Results 31,261-31,280 of 51,063 for speaker:Micheál Martin

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: This must be kept in perspective. There are 287,000 people legitimately on the pandemic unemployment payment. That will continue and we have extended it to the end of next March. We are talking about a handful of cases here. I have no issue with those cases being reviewed and fair play being applied to everybody. However, there is an extraordinary schedule of legislative activity to be...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: On the Ministers of State at the Cabinet table, the legislative changes will result in no additional cost to the taxpayer. The three Ministers have issued a statement to that effect. They will be taking a 10% cut in addition to not availing of the additional amount that was voted through in the legislation last week. In respect of my own situation, I will be gifting back to the State close...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy knows full well we are taking about Ministers gifting back a portion of their salary.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: Yes. There is a set salary for An Taoiseach, An Tánaiste and Ministers.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: The same applied to Deputy Kelly when he was a Minister. The point is there is a set rate. In respect of any increases that have come the way of Ministers in the last number of years, they gifted them back. We decided to make it cleaner yesterday by saying 10% across the board, which in my case will result in gifting back close to €25,000 to the State. That is a gift back but it is...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I sought a report from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection this morning in regard to this issue. As part of its normal control work, the Department carries out compliance inspections at ports and airports throughout the course of the year. Since 2012, social welfare inspectors have had legal powers to carry out those checks as part of the ongoing-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I am answering the Deputy's question. They have had legal powers to carry out those checks as part of the ongoing control and compliance work they are engaged in. The legal basis for the control and compliance checks is section 250(16) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended by section 17 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2012. I understand that amendment was...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: How is it different?

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I have already said to the House that I will be gifting back €25,000 as a result of yesterday's decision. I have no difficulty in doing that. I am happy to gift it back to the State. It is coming from the salary I would have been entitled to receive at the commencement of my term as Taoiseach. I have also said that on an ongoing basis and at different times, I have gifted back...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: The idea of competing with each other to-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I am not saying that at all. I am talking about Deputies.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Doherty's constituency office is well funded. I understand some of the funding is from America.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I never said that.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I made no allegation in terms of Deputy Doherty doing anything illegal whatsoever.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I do know that it has been publicly said that there was American support of Sinn Féin constituency offices in Donegal.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: If the Deputy is saying there was absolutely none, I will accept his clarification. However, that was publicly stated, on the record, and there were people thanking the benefactors who helped them to develop their office and so on.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: Just as, by the way-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: May I make a point of order?

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: The vote earlier was on the Order of Business and how the schedule of business will proceed. It was not in relation to any specific proposal or any particular social welfare measure.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I am surprised no one from Kilkenny has surfaced yet but this is a fair canvass from across the country. There is ongoing engagement between NPHET and an expert sporting group on this matter. I am very conscious of it and I spoke to the acting CMO about it last week when we deferred phase 4 of reopening. We had to defer it on an absolute basis across the board and it was an important step...