Martin was first elected to the Dáil in 1989. He has been re-elected at every general election since. He has served as leader of Fianna Fáil since 2011. He has held the roles of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Enterprise, Health and Education respectively since 2000. He was Mayor of Cork from 1992 to 1993. He has a Masters in political history and lives in Ballinlough.

People should vote for me because I love my community, my city, my country and I want to continue to make a positive difference... We need a change of government. We need a new government that is serious about getting things done quickly.

I want to continue to secure investment for the Cork region. I want to see our airport reach its full potential and I would like to expand the remit and the operations of the airport, thus bringing a greater volume of visitors and associated benefits to the county.

If elected, I would lift the recruitment embargo to fill front line vacancies in emergency departments and acute hospitals first. I would also direct the NTPF to arrange outpatient appointments for the 3,800 people who have been waiting since 2015 to see a consultant.