Results 441-460 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: To abolish or put into abeyance the EU-Israel association agreement would require unanimity among the 27, and the Deputy knows that. About ten members-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: We have asked for a review. We asked over a year ago for a review. There may be opportunities to suspend elements of that agreement that would not require unanimity. That is being pursued by Ireland and other like-minded states in respect of this. The Deputy knows that countries like Germany, Hungary, Czechia and others have a long-standing historic position of support for Israel. I...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: First of all, I anticipate that the advices will be available to the Government as the Bill is going through. There is a pre-legislative process and that will be the first instance of this. The Deputy-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I am saying it will be available to the Government in terms of whether we can include it or not. The Government will make its position, based on that advice, clear to the committee before it concludes. The Bill is vastly improved from what it was. I pay tribute to Senator Black for her initiative on this issue and her constructive engagement with the Government. Deputy Murphy is good...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: Ireland is number one in the world in terms of participation in third level education. That is the measure of this Government's commitment to students in third level education in terms of supporting students with reduced fees over the last number of years, improving the various maintenance and SUSI schemes for students, and building more accommodation, which is currently under construction...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: The new programme in Galway will be specifically focused on rural GP medicine. A huge investment is going into primary care and this area.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: Practices in receipt of the rural supports receive the maximum rate of practice staff subsidies, significantly reducing possible staff costs for smaller practices. They also receive the maximum rate of locum support for leave-taking. A new locum support initiative commenced in May, providing GPs in receipt of rural practice supports with access to a streamlined locum-sourcing service. The...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I think the Deputy's initial instincts were correct. "Brilliant", he said.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: It is rare that an Opposition Deputy would say we were "brilliant" when we got out of bed first thing in the morning.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of primary care and GP provision. Undoubtedly, in rural Ireland in particular and in some urban areas, over recent years there have been challenges accessing a GP and getting a GP. On the other hand, there have also been significant developments and growth, particularly in terms of the number of places at third level. That has increased very...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I did acknowledge, and have spoken a couple of times today about, the elevated level of grocery prices and the impact it is having on households. Please do not say I did not acknowledge it. I did. It is the Deputy's standard practice now to make assertions that are not true. Of course prices are impacting on families and households but the taxation measures we took last year in the budget...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: We are looking at every aspect of cost and price with a view to getting prices down.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I assure Deputy O'Callaghan that we understand fully the degree to which this is impacting on people, households and families, but we have taken very effective measures. They include ones that even the Social Democrats did not advocate for, such as free schoolbooks, notwithstanding the position that party adopts on so many issues.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: The question is?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: Am I going to-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: First of all, I say to the Deputy that he has a tremendous habit of asserting what I said earlier, which of course I did not say at all.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I did not rattle off any figures when I was answering Deputy McDonald.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I did not. What I said was, I outlined what TASC, the Think-tank for Action on Social Change, said in its publication today. That is not rattling off figures. It basically said that the short-term, once-off cost-of-living packages that we introduced had a very significant impact in helping people to deal with what has been the worst inflationary spiral since the 1970s, which we had after...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: -----but they still did not go to meet the enormity of the increases people experienced at the time. Do not say I just rattled off figures. I did not.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I then went on to say that we had extended the VAT reduction to 9%, which we did. That is not rattling off figures. That is a fact, which has had some impact. I mentioned free-of-charge HRT coming in on 1 June.