Results 36,141-36,160 of 51,299 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Order of Business (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: The absence of any objectivity-----

Order of Business (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: -----in advance of an investigation is quite striking.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 9, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on social affairs and equality oversees implementation of programme for Government commitments in the areas of social policy, including sport, arts and culture, equality, including children and youth affairs, and public services, including matters relating to justice, policing reform and community safety....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: I will engage with the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, on the community and voluntary networks and their engagement in the national alcohol and drug strategy. I passionately believe in the community and voluntary pillar in terms of the implementation of national strategies and in working to formulate and implement those strategies. Deputy Boyd Barrett raised the issue of tenders. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is reforming and adapting the public procurement frameworks to accommodate this and to make sure we can get projects going and not lose too much time in getting projects completed. In this case the developer has pulled out. I will ask the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, to get involved and to...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 15, inclusive, together. The relationship between Ireland and the United States is deep and of long standing. It is important to the country in many ways, not least politically and economically, and it is one to which I attach the highest value. I have had a number of recent contacts with the President of the United States. I most recently spoke...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Smith raised the issue of my conversations with President Biden on the Good Friday Agreement. The President has been very consistent, in all my conversations with him, on the imperative of protecting the Good Friday Agreement and also on the importance of the protocol in the context of the trade agreement between the UK and EU. Deputy Smith referenced the idea of restoring the post...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: -----because people are not getting closure. That would help to change the moral of the argument in terms of the British.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: I may engage with Deputy Tóibín directly afterwards with regard to Emma Reilly. If I can get some communications going on that, I certainly will. Deputy Boyd Barrett raised Sudan. I share his concerns on this. We are not sure about the agreement on 21 November between Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and the coup leader, Lt. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. We do not think that...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: The mere waiving of a waiver does no do that. We need to be fair and honest with people in terms of what we are doing. It means building up capacity and licensing agreements but also distribution networks within certain countries, governance-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: No, the US, to be frank, came out supporting it while it had export bans. Work that out. It had export bans at the time.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: We are not.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: No, we are not.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: The European Union is the only continent that is giving-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: No, that is just slogans again.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: My apologies.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 to 24, inclusive, together. I attended the 36th summit meeting of the British-Irish Council hosted by the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, in Cardiff on 18 and 19 November. The council explored approaches to the acquisition of indigenous, minority and lesser used languages in early years settings. I welcomed the opportunity to provide an...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: Deputy McDonald raised the issue of an Irish language Act which we understand will be introduced in Westminster. I do not know if it will be done before the recess but certainly it will be done early in the new year. It is a pity it was not done in the Assembly, as agreed last year. The package of language and identity legislation agreed under New Decade, New Approach was detailed,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: We need to encourage people to join the police force. I do not think it is happening to the same extent as it did before. I was involved in the devolution of justice at the time, when I was Minister for Foreign Affairs. It was hard negotiated and worked for. The Patten reforms were transformational. We should work to ensure we can build on them. If we keep using language that to me is a...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: There was a fair bit of momentum there for quite some time but then people started resiling from encouraging people to join the PSNI. We need to get the balance right across communities so they are represented in the composition and so on.