Results 35,861-35,880 of 51,299 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I remember Deputy McDonald complaining about it not being at 100,000.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: It is at 210,000 tests per week. Let us be fair about it, and balanced. The HSE is doing everything it possibly can to expand PCR testing. Testing is at a level that we never thought we would need but, because of the Delta variant and how transmissible it is, it has created huge pressures on the system.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy should acknowledge the good work that is being done as well.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I agree with the Deputy in the sense that key to the vaccination programme has to be constant encouragement and persuasion. In some minority groupings, for example, which may culturally have some challenges with vaccination, there has been a reach-out from the HSE and a specific targeted focus that is yielding results in terms of increased numbers. The Deputy is correct in stating that...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: Coillte, as the Deputy will be aware, is independent in terms of its operational duties. They have an obligation to report to the Minister in terms of any projects or whatever like that. Apparently, this is in relation to an approach in terms of creating a woodland accommodation and recreational offering. I am assured that existing walking trails in Ballymartle Forest, which are very...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: First, in the past year and nine months, exceptional public support has been given to health, with over €4 billion in last year's budget, some of which was obviously within the context of Covid. The largest number of beds created in any one year was last year when 900 plus public beds were provided. That will continue to be extended into 2022. Increased capacity will continue....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: There has been ongoing public health support to schools during the pandemic and the Minister for Education and her Department rely on public health supports. In the context of the antigen system that is being introduced, that is on foot of public health advice. It is the HSE's view that it is the parents who should contact the school in terms of their children who test positive.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: As I said already, I accept there is globally a massive increase in energy and fuel prices. It is across Europe and across the world. We do not have much room for manoeuvre on that at all, as has been suggested. Factually, that is the position. We all need to deal in facts on that.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I take the Deputy's point on the rebate scheme. There is always potential around the rebate scheme. It has already been increased, as the Deputy knows, and that increase was maintained for 2022. There are other issues pertaining to the industry that we, and the Department in particular, are engaging with the industry and its official representatives on those issues.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: On balance, it has to be acknowledged that very significant progress has been made on home support.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: It is estimated that at the end of September 2021, some 15 million hours had been provided to over-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I refer to care that has been provided to 53,000 people. You get the impression sometimes coming in here that nothing at all is being done in any area.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: This entails 2.2 million more hours compared to the same period last year. The waiting lists have come down from 7,800 in January 2020 to just over 400 in 2021. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, has made a lot of progress on this and wants to make more progress on this and wants to make more. The Deputy is correct in that because we have made so much progress, there is now pressure on...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I did not realise that the Deputy was writing down everything I was saying in an informal capacity.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I always admire the innovation of hospital managers who, as we open one facility, hurriedly move you on to the next facility that they want to develop. I do take the point. I spoke to the Minister for Health and have spoken to the HSE chief executive officer on that project. It is a ready-made project that would provide 33 extra beds with a degree of investment. It makes sense to me and...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: The HSE and the Government have consistently used online platforms across the board on public health messaging generally and on information on Covid 19. There have been specific programmes for online platforms for quite some time. I will take up the matter on antigen testing but that is the next phase.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: We have to increase the capacity of existing schools or build new schools with population growth. In the public school programme, priority has always been given to areas of high development potential and growth.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I have noted of late Deputy Durkan's tenacity and persistence on the issue of the lottery and the need for somebody to win the prize. It could be taken up by the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach. I think the Deputy is a member. It should invite the regulator which governs the licensing of the lotto. We all have high estimations of ourselves but my...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: Fundamentally, as we have said there has been a significant increase in inflation across the world and it is driving pricing. Through taxation measures the Deputy opposed in the budget, we have made an effort to give some assistance to people, especially working people, in meeting costs. We did so also through social protection increases.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: That said, we are looking at other measures to get electricity bills down for households. We also want to build more houses because the best way for people to have affordable housing and reduced energy prices is for properly A-rated housing to be built, including public housing and so on.