Results 1,001-1,020 of 49,984 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank all the Deputies who have raised issues in the context of the heath committee. Deputy McDonald raised the issue of access to general practice and primary care services in Dublin 1. Deputy McGrath raised it in respect of Cork and Deputy Moynihan in respect of Dublin Mid-West. The outgoing Minister increased significantly the number of places for the training of GPs. My...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: If we go forward to the budget for 2025, the initial allocation has been set at €25.75 billion. That is an increase of approximately €1.2 billion on last year. These are huge sums of money. That is why I am surprised by strike action in that context.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: There is absolutely no moratorium on staff. There will be an increase in staff of over 3,500 whole-time equivalents in the health service. We have to also look at innovative ways of getting value for that money. People spoke earlier about scanners and so on in an art gallery and created a huge stir - rightly so - over a figure of about €100,000. We are talking about €25.5...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: There absolutely is not. There is an issue, either in terms of the management of all of this or getting value for money for all of this. There is a role for the Oireachtas as well because people will condemn, give out and criticise but, equally, people then also look for more money. There are a number of strands to this. Deputy Bacik raised the shortage of public health nurses. Again,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I cannot pre-empt what HIQA will recommend. It will depend on the recommendation because I know there is a lot of demand for additionality in the mid-west more generally. On Deputy Cahill's question, there is a great team at University Hospital Kerry. His proposals are fairly significant in terms of investment and capital. We will engage with the HSE in that respect, particularly to...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 to 40, inclusive, together. The Programme for Government 2025: Securing Ireland's Future, recognises the importance of Cabinet committees to the policy development and oversight work of Government. The Cabinet committee on EU and international affairs was established by the Government on 18 February 2025. Its role is to oversee implementation of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the large number of Deputies who tabled questions on this issue. Quite a substantial number focused in on the nitrates directive to begin with, for which I thank Deputies Cleere, O'Meara, Dolan, McCormack, Cahill and Scanlon. The establishment of the Cabinet committee demonstrates the Government's commitment to addressing water quality improvements across all sectors. Obviously it...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 to 29, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on health has been established and is due to meet soon. The Cabinet committee will oversee: implementation of programme for Government commitments on health; receive detailed reports; identify policy areas; and consider health reforms including Sláintecare, reform of the public health system and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: Or we could just join you in prayer.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I agree with the Deputy. Every effort is being made by the various State agencies to restore services. I have met with most of them - Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, EirGrid and so on - in the context of getting power restored as quickly as possible and also in terms of the restoration of communications networks. More than that, we need to invest in areas in terms of the social and human...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: Glacaim go bhfuil deacracht ann gan amhras. Nílim cinnte gurb í stailc an tslí is fearr chun é seo a réiteach. Bhíos ag labhairt leis an Aire, an Teachta Calleary, faoi seo ar maidin. Bhí an tAire ag Ard-Fheis Chonradh na Gaeilge i rith an deireadh seachtaine agus bhí daoine ag caint faoi. Beimid, agus tá súil agam go mbeidh an...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy has raised this issue previously. Again, I do not intervene in every single case. The Minister with responsibility obviously assesses the situation in different locations. I will certainly alert the Minister that Deputy Lawless has raised the matter.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Bill is being currently. Some 450 homes are under construction or being refurbished at the moment.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: Yes, but there are 450 under construction. That is a significant number. We have to keep ensuring that there is momentum behind this in terms of getting houses refurbished, rebuilt or whatever. This is a hugely resourced scheme. The Government has committed enormous sums of money towards it, and correctly so. If the Deputy is saying there is an insufficiency in terms of the scheme,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: It is my understanding that there is a High Court action, in which the judge-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I know, but it is not the Government's fault that we lost. The previous Government had decided-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I agree with the policy. I was going to make the point that because of the High Court decision, the Department said it had to be exhaustive in terms of the second consultation to make sure that it would not fall foul of another court decision in the time ahead if someone challenged it. It was concluded last summer. The consultation is over now. My view now is that we need to move ahead...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions No. 1 to 11, inclusive, together. The Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland’s Future, recognises the importance of Cabinet committees to the policy development and oversight work of Government and commits to the establishment of a reformed structure of Cabinet committees. The Government followed through on that commitment, part of which was...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: Fundamentally, it is about recruitment and retention. What is the name of the service?

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy outlined the situation. One person is on maternity leave - I will check with the HSE about that because there should be a locum operating in that role - and another has left. The recruitment and retention of therapists has been a real issue for the HSE. There have been additional resources provided. Progress is slow. Approximately 272 extra whole-time equivalent staff were...