Results 621-640 of 51,735 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: We will continue the work to recruit. We have been recruiting. There has been an increase of €6.71 billion in expenditure in health. This is a 35% increase in health spending since 2020, so do not say we are cutting back or are not allocating. The Deputy cannot say that with credibility.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: We have allocated, which is a fundamental point. By the way, we have made huge impacts across a lot of areas in health in the last five years, to such an extent - though this would be over a longer period - that our mortality rate fell by 11% over the decade from 2014 to 2024. We now have the second lowest mortality rate among the European 27, so the investment is having impacts of a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: Can I say very resolutely there has been no delay in the evacuation of children who require hospital treatment or medical treatment?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: Absolutely no delay, and I think it is important that we get truth on that. I am happy for the Deputy to meet the Minister for Health and the Minister for justice who will apprise her of the details of this.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: In fact, relative to other European countries, Ireland is well up. We are placed fifth overall in terms of the number of patients who have been evacuated to European countries, after Italy, Romania, Spain and Norway. We will do everything we possibly can. There is a further 18 to come, bringing us to 30. The issues are logistical. We are working with the WHO through the Egypt crossing.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: Sorry, Deputy. This is Deputy Bacik’s moment. We will work but it has to be with the WHO. It simply has to be in terms of protocols, looking after the children and making sure everything is done properly. Today, we have formalised what is already happening; more family members can come in with the children because there can be issues.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: There will be total family unification, and there has been in respect of that, and there will be for the next 18, but there is no delay on our side in terms of those 18. There are others-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: On the GAA, I am perplexed by this. No appeal has gone in. There was no pre-engagement with anyone here on the Government side. I am not clear if there even was with the Gaelic Athletic Association formally. There is a bit of a-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: I will say no more other than I am not comfortable with how this has been handled overall.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: Not on our side but on the side of those organising it. We have to be fully conscious of our obligations to child welfare and child well-being in how we handle all of this.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for her presentation and I pay tribute to Grannies for Palestine in highlighting the genocide against children in Gaza, the slaughter of children indiscriminately by indiscriminate bombing and now the indiscriminate shooting at food checkpoints, which we have witnessed via those who have captured those images on social media. We often complain about the use of social media...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: -----on a massive surge in humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: There will be supports in the budget to support people in dealing with the cost of living. Food inflation in Ireland in May was 4%. We are mid-table across the European Union. This is a Europe-wide phenomenon. It is a global phenomenon in terms of what is happening with the energy crisis. I love the way the Deputy tosses out an aside to the effect that infrastructure is on the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: -----and that she does not have to account for it at all.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: We have spent record levels of investment in the past four years. We are going to go further again. The most important thing for the future of this economy is to ensure that we substantially increase and more than double the investment in the energy grid in order that we will have connections. That will allow us to deal with the growing population and economy. We have to ensure that there...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: That will be a more effective allocation of spending-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: -----and prioritisation of the surpluses we will have at the end of this year and, hopefully, into the future.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: I say that notwithstanding the difficult backdrop of the US potentially imposing high tariffs on the world.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: That would put a lot of predictions out.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Micheál Martin: Ar dtús báire, ní aontaím leis an Teachta in aon chor, mar níl aon amhras ach go bhfuil an-chuid déanta ag an Rialtas chun an brú atá curtha ar chosmhuintir na tíre de dheasca an t-ardú ar an gcostas maireachtála a ísliú. Tá an-chuid déanta againn chun é sin a dhéanamh. In passing, I also congratulate...