Results 33,501-33,520 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (10 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: First, we agreed during our telephone conversation that we will have a more substantive meeting in the coming period in order to look more fundamentally at the British-Irish relationship post Brexit, which is important. My sense is that the politics being played in the United Kingdom are not constructive in the context of the European Union. The issue relating to the protocol in terms of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council Meetings (10 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together. I have participated in several engagements with my fellow members of the European Council in recent months. We met in person in Brussels on 10 and 11 December, by video conference on 21 January and, again, on 25 and 26 February. At the European Council meeting in December, we discussed Covid-19, in particular the authorisation and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council Meetings (10 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: There were a broad range of questions. I would say at the outset it would be interesting if Deputy Tóibín followed up that story on Israel. How many vaccines will those countries get in the next month from Israel or the month after that or the month after that? That is the point. There will be no immediate dividend from that particular venture any time soon in terms of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council Meetings (10 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: On Russia, the Sputnik vaccine producer has been invited for a long time now to apply for European Medicines Agency, EMA, authorisation. My understanding now is that it is doing so. Incidentally, Russia is a long way from vaccinating its own population. It will have huge challenges in that regard. If the Sputnik vaccine is approved by the EMA, we will have no difficulty in using it and,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Government-Church Dialogue (10 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 6 together. As part of ongoing dialogue with churches, faith groups and non-confessional bodies, I have met with faith leaders on a number of occasions since my appointment as Taoiseach. On 28 October 2020, I met with representatives of the Catholic Church, Archbishop Eamon Martin, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop Michael Neary, Archbishop...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Government-Church Dialogue (10 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: To respond to Deputy Tóibín, I fully accept that one of the saddest parts of the global pandemic and the impact on society has been the inability of families to grieve, in the way we do in Ireland, their lost ones who have passed away. This has been a terrible loss to those bereaved. That so few can attend a funeral is a further traumatic blow to the families. They do their best...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (10 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: I had a call with President-elect Biden after his victory in the November election in which I offered my congratulations to him and to Vice President-elect Harris. We discussed the great value we both attach to warm and close bilateral relations, the importance of protecting the Good Friday Agreement and the US’s unwavering support for the peace process. We also discussed the value of...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Advertising (10 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: The table details the figures requested by the Deputy. Month of Payment Campaign name: National Newspapers Regional Newspapers National Radio Regional/Local Radio June 2020 Emergency Business Supports €229,784.05 n/a €158,403.39 €94,738.42 June 2020 ...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Consultations (10 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: My Department has not engaged any consultancy firms nor incurred any expenditure on consultancy in relation to COVID-19 or any other matters throughout 2020. As stated in my previous reply, my Department is working with the HSE and their contractors EY, the CSO, and a number of other Departments, to draw together existing data outputs to maximise the insights that can be gained. This builds...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Internships (10 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: The National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO), the only body under the aegis of my Department, accommodated two third-level students on internships during 2019 on an unpaid basis. NESDO has a capacity to provide work experience and internships on an unpaid basis to four third-level students on an annual basis.

Statement by An Taoiseach (11 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: I would like to congratulate the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, and her husband, Paul, on the news that they are expecting their first child in May. Is ócáid speisialta í sin i saol an Aire agus a fhear. Gach dea-ghuí orthu. It is a special time in their lives and they have all our best wishes. The Minister and I agree that she should of course be entitled to...

Statement by An Taoiseach (11 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: As I said, the Minister for Social Protection will be assigned responsibility for the Department of Justice. However, she will also remain as Minister for Social Protection and for Rural and Community Development. As I also stated, the Minister of State, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, who attends Government meetings and who has responsibility as Minister of State at the Department of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: The situation in relation to the virus is very fragile. I recall when I came in here early this year we had 42,000 cases in one week and we had 2,000 people in hospital. I made it clear on that occasion that I wanted to see a consistent suppression of the virus. In the past seven days we had 3,800 cases and 325 or 329 in hospital. The point is that the sacrifices people have made have had...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: The legislation obliges the Government to consult with the public health experts. It is based on the variant and its very high incidence rates.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: Recommendations will come from the Chief Medical Officer about adding other countries. We are the first in Europe to introduce this and that should also be acknowledged.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: I think the Deputy needs to define what she means by "non-essential travel". At Christmas time, she said that people who were coming home to meet their parents was essential travel. She needs to come clean with the people in terms of what she is actually saying about this. We are bringing in mandatory hotel quarantine. Countries will be added to the list by Government, as recommended...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: There will be a significant number of vaccines administered in addition to what we have done, which has been very effective in bringing down the levels of disease.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: The broad thrust of Government policy on social housing is to build social housing. We have taken a suite of initiatives. The bulk of construction next year in terms of the provision of social housing will be through approved housing bodies, AHBs, which have consistently been building social housing on behalf of the State, but also the councils. Direct builds will comprise the large bulk...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: Approximately €3.3 billion has been provided for housing, a 24% increase on budget 2020. Clearly, in the first three months of the year Covid has restricted output. That is obvious, because of the level 5 lockdown and our decision to reduce mobility. That has had an impact on the first three months of the year. The €3.3 billion available is the highest investment in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Mar 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Covid has caused unprecedented interruption to normal healthcare activity, with both community and acute settings affected. It also created extra pressures on the provision of cancer services, not only in Ireland but globally, because of the additional demands that treating patients with Covid has imposed on the health services and also...