Shane Ross and Micheál Martin clash over Minister’s performance

Minister for Transport Shane Ross and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin have clashed over Mr Ross's performance in his portfolio. Mr Martin accused Mr Ross of "absolute silence" in his department and suggested Taoiseach Enda Kenny should bring back his "report cards" for Ministers.

Mr Ross hit back and said Mr Martin was known as “the minister for reports” when he had the health portfolio and had commissioned 115 of them, which the Minister said cost €30 million and some of which were not read.

Mr Martin had criticised Mr Ross during the Dáil debate on Budget 2017. "Many in this House are wondering what the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is doing in his portfolio," the Fianna Fáil leader said. "There has been absolute silence for the past few months." Criticising Mr Ross, he added: "We are all wondering what will emerge from that department in due course."

"Nothing," said Labour leader Brendan Howlin, who described Mr Ross as "one of the least effective ministers the House has ever seen".

Mr Martin suggested the Taoiseach should get involved. “There was a time when he was very enthusiastic about report cards,” he added. “I respectfully suggest the report cards of some of his Ministers would not be glowing at this juncture.”

When Mr Ross spoke in the debate a number of hours later, he hit back at Mr Martin’s own performance as minister for health. Mr Ross said he found it a “little bit strange” that the Fianna Fáil leader wanted him to make announcements.

“He should have patience, he should be careful,” Mr Ross said. “You don’t do everything in six months and you don’t do everything by announcements.” He warned Mr Martin not to get “carried away with the power he holds in this House and in his willingness to attack people for not delivering enormous achievements in their first six months.”

He said Mr Martin was known as the minister for reports when he was in health. “He ordered review after review. He ordered 115 reviews that cost €30 million.” He would not take lectures from Mr Martin “when his prime achievement in making announcements was spending money on consultancy reports, some of the time which he didn’t even read”.

Opening the debate, the Taoiseach described Budget 2017 as “a significant milestone” but only a step “in the ongoing journey of a healing that we are taking as a people”. He said the budget “will not jeopardise our recent economic progress by taking reckless risks”.

Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin described the budget as a “master class in Government self-survival and ironically, at the same time, it is skilfully keeping the party of purported main opposition and its reputation safe, for now at least”.

People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith criticised the Government’s “largesse to landlords and corporate bodies”, while young unemployed people aged 18 to 24 would gain just €2.70 extra a week in social welfare, which was “not even the bus fare into the city for a job interview”.