Results 50,701-50,720 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: She will not support anything that in any way she perceives to be injurious to her electoral base or might cost her a few votes. That is the prism through which she is looking at our housing crisis. I recall that she is the person that said she will build 100,000 per year-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: -----through some new-fangled national State building agency, the details of which are few and far between. The Deputy has not produced solutions. We have built more than 30,000 per annum over the past number of years.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: In the first quarter of this year, housing completions were close to 6,000. The actual number was 5,938. That is the highest since the record in 2011, bar the spike after Covid-19. There is a lot of delivery happening. The land market activity on residential zoned areas is up. There is a great deal of activity there. We have to keep going and get the job done.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: I have no difficulty in taking responsibility. We are taking decisions.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: The Deputy is criticising decisions. She said, "We are in opposition". The Labour Party could have been in government-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: -----but it did not have the courage.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: You and many in your party did not have the courage. Why? It was because-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: Look, it hurts. I have the floor.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: I accept what I just said hurts the party. I note Deputy Kelly is not here. To be fair to him, he wanted to go into government, but the others did not-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: -----and the reason they did not want to go into government was that they are afraid of the people alongside them.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: You were afraid to jump in case they would not jump and vice versa.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: I have no difficulty in taking responsibility, but maybe it is time Deputy Bacik took some responsibility and fleshed out her details.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: But they have all joined forces now.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: I reject the use of language like "chaotic" and all that. It is a good sound bite, but that is all it is - a sound bite with no substance behind it. The bottom line is that the reforms announced last week will enhance protections. The Deputy says it will drive up rents. Every existing tenant will have their rent capped at 2%. There will be no increase. Does the Deputy acknowledge that?...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: There is no real detailed teasing out of issues or discussion of issues in here on Leaders' Questions - it is get up and have a go. The Deputy mentioned the proposal around the SSIA, a savings and investments scheme. She must acknowledge that it would take some years before the necessary funds would be available. The State itself is investing hugely with about €6.8 billion in...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: The Government's focus has been on housing supply. The Government has dramatically increased the level of public sector investment. We had record numbers of social houses built in the last four years. One would need to go as far back as 1975 to get an equivalent level of social housing built.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: We have built up to 36,000 social houses since.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: We have also supported affordability.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: For example, the help to buy scheme and the first home scheme are significant supports for first-time buyers. I know the main Opposition party, to which the other parties have all aligned, wanted to get rid of the first home scheme-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)
Micheál Martin: -----and wanted to get rid of the help to buy scheme. It wants to get rid of those two schemes for first-time buyers. In addition, we have produced very significant grant support for people who want to renovate and live in a derelict house, for example, or in a vacant house. This is not investor led. This is people-led investment and support that we as a Government have introduced and...