitrate concentration in our rivers in most regions. EPA reports have confirmed the trend of a reducing number of rivers with elevated nitrate levels. However, further reductions in nitrate concentration are needed, particularly in the south east.”
“I express my sympathies to the family of Jacqui Browne, who was an indefatigable strong advocate for all those who suffered as a result of the thalidomide scandal.”
“I share the frustration with this process. I will say two things in passing. First, notwithstanding the fact we await the signing off of the process, not on our side but by the group and the legal representation, a judge has been appointed. We sought nominees for the judge and accepted the nominations that were put forward. Meanwhile, anything relating to health is now 100% available for survivors, as is anything to do with house refurbishment or whatever is required for them. We are very anxious to get sign-off on the process and on judges. We have a HSE liaison co-ordinator who has done very effective work and is working with quite a number of survivors on their needs and so on.”
“It will be a priority that they get access to services straightaway. That legislation has to take place to resolve this, as well as utilising whatever capacity is in the system. I know that Cara Darmody has met with the HSE and with the Minister of State, Deputy Butler.”
“I welcome the Irish Wheelchair Association and the Tipperary Volunteer Centre. We will maybe meet them all again in two weeks at the all-Ireland hurling final. I cannot say, "Up Tipp" or "Up Cork". I am going to try to be neutral but I think people know where my heart is. On the issue of assessments of need, we set up a special Cabinet subcommittee on disability, which met yesterday. There has been progress on the increase in numbers on CDNTs and significant progress on the school-based therapy service for special schools. The Minister for public expenditure has allocated funding for the next school year beginning in September. On assessments of need, and I said this, there will be a change in the legislation to prioritise access for children with special needs to services.”
“In order to ensure the grant scheme follows the most up-to-date science, changes were made to the scheme late last year to take account of the most recent research. There is forthcoming legislation which will make amendments to the grant scheme to allow these changes to be implemented by the administrators of the grant scheme - the local authorities themselves. As the Deputy knows, in March the NSAI commenced the public consultation period of the revised draft of IS465.”
“We want to meet homeowners' needs in an efficient and effective way. At the moment, there are about 2,600 homeowners at various stages of the scheme. I will ask the Minister about some of the issues Deputy Ward has raised, for example, delayed payments. That should not be the case. We need a bit more consistent data in terms of the overall scheme. There are a lot of anecdotal stories. I am not saying they are wrong but I am just saying a lot of this is anecdotal at the moment. We need to develop consistent data in respect of this. The grant rates were set, and increased in 2024 again, based on expert advice at a level to ensure homeowners get the money they need to put their homes right.”