Results 36,441-36,460 of 51,299 for speaker:Micheál Martin

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy has made a very fair point and I will certainly pursue that with the Minister.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: Generally, we need to reflect on the broad issue of having statutory public inquiries one after the other, irrespective of this, and I do not believe anybody would doubt that these are serious cases the Deputy has raised. Previously, the Oireachtas decided to have statutory inquiries that have gone on for five, six or seven years with no conclusion. It is not a model that is working.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: The inquiry model is not working, if I am honest. It takes an inordinate length of time for them to conclude at an extraordinary cost. Deputies have referred to Siteserv. I could name them all. I am making the point that we all genuinely felt the need to have-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: We have. A commission of inquiry was meant to be an alternative model to a public inquiry.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: There is a lack of capacity in this country to have an inquiry without an adversarial dimension, barristers and lawyering up-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I have to make the point. I want to be fair.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am answering the question. The easy answer is to say "Yes" or "No". It is a more honest to ask whether we need to interrogate this model before we start an inquiry. Every week someone asks for an inquiry about something.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am not trivialising it; I am serious about this. We need to analyse this as an Oireachtas because it is the Oireachtas that decides to have inquiries, but they take an extraordinary length of time and are not giving people closure at the end of it all.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am serious. I will meet with party leaders to discuss this, if the Deputy wishes. We need a discussion about this.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am giving the answer, but the Deputy-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I could name seven inquiries that there should be in Northern Ireland about the activities of your movement over the years, but we have never had them. Talk to the people in Northern Ireland who were kneecapped for decades. There was never any closure. (Interruptions).

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will meet with people to discuss this, but at the moment the model we have is not working.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I wish to make the point that I did answer, and I was heckled again for answering.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for asking this very fair question. The Minister for Finance, on foot of the decision by the board, is now reviewing the entire issue. It is to be hoped he will be able to come back with proposals on it.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I have to be consistent with what I said in response to Deputy Daly's question. I am not convinced that commissions of inquiries are the optimal way to investigate these issues. They go on much longer than people anticipate or expect. This is a genuine issue; I do not want the Deputy to get me wrong. The Department is examining a variety of options as to how best to respect and meet the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: There may be more.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I know, but people will not be satisfied with an inquiry that goes on for six years. I am just trying to be honest with the House.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: Some can and some do.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am saying there might be other ways of doing it. There might be a better way of doing it.