Results 33,341-33,360 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Citizens' Assembly (10 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: Consideration is being given to all possibilities with regard to methodology for future Citizen’s Assemblies, but any decisions in this regard will be guided by the experience of the current Assembly which aims to report in June this year. This is also being evaluated by an independent researcher who has been appointed to monitor and record, amongst other things, the perceived...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Shared Island Unit (10 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Government’s Shared Island initiative involves: - Working in partnership with the Northern Ireland Executive, through the North South Ministerial Council and with the British Government to address the strategic challenges facing this island; - Further developing the all-island economy, and deepening cooperation in key areas such as Health and Education and investing in the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I have received very moving correspondence from Mike Molloy. As Deputy McDonald said, he wrote the moving piece about a year trapped in fear. It brilliantly and emotionally captured the enormous stress and strain being felt by family carers and those who care for their loved ones, which in Mike's case is his mother who has Parkinson's disease....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I genuinely regret the politically-charged manner in which the Deputy is presenting this issue. I did not think that the Dáil on its own was going to decide on who gets vaccinated first, in a political way. To juxtapose the vaccination programme so far with suggesting that 500,000 people are the "forgotten people" is wrong. No one here wants to forget anybody regarding vaccination....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy Shortall for raising the issue. When the pandemic began, testing and tracing capacity within the country was virtually non-existent, in terms of the requirements to combat a pandemic. It was literally built from scratch. The Deputy is correct that for quite a number of years there has been a lack of resourcing of public health medicine in general. The Deputy will know that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy is correct that this has been going on for 15 years, but this is the first Government that has allocated the necessary funding required to action it and to give concrete reality to all of the reports and aspirations. This Government has decided to do that and this Government has allocated the funding. The issue now is structure, framework and how it is done for the future. It...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising a very important issue, one on which I share his thoughts. He knows that as a humble Cork man, I have always been a great admirer of the literary creativity and innovative character of Kerry people. I have been in awe of the genius of the Kerry DNA for a long time, as a neighbour across the county bounds. The Government has a target of 255 direct builds in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for his affirmation of all those who work in the housing department in Kerry County Council and in the construction industry more generally. Yesterday I met representatives from the industry to discuss the degree to which they have developed innovative approaches to safety in the workplace, particularly during the Covid pandemic. The return-to-work protocol became the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: Aontaím leis an Teachta maidir leis an méid dímheas a léiríodh do na máithreacha agus na leanaí a bhí sna tithe seo i rith na mblianta agus ó thosach. Is olc an scéal é ar fad ar fad agus níl aon dul as sin. Dá bhrí sin, caithfimid uile ár ndícheall a dhéanamh sa lá atá inniu ann ardmheas a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I do not know how it happened.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I should not, actually.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I am not a member of the commission. The commission decided to do this and I do not know why it did so. It is making assertions that it did this on the basis that it guaranteed anonymity to those who came forward. No member of Government was involved obviously in the commission's work, as the Deputy knows. That is important, because the impression is being given that the Government could...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I am very surprised by the commentary and assertions of Deputies Mac Lochlainn, Duncan Smith, Cian O'Callaghan, Boyd Barrett, Tóibín and Mattie McGrath that somehow Government is invoking Covid-19 as a basis for the two-day sessions in terms of the Dáil. That is not the case. Some of those Deputies would be very quick to attack Government for ignoring public health advice and...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Government has not ordained this or imposed this.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: We are in a very severe level 5. It is not only Members but the people behind the scenes who lead to a Dáil sitting happening. There are far more people involved than just the elected representatives. The public health advice has guided the behaviour of the Parliament in this issue. That should be acknowledged. Numbers are still high out there. Society is in a very severe level...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: That is why that Bill is tabled for deliberation and consideration. I met with the leader of the Sinn Féin Party last evening and I said we were open to consideration for debates in regard to Northern Ireland, for example, next week, if that is what it desires. We are open to constructive engagement with the Opposition in terms of how debates are developed, but the Business...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Health will be in tomorrow morning.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: Sorry, the Department of Health is in tomorrow morning.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I am answering the question. Every week, we have had nearly a day, in effect, devoted to Covid. It is not just all about vaccinations either, because the other issues need to be dealt with and debated also. That is fair to say.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I have to reject that. Deputy Shortall has a habit of consistently and continually asserting something which is not true in terms of consultation. It is just not true.