Results 33,221-33,240 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: I agree with Deputy Berry in terms of the significance of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, particularly if it emerges that one jab would be sufficient in terms of its efficacy. From my understanding, it will be early April when it comes to authorisation by the European Medicines Agency. It could happen that it comes earlier but that is the timeline that I have right now. It may...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: They have been closed by the virus, not the Government. That is an important point to make.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Government is providing unprecedented resources to many businesses across the board. Utility companies should not be charging-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: Will the Deputy let me speak? Utility companies should not be charging for gas or electricity that people are not using. I will ask the Minister to engage with the utility companies on this. People should be charged for what they are using. We have provided rates relief which is extensive and significant in terms of the amounts of money involved. We have also provided supports through...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Minister is reviewing the threshold. It is a low threshold. That said, we have many people on the social housing list which is why this year the Government has allocated a record €3 billion to housing and announced a record programme of social house building for the next 12 months. Undoubtedly, that has been impacted by Covid and level 5 restrictions. However, we hope to...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: The sharing of data will not cut off that gap. The Northern Ireland Executive wants us to share data on passengers coming in through Dublin Airport and who transit on to Northern Ireland. We are working to provide this. There was constructive engagement. Sometimes I am somewhat surprised by the public statements because they do not reflect the private conversations that have been had. I...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: I find it very difficult to comprehend what has just been said given all that has happened in the country. I know that in earlier stages of the debate Deputies Danny Healy-Rae, Michael Healy-Rae, Mary Lou McDonald and others called for the pubs to be opened, saying they should have been opened a long time ago. Have you learned anything from what has transpired? Human behaviour in all...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputies for raising the issue. I understand the concerns of the Deputies about this. It is in the programme for Government that the review of the national development plan would not frustrate existing projects that are under way. I will certainly bring the views of the Deputies to the Minister and will engage with him on the matter.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: I can definitely see the Deputy, given his former role, is on top of the detail of this area. I will pursue the issue on electric vehicle charging points in the current situation. I will make inquiries in this regard. The Minister is anxious to proceed with the new climate action plan as quickly as possible. There will be a series of Cabinet committee meetings in respect of this issue...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: I will engage with the OPW in this regard to get alleviation as quickly as possible to the couples and landowners involved, and to the people living in such dreadful and very stressful situations because of the flooding in that particular area.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: North-South Ministerial Council (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: I led the Government when we attended the 25th meeting of the North South Ministerial Council which was held virtually on 18 December. The meeting was jointly chaired by the First Minister, Arlene Foster MLA, and the deputy First Minister, Michelle O’Neill MLA.  The meeting provided the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive the opportunity to exchange views on a...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Commission on the Future of Policing (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: A Policing Service for our Future(APSFF) – the Government’s Plan to implement the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland – is a living document which is reviewed and updated, as required, to maintain ambitious but realistic commitments, timeframes and milestones. The Policing Reform Implementation Programme Office (PRIPO) – which is based in...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: My diary for quarter 4 of 2020 has been published and is available on my Department's website at .

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: Since March, my Department has supported the whole-of-government response to COVID-19, mainly through the Cabinet Committee and associated structures. In line with public health advice, a significant proportion of the Department’s staff have been working effectively from home since March with the required level of supports in place. Staff attending the workplace in person are providing...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Disability Act Employment Targets (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: The number of staff working within my Department who have disclosed a disability in each of the years 1 January 2015 to 2019 is set out in the accompanying table. Data for 2020 is currently being collated in line with the statutory annual return to the National Disability Authority. - % of Staff who self-declared a Disability Total No. of Staff who self-declared a...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: €20 million was allocated in 2020 and €15 million in 2021 in my Department’s budget for COVID-19 Public Communications. The total provisional spend for 2020 is €16,900,999. This won’t be confirmed until mid-February when the 2020 accounts are finalised.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: The 2020/21 Covid19 spend on public information campaigns is listed in the tables below. Since March, my Department has co-ordinated communications for the whole-of-government response to the pandemic. This necessitated expenditure on a broad range of targeted public messaging across 38 different information campaigns. The overall communications strategy for Covid-19 is based on a coordinated...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I accept that the Deputy's thinking has evolved significantly regarding the issue of travel, and I think that would be true for most Members of the House. The Deputy, as early as last November, was clear that the return of people to Ireland to meet their families was something which should be welcomed and facilitated. I think she used the phrase "For them, coming home this Christmas is an...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: There are compelling legal reasons it is not possible to do what Deputy McDonald is suggesting. That is particularly the case in respect of Irish citizens coming into the country. Regarding having the capacity to home quarantine or, indeed, to self-isolate, those people must be facilitated in that context as well. There are legal issues in this regard as well. We have our Constitution,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: That is an important input. Having said that, we are willing to work with other Members of the House in getting procedures which are as robust as possible, because I believe in prolonged suppression of the virus and in getting the numbers down to the lowest level possible and keeping them there. I will work with people in achieving that objective.