Results 221-240 of 51,735 for speaker:Micheál Martin
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: Deputy Bacik avoided the whole area of child poverty.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: She should welcome the move we have made in that regard. We have to do more, but there is a €300 million package alone for the lowest income. Look at the objective assessment. The Labour Party should acknowledge that the two lowest-income deciles will benefit the most from this budget. That is the reality. In terms of disability, there are significant increases in a range of...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: No, I said during the election that I wanted to maintain the enterprise economic model that we have, which Deputy Murphy resolutely opposed.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: That was a big choice in the election and people voted accordingly in terms of that fundamental principle.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: Ní aontaím in aon chor leis an méid atá ráite ag an Teachta. De réir na moltaí a bhí aici féin agus na polasaithe ag Sinn Féin maidir leis an gcáinaisnéis seo, bheadh costais maireachtála ag dul in airde dá mba rud é go gcuireadh i bhfeidhm iad.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: If you look at Sinn Féin's alternative budget the bottom line is this, and this is not my calculation but the Central Bank's formula. It is spending €13.4 billion - more, in fact, if you add in its once-off measures - in its alternative budget. That budget would add 2.5% to the cost of living and to inflation.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: It is absolutely true, and they have been going on for the past month about the cost of living.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: Its budget, if you look at the Central Bank's formula for determining this, would have put up inflation and the cost of living by 2.5%.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: What I would say is that workers in this country want better water services, more houses, better public transport-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: -----more roads and better road connectivity. They want better education services, better health services-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: -----and Sinn Féin has gone full circle. I never thought I would hear the day when a Sinn Féin leader would be quoting the Fine Gael mantra about how "It is for those who get up early in the morning". That was at one time a slogan the Deputy would have decried and condemned in her day.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: The point is that we decided we would invest in the future of working people in this country-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: -----that we would protect the jobs we have and then invest to make sure we have the jobs of tomorrow, through investment in research and development, through investment in energy, water, public transport, roads and so forth. We are doing that. That is what will underpin workers in their jobs. This is the first of five budgets, and we will be working on our taxation commitments in future...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: -----of those who are working, as we did in previous budgets. However, we also said-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: -----we would prioritise child poverty, and this is a very progressive budget. If you look at the ESRI's SWITCH model, it is saying the two lowest income deciles get the most from this budget and a significant amount-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: -----relative to others. That is what this budget is doing. I was determined to do it and I said in the House we would do it. It is the beginning of a process to get consistent poverty down-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: -----particularly among children. Look also at the child support payment. It is very significant. The over-12s has gone up by €16 and the under-12s by €8. That will benefit approximately 330,000 children in this country. It is moving in the direction of a second tier in supporting those most in need. For children, the €16 is now approximately €4,000 per...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: That means, therefore, that a person caring in a household where their partner earns up to €108,000 will receive a full carer's payment. These are the largest ever increases in the carer's income disregard.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: On disability, there is substantial funding gone into the disability budget plus the domiciliary care allowance is up significantly.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2025)
Micheál Martin: I did say in the election that the enterprise economy-----