Results 32,161-32,180 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna – Questions: Cabinet Committees (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: If the Deputy is so certain that is the case, why does she not do it in the North where she is in power and has the influence and decision-making power to do so? I presumes it is because of similar reasons.

Ceisteanna – Questions: Cabinet Committees (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: No, it is not. It is just an important point. Deputy Boyd Barrett also raised the issue of the mortgage break and the lockdowns. We do not want people in a long-term overloading of debt. Of course, we do not. The evictions issues will be dealt with. The Ministers will see what we can do to make sure people with mortgages are not put under stress and anxiety and those people's situations...

Ceisteanna – Questions: Cabinet Committees (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: Hyperbole and polemic are some of the Deputy's great strengths but there comes a time to stop. No one can say that we are doing "Covid on the cheap". The health service received a €4 billion allocation in the budget, that is, €2 billion for Covid-19 and €2 billion to permanently embed improvements into the service. That is not Covid on the cheap. We have built the...

Ceisteanna – Questions: Cabinet Committees (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: It is not cheap labour. The health service is not using cheap labour.

Ceisteanna – Questions: Cabinet Committees (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: It is not. Look at the entirety of the workforce. It is not cheap labour. That is another myth and fallacy to put forward.

Ceisteanna – Questions: Cabinet Committees (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: Equally, our objective is to learn lessons from Covid-19 and accelerate improvements and reforms in our health service delivery in the context of community delivery, rehab, home care-based provision and community diagnosing, keeping people out of hospital as long as we possibly can and moving more into prevention, primary care and community care sides. That is the objective of Government...

Ceisteanna – Questions: Programme for Government (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 10 together. Notwithstanding the impact of Covid-19 on all aspects of the social and economic life of our country, we have been working hard to implement commitments in the programme for Government across a wide range of issues in all Departments. A structure comprising ten Cabinet committees with specific responsibility for a range of issues has...

Ceisteanna – Questions: Programme for Government (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: On Deputy McDonald's point about domestic abuse, resourcing will not be an issue in dealing with this, particularly during the lockdown. If there are particular issues she has identified with any specific refuges or centres that need additional funding, the Government will certainly respond. The issue is that the evidence from the first lockdown was that the level of domestic violence did...

Ceisteanna – Questions: Programme for Government (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: Yes, if it is possible. The issue in terms of the application of level 5 is clear. Essential work is listed as to what is exempt and what is allowed. What we are discussing here is a very difficult situation. It involves a liquidation. The Government provides ordinary statutory redundancy. The capacity to go over and above this opens up a whole new chapter in terms of how the State will...

Ceisteanna – Questions: Programme for Government (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I will not, as Taoiseach, start listing what is in and what is out. That is not something I will engage in until the Government makes these decisions.

Ceisteanna – Questions: Programme for Government (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: Non-essential retail is not part of level 5.

Ceisteanna – Questions: Programme for Government (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I will go and check the full list. The issue here is to try to get this matter resolved. As someone said, after the lockdown, we do not want them back picketing up until Christmas. We do not want people on the streets. Gardaí use their discretion all the time, and have done since the outset of this dispute when the first lockdown was in place. To be fair to the Garda, it will be...

Post-European Council Meeting on 15 and 16 October: Statements (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I attended a meeting of the European Council in Brussels on Thursday and Friday last, 15 and 16 October. We discussed a wide range of pressing and strategic issues over the course of two days. Our meeting opened on Thursday with a presentation by the President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli. He set out the Parliament’s thinking on the European Union's seven-year budget...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Data (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: My Department's gross 2021 Estimate is €51.094 million which represents a decrease of 6.9% or €3.774 million on the 2020 Further Revised Estimate for my Department. The allocation is divided between administration and programme expenditure. The 2021 administration budget for my Department amounts to €23.477 million. This allocation covers the running cost of my...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy will be aware, Section 2 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1974 explicitly provides that the Director of Public Prosecution shall be independent in the performance of her functions. One of the ways effect is given to this independence is that funding for the Director’s Office is provided through a separate Vote; Vote 5 – Office of the Director of Public...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: The Government has established ten Cabinet Committees with membership as set out in the table below. The Cabinet Committees on COVID-19; Economic Recovery and Investment; Housing; Health; Environment and Climate Change; Europe; and Government Co-ordination have all held meetings. The Committees on Social Affairs and Equality; Education; and Brexit and Northern Ireland are expected to hold...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Regional Aid (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: No grants were made under the EU Regional Aid Guidelines by my Department, or agencies under the remit of my Department, in the years in question.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Appointments to State Boards (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: The Future of Media Commission has been constituted as an independent body whose members have been appointed on the basis of their expertise in broadcast, print and online media. The composition of the Commission represents a balanced mix of experts in public service media, independent journalism, social media, new technology platforms, media economics, culture, language, creative content,...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Offices (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: My Department takes active steps to support staff returning to the workplace from maternity leave. In line with Circular 31/06 Implementation of the Regulations of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004, staff returning to my Department from maternity leave who are breastfeeding are entitled to paid breaks from work (one hour per day), or reduced daily working time (one hour per...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy McDonald for her remarks and for raising this issue. Since the new Government was formed and came into office at the end of June, we have been determined to build up our testing and tracing capacity. That is what has happened. Without question, the contact tracing dimension has come under extreme pressure in recent days, in particular over the weekend. I recall the Deputy...