Results 36,701-36,720 of 51,299 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am a bit confused because last October Deputy McDonald's party increased the pension age in Northern Ireland from 65 years to 66 years. We do have an open mind-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: ----on the report of the pensions commission and the Oireachtas committee. We will examine that report in conjunction with the Commission on Taxation and Welfare.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Bill is very progressive legislation. I would have to examine the detail obviously but I am generally supportive of the spirit of the legislation and what the Deputy is endeavouring to achieve.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Yes.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Government is constantly looking at charges, particularly in the health area. The Deputy will know that in the budget we reduced inpatient paediatric charges and the threshold for the drug payment scheme. We will consistently and on an ongoing basis continue to look at charges. We will take the Social Democrats motion into account.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: As Taoiseach, I would rarely intervene in decisions An Bord Pleanála has to make. I never do, in any event, as a public representative. The Government policy statement, which was approved and published on 18 May 2021, sets out that the Government does not support the importation of LNG fracked gas. That is the policy statement on the importation of fracked gas. The Deputy is probably...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy's question would take too long to answer.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Clonakilty is a beautiful and delightful west Cork town with a wonderful quality of life. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan has been raising this issue with me for some months now and has outlined and articulated the problem. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, is also engaging with Irish Water on this issue, which seems to be a different scheme from the one...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I appreciate the Deputy's interest in this issue. It is not the intention of the Government to downgrade the Dean Maxwell unit. There have been various proposals brought forward, as the Deputy knows. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, will meet senior HSE staff and Department of Health officials tomorrow to discuss these issues. I ask that she come back to the Deputy and other...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will come back to the Deputy on that. I will have a look at this. The issue came to my attention last evening. There are obviously a number of perspectives on this in terms of the environment, clean air and other issues as well. I will examine the matter in full. I have not yet had an opportunity to do so. I will come back to the Deputy. I just want to give him time to catch his...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Significant capital moneys have been allocated to roads and public transport in the NDP. Notwithstanding that, a whole range of projects have been at different stages of development, whether it be route appraisal and so on. We will have to engage with the Department and TII with a view to how these projects can be progressed. Some only have to move to route selection, which would not...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: All the party leaders in the House met on Monday to discuss the issue of violence against women and sexual violence. Legislation was one of the areas raised, along with others. The Oireachtas should look at this through the Joint Committee on Justice. I know that the families of women who have been murdered are very aggrieved at the current situation in respect of their being alerted to...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy is prone to a little fanfare himself.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: My experience of cross-Border projects is that planning and objections seem to be slowing down many of them. We are making funding available to cross-Border road projects.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: For example, for the first time in a long time we are putting flesh on the bones of the Narrow Water bridge project. I have allocated funding to it with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will examine that project along with others. The NDP is very expensive in terms of the amount of money that is being provided for road projects. As I said, we will engage with the Minister and the TII in respect of what can be done on a whole variety of projects that are at different stages of development.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Yes, in short I would welcome a proposal from the mid-west in respect of an elective-only hospital. In the health service generally, capital projects are moving too slowly. The elective process has gone on for five or six years through different working parties, in addition to people, consultants and administrators having different views. The Government has taken a decision to press ahead...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Yes, it is devastating news for the workers involved. The State agencies should do everything they possibly can to support them and help to ensure that the company can stay open, if that is possible. I do not have the full background to the rationale behind the decision, but it is critical that the State agencies also engage with the workers to support them in every way possible in respect...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Finance is looking at the fintech issue. A decision was taken by the Oireachtas in respect of taking competition out of the Central Bank's remit. There are issues in terms of bank competition in Ireland. We know that. There are other issues as well, but I do not have time now to go into the detail.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I agree wholeheartedly with the Deputy that the importance of Kerry, in particular Killarney and Farranfore airport, can never be overestimated. The airport is very valuable and important to the economic development of the region and to the social life of the region. With the development of the Munster Technological University, there are great opportunities and synergies to be had in terms...