Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne has called on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to inject more urgency into delivering critical infrastructure, warning that “if you’re not finding solutions, you’re part of the problem,” reports Breaking News.
Byrne’s comments come amid reports of unrest within Fianna Fáil following Jim Gavin’s unsuccessful presidential campaign, which ended prematurely. However, he said the party’s main focus should remain on accelerating delivery in areas such as housing, childcare, and disability services.
“The presidential election will fade from memory, but if we’re not seen to have made significant progress on housing, infrastructure, disability and childcare, those are issues that really impact the wider public,” Byrne told Breaking News.
He described the pace of progress on key issues as frustrating, despite a strong economy and capable workforce. “For some reason in Ireland, there is an incredible slowness about getting things done. That is painful to watch at times,” he said.
Byrne argued that while criticism of Martin exists within Fianna Fáil, “this is not just about Micheál Martin.” Yet, he stressed that the Taoiseach must take a more proactive role in addressing bottlenecks in housing and infrastructure.
Pointing to the 1920s Ardnacrusha power station project, Byrne said: “On energy in Ireland today, we need an Ardnacrusha moment… Even with modern technology, we’re not able to get that six-year turnaround we could a century ago. That’s holding up our country’s economic and social development.”
He called for every relevant minister, government secretary-general, and agency chief to ask themselves daily, “what am I doing to ensure the building of more homes?” Byrne added, “Being blunt, if they are not doing that, then they’re part of the problem.”
Byrne urged a more radical, hands-on approach, citing Charlie Haughey’s Irish Financial Services Centre meetings as a model for housing and infrastructure delivery. He highlighted congestion on the M11, limited rail services, and challenges with childcare and disability services as urgent priorities.
He also raised concerns over underperforming agencies, citing a last-minute cancellation of a meeting he organised between local community groups and Uisce Éireann. “There is a question to some of those agencies: are they really serving the public, or are they serving themselves?” he said.
Byrne concluded that the Government must speed up solutions to critical issues, reflecting the frustrations of constituents in north Wexford and south Wicklow. “We’re one year in government… it’s about injecting an urgency into some of these processes,” he said.
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