Martin criticised for 'absence' as O'Callaghan immigration reforms take centre stage

James Cox

Here, we have a look at the issues likely to dominate political discourse in the week to come.

Taoiseach criticised over travel

Micheál Martin has rejected claims he has spent too much time abroad since he became Taoiseach in January this year, and also hit back at criticism from Fianna Fáil TDs.

In the last 10 months, he has travelled abroad 20 times.

He has been to Brazil and South Africa for COP30 and the G20 in the last three weeks, and it has been confirmed he will fly to China at the beginning of next year.

However, speaking from Angola on Monday where he was attending the EU/African Union Summit, Mr Martin said any time he goes abroad, it is for the good of the country.

"Are people thinking we go back to a sort of isolated position where we don't attend any meetings? This is ridiculous... whoever is asserting that.

"You're saying mutterings... noone has ever said to me [that he travels too much]. In terms of my visits and so on... I've limited them to just functional meetings, I don't go abroad for any other reason but to advance the country's agenda."

“Most people in the country accept that the leader of the country has to engage internationally,” he added.

“So much emanates from the international world in terms of influence. The first crisis we had to deal with was the tariffs issue. It is important for jobs in our economy, for the technology industry, for the life sciences industry. We navigated that well both within the European Union and indeed with the United States. That’s why international engagement matters, for God’s sake."

Opposition parties were also critical of the Taoiseach's absence from Leaders' Questions on Tuesday.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald asked “where is the Taoiseach?” before raising how people were struggling with hikes to their energy bills.

“Ca bhfuil an Taoiseach?” Ms McDonald said at the opening of Leaders’ Questions on Tuesday.

Labour leader Ms Bacik said the Taoiseach was absent and it was a “nice surprise” to see Transport and Energy Minister Darragh O’Brien stand in for him.

Immigration laws

People seeking international protection face paying up to 40 per cent of their weekly income to fund the cost of State accommodation, under proposals from Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan.

He brought three memos to Cabinet.

One will require refugees who are working to pay towards their own accommodation.

Another will limit which family members someone granted status here can bring to Ireland to direct relatives - children, spouses and dependent parents.

The Government is also planning to increase the wait time to the residency rules around citizenship from three to five years, and putting restrictions in place meaning those who have been getting a social welfare payment from the State or owe money to the State won't be able to apply.

The moves have been worked on for some time but come in part in response to the UK also tightening its immigration rules.

Nick Henderson, chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council, said some of the conditions being attached, including that the person must have their own accommodation, will make things difficult.

Mr Henderson told Newstalk: "Firstly, it currently takes about 18 months for a family unification application to be processed. So a person, it seems, would have to find accommodation and try to keep that accommodation free and try to pay for it in the duration of their application."

Mr Henderson added: "I just don't see how that's practical or reasonable. Is that actually quite irresponsible? To place somebody in a position where they have a choice of trying to get some support if they for example have lost their job, or they've become unwell, or if they have a disability or are pregnant.

"Somebody has that choice to take that support or just wait, sit it out, hope that they get better."

O'Callaghan the leader in waiting?

Mr O'Callaghan has been continually tipped as the next leader of Fianna Fáil.

Some of the criticism of Mr Martin's travel came from members of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party, pointing to continued unrest from backbenchers.

He has denied claims it will delay the review into Fianna Fáil's disastrous presidential campaign and how Jim Gavin was selected.

Mr Martin has insisted he will lead the party into the next election, but Mr O'Callaghan is waiting in the wings.

He is biding his time and refusing to launch a coup, but things change very quickly in politics.

The Justice Minister is never far from the airwaves, particularly with immigration reform, and this will undoubtedly be a source of anxiety for Mr Martin.

Abroad

US president Donald Trump isn't on the ballot in next November's midterm elections, but he’s plunging into them with his own presidency at stake.

As early as this summer, 18 months before Election Day 2026, Mr Trump was urging Republican congressmen exploring Senate or gubernatorial runs to stand for re-election instead to avoid party primary fights, according to a White House official, a senior Trump adviser and a party operative.

Such an early, hands-on involvement in midterm elections is unprecedented for a president in modern times.

Meanwhile, talks on a Ukraine peace plan continue, with Mr Trump pressuring Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy to accept a deal that would force the country to give up large areas to Russia.