Results 30,941-30,960 of 51,063 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Programmes (7 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: As set out in the Programme for Government, a new Shared Island Unit will be established within the Department of the Taoiseach which will use the potential of the Good Friday Agreement to deliver sustained progress for all communities. This unit will work towards a consensus on a shared island and will examine the political, social, economic and cultural considerations underpinning a future...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Ministerial Responsibilities (7 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: As the role of the Taoiseach is set out in the Constitution, the Ministers and Secretaries Acts and other statutes, no specific briefing paper was prepared on my appointment.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and the question in regard to the Debenhams workers. My response yesterday was not lacklustre and it was not equivocal in terms of how Debenhams has treated its workers in Ireland. It has treated them very badly and very poorly. The State will do everything it can to support the workers who have been made redundant by the company in the manner...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I think the Deputy was very disingenuous and dishonest in her presentation. I was not in government in 2015 and I have not been in government over the past number of years. We have been in government for one week. That is the reality, unlike the great political untruth and mantra that the Deputy and her party have been peddling for quite some time. It is disingenuous and it does a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: It is in the programme for Government that there is a commitment to legislating-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: -----in respect of the separation of property from trading entities that is being used. The Tánaiste and Minister will be examining that legislation. That will happen but it is not going to deal with the Debenhams workers' plight, and the Deputy knows that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: It is important that when we are dealing with workers who have gone through a traumatic situation, it is not to try to raise expectations unrealistically and blame everybody else when it is the company that is fundamentally at fault in its behaviour towards the workers.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: It was not the previous Government's fault and it is not this Government's fault, but what the Government certainly can do is look at the legislation in dealing with it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for his question and presentation. I agree with him, particularly on the contribution that front-line health service staff and those in the background have made to the fight against Covid-19, effectively contributing to the suppression of the virus for now and to a very low level of community transmission. I also share the Deputy's admiration for the work of Dr. Tony...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: Portiuncula Hospital has had a net reduction of about eight beds because, as the Deputy said, of the impact of Covid-19 and the desire to prevent the spread of the virus throughout the hospital, and to have sufficient isolation facilities for suspected cases and any particular case the hospital has of a patient with Covid. The Deputy is correct that the number of presentations at emergency...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising what is a serious issue, namely, mental health services in general, but specifically mental health services in Clonmel and the rest of Tipperary. There are two dimensions to mental health services. One is obviously physical facilities. I refer to acute capacity — in other words, acute beds — in particular facilities. The south east in general,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: First, I do have the will to deal with this issue. Second, as I said, the Minister of State will work with the Deputy on this. Every region needs acute capacity but the Deputy should not underestimate the importance of strong community-based mental health services. In my view, a continuum is needed. The better and the stronger the community health presence, the less the need for acute...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. I will certainly do what I can to find out what is going on with those 12 children, particularly the 17 year old young woman referred to by her. I remember the campaign and the major commitment made by the families involved. There is an ongoing issue with orphan drugs, or drugs that are developed for what are classed as small populations in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: Every day matters to the people concerned and I will certainly do that. I appreciate the Deputy raising the matter.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I welcome the conversion of the Deputy and the Sinn Féin Party to affordable housing, especially as, during the lifetime of the previous Dáil, Sinn Féin voted against a Fianna Fáil motion on affordable housing. The programme for Government-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I have the floor for just a minute. I know the Ceann Comhairle is very anxious that I do not overstay my time in responding to this question. The key point is that the programme for Government is very comprehensive on the matter of affordable housing.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: It is a core part of our policy to enable people to get to a position where they can afford houses. The State will be far more involved as a result of the programme for Government in providing the wherewithal, either through the local authorities or the Land Development Agency, to provide affordable housing. It is something to which we are very committed. There are a number of schemes outlined.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: The Deputies can take it that the new Minister will pursue this with great energy.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: The European Banking Authority has clarified the matter of application of interest in cases of payment breaks that people have received from banks. It is worth pointing out that approximately 140,000 payment breaks have been issued in respect of approximately 78,000 mortgages. These are popular initiatives and many people have availed of them and found them very helpful. The Minister for...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: It is a desire of Government to accelerate the roll-out of the national broadband plan and to encourage and facilitate remote working, for example, which I believe could be a big game changer over time in terms of both the quality of life for people but also enabling greater economic activity in rural Ireland. I have seen it at first hand with the Ludgate development in Skibbereen, for...