Results 32,001-32,020 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna – Questions: Cabinet Committees (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: We may not. We still have it within our responsibility as people. We can impact on this, collectively and individually, if we pull together to try to get the numbers stabilised. If we do not, we may have to move to another level.

Ceisteanna – Questions: Cabinet Committees (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: We may have to do that. As I said last week, the decision was at this stage not to move to level 5. I have no guarantees, just as there were no guarantees that had we moved to level 5, it would all be fine in four weeks' time. On the New Zealand strategy, we are not New Zealand, either geographically or in terms of economic construct. We are different from New Zealand. No other...

Ceisteanna – Questions: Cabinet Committees (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: No, it is not to do with ICU capacity.

Ceisteanna – Questions: Cabinet Committees (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: NPHET does not say that.

Ceisteanna – Questions: Cabinet Committees (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: There is a range of criteria. The HSE says it has ICU capacity. We are obviously concerned and will monitor that but the HSE is running the service and the last time out, we managed. We created a surge capacity when it came and our hospitals managed.

Ceisteanna – Questions: Cabinet Committees (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: We will have to readjust and I hope we do not get there but, if we do, we will do everything we can to protect people. There has to be balance to the debate and using language to suggest that short-term profit triumphs over everything is just propagandistic, ideological nonsense.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Ministerial Advisers (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: The requirement for specialist policy input and advice is a matter for each individual Minister to consider having regard to the area of responsibility and the support in place in the relevant Departments. I have put in place a range of appropriate advisory supports to support me in my role as Taoiseach and Head of Government. At present there are 6 Special Advisers working in my Private...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Commission on the Future of Media (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: On Tuesday 29 September, Government approved the terms of reference and membership of the Future of Media Commission. Professor Brian Mac Craith has been appointed as Chair of the Commission. Other members of the Commission include: - Sinéad Burke, Director of Tilting the Lens, writer and academic active in social media, and member of the Council of State - Alan Rusbridger, Chair of the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Planning Issues (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: There is a recognised need for more comprehensive and holistic tools to better assess well-being as an aid to policy and budgetary decisions. We are committed to developing such new measures of well-being and progress as envisaged in the Programme for Government. Much work has been done in this area which we can learn and build upon. The Department of Finance has conducted research exploring...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: My Department takes an active approach to managing sick leave consistent with the relevant Department of Public Expenditure and Reform sick leave circulars. These also set out the sick leave entitlements of staff across the Civil Service including various limits which apply. The most recent validated sick leave statistics for my Department relate to 2018.My Department's Lost Time Rate for...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: First, I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I accept that many families and many people with special needs and disabilities have had an extremely stressful and tough time during this pandemic with the withdrawal of services and the curtailment of services because specific Covid-19 health requirements have made the circumstances and conditions very stressful. I acknowledge that it is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I am determined to do what is required to provide for disability services for all ages. There are very substantial challenges. The new Government has been in office for three months. When I was a Minister in previous Governments, I made it my business to go above and beyond and to do something specific and extra for disability services, particularly in the areas of education and health. I...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: No, I am not.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: Let there be no doubt that Covid-19 had a significant impact on non-Covid illness and disease. In my view, it resulted in delayed diagnoses across cancer and coronary care and in other areas. That happened because at the time of the lockdown many elective procedures and diagnostics were cancelled and significant backlogs built up. I accept and agree with the Deputy that some people are now...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: We will get the figures, but it will take a reasonable period of time to so do. No one is denying the reality of the impact of Covid on non-Covid care. That is why the winter initiative and what we are trying to do right now aim to manage Covid and resume services, including screening services. As the Deputy is aware, three of the four screening services have resumed screening using a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: People would not go into hospital because there was a fear of so doing at the time. People were genuinely afraid of the virus. What we wish to do now is to procure private hospitals for elective procedures, diagnostics and general services. I take the Deputy's point. Whatever happens now in terms of the pandemic, part of the challenge is to maintain these services.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: There is a plan. The winter initiative is the plan to increase capacity in general hospital beds and to increase ICU capacity but primarily it is more preventative to prevent people going into hospital in the first place. We then have the community diagnostic hubs and stronger primary care resources all of which are provided for in the winter initiative. In addition, there are 4.7 million...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I am sorry, the virus is not an exact science.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: It has not been since the beginning. The point I would make is that the winter initiative is a large and significant initiative and we have to get that delivered and implemented in terms of acute capacity and additional private bed capacity. I agree with the Deputy that the precise procurement and approach to that is an issue. I refer to intermediate care beds, additional access to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: One of the big problems for the hospitals, as the Deputy and I know, has been that too many people who are finished their acute phase of hospital treatment have had to stay in hospital for far too long, with backlogs the whole way down the line. I will ask the agency to give the Deputy any specific information he requires in terms of specifics around particular diseases and conditions.