page_title: Micheál Martin
hierarchical_section_title: Micheál Martin
caption_attribution_description: English&#x3a;&#32; Official portrait of Micheál Martin TD used on the Houses of the Oireachtas website.Gaeilge&#x3a;&#32; Portráid oifigiúil de Micheál Martin TD a úsáidtear ar an Tithe an Oireachtais suíomh gréasáin.
context_page_description: Micheál Martin is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Taoiseach since June 2020, and Leader of Fianna Fáil since 2011. He previously served as Leader of the Opposition in Ireland from 2011 to 2020, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2011 and Minister for Health and Children from 2000 to 2004. He has been a Teachta Dála for Cork South-Central since 1989.
  Martin was Lord Mayor of Cork from 1992 to 1993 and Minister for Education and Science from 1997 to 2000. He then served as Minister for Health and Children, where in 2004, he introduced a ban on tobacco smoking in all Irish workplaces and established the Health Service Executive. Ireland was the first country to introduce a full workplace smoking ban. He served as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 2004 to 2008, before being appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs by Brian Cowen. As Foreign Minister, in 2009, Martin travelled to Latin America for the first time, and made the first official visit to Cuba by an Irish Minister. That same year, he travelled to Khartoum following the kidnapping of Sharon Commins and Hilda Kawuki.
context_section_description: Micheál Martin ([ˈmʲiːçaːl̪ˠ]; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Taoiseach since June 2020, and Leader of Fianna Fáil since 2011. He previously served as Leader of the Opposition in Ireland from 2011 to 2020, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2011 and Minister for Health and Children from 2000 to 2004. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for Cork South-Central since 1989.
  Martin was Lord Mayor of Cork from 1992 to 1993 and Minister for Education and Science from 1997 to 2000. He then served as Minister for Health and Children, where in 2004, he introduced a ban on tobacco smoking in all Irish workplaces and established the Health Service Executive (HSE). Ireland was the first country to introduce a full workplace smoking ban. He served as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 2004 to 2008, before being appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs by Brian Cowen. As Foreign Minister, in 2009, Martin travelled to Latin America for the first time, and made the first official visit to Cuba by an Irish Minister. That same year, he travelled to Khartoum following the kidnapping of Sharon Commins and Hilda Kawuki. In 2010, he became the first Western foreign minister to visit Gaza since Hamas took control there in 2007. 
  In January 2011, Martin resigned as Minister for Foreign Affairs and was elected as the eighth leader of Fianna Fáil following Cowen's resignation as party leader. In the 2011 general election, Martin led the party to its worst showing in its 85-year history, with a loss of 57 seats and a drop in its share of the popular vote to 17.4%. In the 2016 general election, Fianna Fáil's performance improved significantly, more than doubling their Dáil representation to 44 seats from 20 in 2011. In the 2020 general election, Fianna Fáil became the largest party, attaining the most seats at 38, one seat ahead of Sinn Féin with 37 seats.
  He was appointed Taoiseach on 27 June 2020, leading a coalition government with Fine Gael and the Green Party as part of a historic deal.
caption: Martin c. 2020
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