More ministers would ease pressure on 'overloaded departments' — Tánaiste

Micheál Martin said increasing the number of ministers would be a 'constitutional matter', which could mean there would have to be a referendum

Tánaiste Micheál Martin speaking at the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis, at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre. Picture: Damien Storan/PA Wire

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said there is an argument for more ministers in a future government to ease the pressures on “overloaded departments”.

The Minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs was asked if there should be a separate Defence Forces Minister.

He didn’t appear to think there was, but he said he felt other departments could do with extra ministers, like his Green Party government colleague Eamon Ryan’s Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.

He also described another Green Party government colleague, Catherine Martin’s Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media as “overloaded”.

However, he said increasing the number of ministers would be a “constitutional matter”, which could mean there would have to be a referendum.

Speaking at the opening of a new €4.5m accommodation block in Collins Barracks in Cork city, he said: “There's a challenge overall in terms of government formation, which is actually constitutional in the sense of the numbers of senior ministers you can have.

“I can think of two departments at the moment that, I would argue, are overloaded and that's not Foreign Affairs and Defence.

“It's areas like the whole communications, climate, all that, it’s a huge department, transport.

“You also have tourism, culture, and arts.

“So, it’s not for now but if one was forming a new government, thinking ahead, I think — because there are new areas emerging — there is an argument for additionality, in terms of the number of cabinet ports but that's not something that can be done anytime soon.” 

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Asked if it was a constitutional matter, he confirmed that it would be, but he laughed when the need for a referendum was suggested.

He added: “We need to do a more serious analysis of it.” 

Of his own department and calls for a standalone Defence Minister, he replied: “I think what's critical is that it's a senior minister, responsible for defence at the cabinet table, as we've had now for the last four years.”

Meanwhile, the Tánaiste was also asked about a video he was tagged to on social media showing brown water coming from the taps of a Cork city home.

The resident who put it up pointed out that, for the past 18 months, they and other residents in Ballyvolane have had to buy their own bottled water because they can’t rely on their own water supply.

Mr Martin said: “I've been engaged with (Irish Water).

“My understanding is it's not as simple as just sorting it out in a short timeframe.

“The quality of the water is not satisfactory at all. 

“We need to get it sorted.”