Results 16,441-16,460 of 50,453 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: You are using every degree of leverage you can for this scheme. I have often gone through Kilcummin and we might be down there again in the summer, Covid restrictions permitting. I will talk to the Minister. We will talk to Irish Water, see what the issue is and see if we can get it resolved. You have made your point, which is valid.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: I belong to a party that, since its foundation, committed itself to the provision of social housing. It cleared the slums in the 1930s from Dublin, Cork and other cities, and has always remained committed to the provision of social housing. That is the party I joined. It is my commitment; it is my philosophy. The Deputy has falsely presented my ideology. My ideology is not the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: First, I am allergic to bluster and political rhetoric as well. There is sometimes no shortage of it on Deputy Connolly's side of the House either. Furthermore, I have been committed to public housing all my life. All of my political life I have supported the provision of public housing in whatever capacity I have served, and in building local authority houses. In this Government that was...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: I said even during the last budget debate and, since I became Taoiseach, I have been very focused on the international cybersecurity threat. We have significantly increased funding for the NCSC and, within the HSE, both capital and current funding have gone up dramatically in recent years. Current expenditure has gone from €45 million to €83 million of ICT spend within health;...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: The overall point is we are consistently increasing funding. This is an ongoing battle, as the Deputy knows. Cybersecurity will not go away any time soon. We will constantly review increasing resources and capacity over coming years to deal with these criminals, who are fundamentally responsible for this attack on patients and our health service. It is important that all those with...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very serious issue indeed. The first point I will make is that this is an attack on our health service by criminals. There should be no truck or any quarter given to criminals of this kind who undermine patient safety, and seek, by their actions-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: Let us give these people no truck. There should be a collective national effort to articulate one single simple message. What you are doing is outrageous and wrong. It is morally wrong-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: -----to put patients at risk in this manner.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: That is the Government's position on this and I would hope the Opposition's position also. I am responding to Deputy Tóibín's point. I would appreciate the opportunity to respond.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: It is a very serious issue.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: I have three minutes and my time is being interrupted by an unseemly intervention.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: All of the right people are in the right place in responding to these criminals. Cybersecurity is not something new. Every state, system and private sector operator is facing cybersecurity threats and attacks on an ongoing basis. That is my first point. My second point is that in the last budget alone we trebled funding for the NCSC. We trebled funding for it. More than that, it has...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: With the greatest respect, I did not invite anybody in because I was not in government when these funds were invited in. The Deputy knows that but she keeps up the great political lie that Sinn Féin keeps articulating in terms of trying to pretend that Fianna Fáil was in power for the last ten years when it was not. We are now in government with Fine Gael and the Green Party for...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: We need a home ownership market, we need a social housing programme and we need a rental market as well, but I see nothing in the Deputy's proposals.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: I see nothing but bluster and empty rhetoric because, when it comes to it, what does Sinn Féin do on Dublin City Council and other councils? It opposes projects that could have delivered 700 houses in different localities around this city.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: It is complete hypocrisy how you perform on the housing programme.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: First, I have to repeat to the Deputy that the Government’s fundamental aim is to provide unprecedented funding to facilitate the largest social housing programme in the history of the State over the next five years. That is the anchor of the Government’s housing programme. We want to provide 50,000 social homes over the next five years. In addition to that, we want to...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: EU Meetings (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: I joined EU Leaders at the Porto Social Summit on 7-8 May, which was also attended by Commission President von der Leyen. This included a High-Level Conference on 7 May organised by the Portuguese Presidency which discussed work and employment; skills and innovation; and welfare and social protection. That evening I attended a working dinner where our discussion focussed on the COVID-19...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Offices (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: I launched the Government’s Shared Island Initiative in October. The approach of the Shared Island initiative is founded on the Good Friday Agreement and engaging with all communities and traditions to build consensus around a shared future on the island of Ireland. The Shared Island unit in my Department is a driver and coordinator for this work. Operationally, the unit is...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (18 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 52 together. Matters relating to arts, culture and equality are dealt with by the Cabinet Committee on Social Affairs and Equality. This Cabinet Committee last met on 30 November and will meet again shortly. I have regular engagement with Ministers at cabinet and individually to discuss priority issues relating to their Departments. In addition, a...