Results 2,681-2,700 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Government acknowledges the significant issue in terms of recruitment of GPs. That is why in the last 12 months decisions were taken to dramatically increase the numbers of doctors in training and people doing medicine in our third level colleges. I stand to be corrected but I think I read a figure whereby for every GP retiring, we have two in training. That is subject to correction,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: First of all, I congratulate Deputy Timmins on his election for the first time to Dáil Éireann. The programme for Government is clear in its commitment to roads. Obviously, the updated national development plan will be an opportunity to try to identify our priorities. We understand that with the growth of population in Wicklow and so forth there are huge needs, particularly on...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I agree with the Deputy. I believe the NTA has a huge agenda. There needs to be stronger engagement with both the Government and the Oireachtas, and maybe much more time could be saved, including in the development of BusConnects, for example. As I have said repeatedly, the scenario seems to involve publishing the worst possible plan, which ignites the greatest degree of opposition from...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I agree that the tenant in situ scheme is very important in preventing homelessness. It also helps to prevent child poverty. There is a significant crossover. If families end up in homelessness, their risk of poverty increases dramatically. That is an area on which I am particularly focused as Taoiseach. We hope we will have the figures available within the coming weeks.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy Smith for his commentary. One of the most immediate tasks is to ensure we have proper corridors wherever the transmission lines are. West Roscommon and Leitrim have huge issues with forests falling, or whole lines of Sitka spruce falling like dominoes onto the line. That can no longer be tolerated. We have asked the Ministers responsible – there has to be...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I accept it is a very serious issue for the people of Cobh, but also more broadly for the region in terms of housing and connectivity. It is a matter that will be evaluated in the context of the updated NDP to ensure sufficient resources are allocated to try to deal with it as a significant road project in its own right. With regard to access to Cobh, it is vital.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I congratulate the Deputy on her election. I also congratulate Deputy Noel McCarthy on his election. Deputy Newsome Drennan probably did not get the opportunity to name the specific service. If she gives me the details on it, I will follow up with the Minister for children.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The broader point is that childcare has evolved quite significantly over recent decades in Ireland whereby we have many community-based and private childcare services, and some State childcare services, albeit in the minority. The taxpayer funds many of the services to get the fees down for parents, which we have done to a significant extent in recent years, to support staff and to create...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I am not doing that-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: -----but I just want to make that point because these kind of remarks get thrown out as if they are of no consequence. Our fundamental duty as a State is to protect our people in a turbulent world. We will do that. That means protecting the enterprise economic model we have. We will do that while also maintaining our values, our foreign policy values and our interests as a nation. That...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: Do you want it done immediately?

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Government has made commitments in the programme for Government in respect of VAT and costs that small- to medium-sized businesses are incurring. We want to consult business because it not just hospitality; the retail sector is feeling the pressures as well. We want to consult and come up with a package that will involve VAT in the context of the next budget. Public expenditure...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The entire assessment of need process has to be reformed. That may involve and necessitate legislative change. The Government will work on this and will consult the Minister for disability and children on that issue. In addition, we have fairly set targets and objectives in respect of disability across the programme for Government, in particular with regard to developing an education-based...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The more fundamental reform that is required is to the ratio of costs or the manner in which they are dealt with under our regulatory framework, the role of the CRU and so forth. In our view, that must be reformed. There is no question but that repairs will be necessary. We will then look at how those costs can be apportioned. A more fundamental point is that we are going to need very...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy's party put forward a very poor housing programme.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: There was no fleshing out of the national State construction agency it proposed. There is no blueprint and no paper. It would have had disastrous results given the length of time it would have taken to establish and how out of touch it is with working practices and the norms within the construction industry today. It was an ill-thought-out and very poor approach. That is why people were...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I am intrigued by what you are saying.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I am absolutely intrigued. By the way, the economic relationship between the US and Ireland is absolutely vital for hundreds of thousands of workers in this country.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I do not take that lightly, which is what you are suggesting.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: We have just discussed climate and the storm. The storm is a consequence of climate change. These are issues that were not there when the Constitution was enacted, in terms of the number of Ministers and so on. There is a whole range of new areas: energy, offshore renewable and so on. We need a Minister of State for the marine. We need a Minister of State for migration. Of that there...