Results 34,181-34,200 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Functions (26 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: The EU and International Division of my Department works on all aspects of EU and international policy within my Department, including issues relating to the EU/UK relationship. The Division assists me in my role as a member of the European Council and in my other EU engagements. It provides advice and briefing for meetings of the European Council and other EU Summits, multilateral events,...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cybersecurity Policy (26 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52, 53, 54, and 57 to 60, inclusive, together. My Department implements a security-by-design and defence-in-depth approach to cyber security. The Government’s services are still actively involved in managing and remediating the recent cyberattack on the HSE. Our technical staff continue to operate and monitor all relevant systems to the highest...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (26 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: I met with Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Chequers on Friday 14th May. We had constructive engagement across a number of issues. Our discussions focused on ways our two Governments can continue to work together to support all the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and promote peace and prosperity on both a North/South and East/West basis. We also discussed issues around implementation...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Legal Services (26 May 2021)

Micheál Martin: My Department incurred no expenditure in respect of external professional legal services in the years 2014, 2019 or 2020. The Moriarty Tribunal of Inquiry and the Commissions of Investigation, which are independent of my Department, have sanction to engage legal counsel, as required, to assist them in their work. All legal services fees are paid at rates approved by the Government.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: First of all, I agree with the Deputy in terms of the good news in recent weeks that people are returning to work in considerable numbers. We have been in a position to do this through our management of the pandemic and though a successful and efficiently run vaccination programme which is having a dramatic impact on the severity of illness in society from the virus and on reducing death and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: As I said earlier, hotels, bed and breakfast accommodation and guesthouses will open again tomorrow. This will create jobs and get people back to work. Next week, restaurants, pubs and other facilities will open. All of that will help. Last February, approximately 481,000 people were on the pandemic unemployment payment. This figure has already decreased to 334,000 and it will continue...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy and her party's spokespeople agreed that it would have to be phased out. Deputy Doherty is on the record as saying that. No one expected emergency pandemic payments to remain forever. We now want to allocate resources elsewhere. We will help everybody who has difficulty getting a job as we move into the latter half of 2021. Very substantial resources are being put into...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I disagree fundamentally with the Deputy. We have not introduced a cliff edge. The opposite is the case. We have extended the PUP to September, following which there will be a phasing out of it out to next February, which will be second anniversary of the introduction of the payment. By then the payment will have been in place for two years. It was originally introduced for 12 weeks....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: By the Deputy's own admission, hundreds of thousands of people came off the PUP last year and so I think she is overstating the case. The same will happen this year. I do not accept that people currently on the PUP will not be able to get a job in the economy in the coming months. I think there will be a significant recovery. Sustaining it for the medium term is what the plan is about....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. We will have to agree to disagree in terms of the issue around the imposition of restrictions in society. The measures we have taken overall have resulted in fewer deaths in Ireland and less severe illness than in other countries that took a different approach. Ultimately, the role of Government is to protect lives and public health to the very...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: The supports have been very extensive. That needs to be said because very quickly they get read into the narrative and taken for granted. They have been exceptional supports because the pandemic has created a need for exceptional supports. As we get situations under control, however, the same level of supports will not be sustainable in many areas. We can work to support nursing homes in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: The vaccination programme has had a very significant impact in bringing the situation within nursing homes under control. This does mean that we have to reconsider both the level and scale of supports if the situation comes under control in any given environment or situation. The more important point is the medium-term relationship between the State and the private nursing home sector, how...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: First of all, I thank the Deputy for the question and for the very constructive and non-partisan manner in which he has raised the issue. This is an extremely important issue that always has to command the full attention of the House across all political persuasions. Families and communities the length and breadth of the country have been affected by suicide. It is important to continue to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I agree 100% with what the Deputy said. We always have to watch out for the vulnerabilities in others and be alert and aware. As he said earlier, we should be open in talking about mental health and about suicide but also in letting people know, which I consistently say to young people, that they should be kinder to each other. In life, people should be kinder to each other than is often...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I reject the assertions by Deputy Carthy that the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, is endeavouring to disadvantage Irish farmers-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: Nothing could be further from the truth. It is an outrageous assertion to make-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I did not interrupt the Deputy. The Minister is committed to agriculture and Irish farmers, and genuinely so. That should not be taken by-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: He is not.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy's mask slips every so often in regard to his basically anti-European Union position, in terms of net contributions and all the rest. He has fought against the European Union all his life-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy will present everything and create a negative narrative on the European Union.