Results 261-280 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: -----Government on a fundamental humanitarian question. That is not acceptable. From the very beginning of this war we did everything to get Irish citizens out of Gaza. Our embassies and our diplomats did everything possible to do it. Why does the Deputy think we would try to delay children coming out of Gaza? How dare you make that assertion.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: That is not on my agenda and it is not on the Government's agenda. A Government memo is immaterial. We discussed this on Monday evening - the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach with the Minister for justice. There is no delay in this respect.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very serious issue. I agree with her about the work of the Ryan brothers, in particular, as a catalyst for the decision by the Minister, Deputy Norma Foley, to set up the scoping inquiry which led to the Minister, Deputy Helen McEntee, yesterday bringing to Government proposals for the establishment of a commission of investigation into the handling...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. One of the appalling features of the war on Gaza has been the indiscriminate slaughter of innocent children. The serial killing of children as a result of indiscriminate bombing, attacks and shootings has shocked the world. The scale of injuries suffered by so many children is truly appalling. As a country, we have a strong tradition...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Taoiseach (9 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: Yes, but we have to say it is going to be done. Putting money to one side to enable us to do that is important. Healthcare costs will be the big one. Ireland's population is getting progressively older. Healthcare costs, combined with elderly care costs and pension costs, will be very significant in the coming decades. The Future Ireland Fund was meant as an opportunity to create...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Taoiseach (9 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: The ESRI has published evaluations of the potential impacts of various tariff regimes on growth in the Irish economy. It has used GNI and GDP metrics. Much depends on the scale of the tariffs. I have spoken to a significant number of CEOs in the pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors and they are concerned. President Trump has said that he wants to get manufacturing back to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Taoiseach (9 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: We need to-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Taoiseach (9 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: Yes, but we also need to look at how we construct services, particularly specialist ones. As I said earlier, I can remember 20 years ago having a fairly serious row with the private provider in Galway, pleading with it not to go ahead with radiation oncology because we had planned to develop radiation oncology in University Hospital Galway. We said that there would not be enough radiation...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Taoiseach (9 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: No, the surgical hub is not part of a deal because there was a commitment in the programme for Government for a surgical hub in the north west, on which the HSE is currently finalising a feasibility study. We cannot interfere in that feasibility study nor am I going to interfere in that feasibility study re the potential north-west hub and a business case will be submitted to the Department...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Taoiseach (9 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: Fundamentally, it is our view that we are not planning for a constitutional referendum in the next five years during the term of this Government and we have been clear on that. We have developed a shared island initiative and we have put an extra €1 billion in there. My view is that we would have to build reconciliation and everything is not about a Border poll. I believe in Wolfe...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Taoiseach (9 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: The danger-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Taoiseach (9 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: Yes

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Taoiseach (9 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: That is a fair point. The short answer is that we are. There is an overall skills forum which tries to identify skill needs into the future. We have also been increasing throughput in the medicine area over the past number years. The Department of higher education has worked with the Department of Health on this. In fact, we have secured places in Northern Ireland for medical students....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: I actually won it but at great cost subsequently, I can say. In response to Deputy Coppinger, as I indicated earlier there actually is a European directive.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Irish Aviation Authority has responsibilities here.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, will publish a policy framework in the summer in respect of drones. I do think there are issues. There is a balance in respect of the growth of technology and Enterprise Ireland supports up-and-coming technology companies. Drones will be used everywhere in different contexts.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: I do not agree with it for fast food. I was going to come to that. The Deputy is implying a criticism of Enterprise Ireland for supporting a technology company.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: I do not criticise Enterprise Ireland for supporting a technology company or a drone company. There are applications of drones that would be particularly legitimate. Why someone has to get a drone for a cup of coffee is beyond me. You need to walk around to the local shop and get your coffee, or make the cup of coffee, or green tea or whatever your poison is. I have to agree with the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: I apologise. To Deputy Ó Cearúil, I absolutely agree on the need for social infrastructure to be considered alongside expansion, schools, creches and other social infrastructure. I agree with Deputy Heneghan on the detention ponds and all that. There are mechanisms that are low cost that can be used and should be deployed. On Dublin Bay more generally, we want to clean up our...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: I was intrigued by the Deputy's commentary that he has very good local contacts with Uisce Éireann and that occasionally he has very good engagement with the corporate level but suddenly it seems to have fallen into a lull at the moment.