Taoiseach tells Pearse Doherty to stop shouting and interrupting him.

'I think you should stop shouting and being Mr. Angry all the time,' Martin tells Doherty. pic.twitter.com/6jGLKJwtUP

— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) October 8, 2025

THERE WAS A loud back and forth during Leaders’ Questions today as Sinn Féin rounded on the Taoiseach over Budget 2026. 

At one point during an exchange between Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty and the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin told Doherty to stop shouting at him, telling him he doesn’t have to be “Mr Angry” all the time. 

“The Taoiseach will know all about anger later on tonight,” said Doherty, referring to the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting this evening where the Taoiseach is expected to face harsh criticism from TDs and senators about the handling of the Jim Gavin controversy. 

“Well, maybe Sinn Féin’s decision to sit it out and not have a candidate might have been a wise one after all, but anyway,” Martin replied. 

Doherty pointed out that there weren’t too many backbenchers in the Dáil today for Leaders’ Questions. 

“You could not get your Fianna Fáil backbenchers to turn up this morning. Read the room” said the Donegal TD. 

The Taoiseach defended the budget, stating that he was clear during the election campaign that protecting the economy, building up infrastructure and tackling child poverty would be his priorities. 

However, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald accused him of breaking his election promises stating that there were no cuts in childcare fees and no increase in the rent tax credit.

McDonald said that working people are “in shock and disbelief” over Budget 2026, stating that families are delaying key decisions like starting starting and expanding their family due to not being able to make ends meet. 

Martin repeatedly had to defend measures which will help developers and large food chains. He told the Dáil that he heard lots of talk about McDonald’s yesterday, stating that people that run these fast-food chains are franchisees. 

McDonald told the Taoiseach: “You say that your budget was about protecting the economy, but you’ve pulled the rug from under the very people who are the engine of that economy.”

Martin claimed, using the Central Bank’s formula, the Sinn Fein alternative budget “would add two and a half percent to the cost of living, to inflation”.

He said the government’s Budget would help build up public services, adding: “Workers in this country want better water services, want more houses, want better public transport, want more roads, better education services, better health services.”

Responding, McDonald said: “I’ll tell you what workers want, Taoiseach, they don’t listen to your bluster.”

“They want to be able to pay their bills, they want to be able to feed their children, they want to be able to run their homes.”

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Addressing the Taoiseach, Ivana Bacik took aim at the cost of childcare, the level of fees students will pay, and impact of the cost-of- living crisis on families.

She also said there was “nothing” in the Budget for disabled people or carers.

The Labour leader told the Dáil the removal of one-off support payments in the Budget is expected to cost disabled people 1,400 euro a year, declaring “that’s not loose change, it’s money that keeps the lights on”.

The Taoiseach said the Budget contains “significant increases in a range of payments” including disability pension, the domiciliary care allowance and funding for services for people with disabilities.

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairn focused on child poverty and homelessness, claiming: “It is just astounding that on Budget Day, the Minister for Finance failed to even mention the 16,000 people living in homelessness.”

The Fianna Fail leader pointed to “a whole series of measures which cumulatively will make an impact on consistent poverty”.

He said they include uplifts in weekly child support payments, core welfare rates and fuel allowances as well as an increase in the thresholds for the Working Family Payment and extension of the back to school clothing and footwear allowance to two and three-year-olds.

With reporting by Press Association