Results 31,941-31,960 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy is correct to say that we received advice on Thursday and Sunday. A lot has been done in public service and about capacity in acute services since the first lockdown in March. What is increasingly happening is that non-Covid-19 issues are being dealt with. That is why quite a substantial number of ICU beds are being used - they are predominantly being used for non-Covid...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: Those in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment will be in a better position, relatively speaking. Obviously losing a job puts people in a very difficult position. We did not want to increase the number of people losing their jobs this week. That is one of the factors that fed into the Government's decision yesterday not to move to level 5. Quite a number of businesses may not be...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: It will not be possible to raise everybody's payment to €350 per week. There are limits to what the Oireachtas and the State will be in a position to do.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: That is why we have to try to manage the situation in the most fair and sustainable way we possibly can. The implications of the pandemic for people will now go beyond April 2021. Therefore, we also have to spend money on creating jobs and work for people in areas such as construction and other projects, such as retrofitting, where we can create meaningful opportunities for young people in...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I have not been excluding anybody. I rang Deputy Shortall's co-leader, Deputy Catherine Murphy, last evening. I have been in regular contact with leaders-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I did ring.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I did not interrupt.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: There was a cross-party briefing.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: Am I not going to be allowed speak now? With the greatest respect-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: -----I want to get a few points across. Deputy Shortall says there is no justification for eight counties going to level 3. NPHET wanted every county to go to level 5. There is no mystery about it. She knows that as well as everybody else.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: She should not be disingenuous in the House about that. I said to her co-leader last night that there would be a leaders' briefing this week. I said that last week. She knows that but it does not suit so she comes into the House and says the opposite.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I also want to make the point that people know, in terms of physical matters, about getting things done in one full day between meeting with NPHET yesterday, and we had a very good, long meeting with NPHET, further discussions, into a Cabinet meeting and communicating with the general public. I have to put on the record this business of excluding Opposition parties. In terms of Laois,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I am saying that each time we extended to level 3 we briefed people because we knew TDs, Senators, councillors on the ground and the mayors of each council would be under pressure.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I have no difficulty at all with having a debate in the House on this but I put it to the House that everybody wants to cram everything into Tuesday and Wednesday. I believe Oral Questions tonight will be at 11 o'clock.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: No. It is not.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: Why? Is it because everybody is here on Tuesday and Wednesday? If we want a serious debate, and let us have a serious debate, we should have it on Friday morning and I will take part in it. What goes on here every week is that the business is agreed by the Business Committee and then every Tuesday, since I have been coming in here, someone stands up and says it is not agreed because he or...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: My understanding is that the Minister with responsibility for further and higher education, research, innovation and science will be before the education committee on Thursday morning. That should be reasonable, I would have thought.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: The Minister will be in front of Deputy Mac Lochlainn's spokesperson on Thursday morning at a meeting of the education committee.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising that issue. About 200,000 tests have been undertaken in nursing homes for healthcare workers across 565 homes since early July. One would get the impression from certain Deputies in the House that nothing at all is being done, that there has been no expansion of the testing programme and that there is no increased capacity. I describe the reality. There have...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: It is important for me to conclude, if I may. Roughly 5,890 teachers and students have been tested, with 112 positives over and above the index case, which gives 0.19% positivity. I could go on but I obviously do not have time.