Results 37,681-37,700 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Ukraine War (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 34 together. I spoke to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, by phone on 16 March. He expressed his gratitude to the Government and people of Ireland for their support for Ukraine, including in welcoming those fleeing the war; for our support for Ukraine’s application for EU membership; and for our support for the most robust and severe...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Northern Ireland (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Shared Island Dialogue series is a key part of the Government’s approach to engaging with all communities and political traditions on the island, to build consensus around a shared future, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. Through the Dialogue series, the Government is listening to people’s views on a range of common concerns, and how we can work for a shared future,...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Official Apology (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: Since taking office I have issued one formal apology in the Dáil, on behalf of the State, for the hurt experienced by many former residents of Mother and Baby Institutions and County Homes. I apologised for the profound generational wrong visited upon Irish mothers and their children who ended up in a Mother and Baby Home or a County Home and for the shame and stigma which they were...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: 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. The Cabinet Committee last met on 7 March this year and will meet...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Northern Ireland (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Shared Island Dialogue series is a key part of the Government’s approach to engaging with all communities and political traditions on the island, to build consensus around a shared future, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. Through the Dialogue series, the Government is listening to people’s views on a range of common concerns, and how we can work for a shared future,...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Contracts (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: My Department engaged the services of the company in question from 2013 - 2016 and from 2019 - 2020 for translation services. This provided for the translation of reports, press releases, speeches, website text, and correspondence. It also included the use of interpretation services for a small number of press conferences and meetings with visiting members of European governments. The total...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Contracts (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: My Department has no contracts or expenditure with the company in question.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Undocumented Irish in the USA (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The welfare of undocumented Irish emigrants in the United States remains a priority for Government. In my virtual meeting with President Biden on 17 March, we discussed comprehensive immigration reform, including the specific issue of undocumented Irish people in the United States. President Biden has demonstrated his commitment to immigration issues, including possible pathways to...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Consultations (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: My Department, in line with the rest of the Civil Service, actively supports diversity and inclusion in the workplace and is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all staff. Recent measures taken to promote diversity and inclusion in my Department include: - Participation in AHEAD’s Willing Able Mentoring (WAM) Programme, a graduate internship opportunity for persons with a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I have repeatedly said in this House and since I became Taoiseach that housing remains the most serious social issue and crisis facing our country. Clearly, as the Deputy has acknowledged, the past two years have been very difficult in house construction because of two significant lockdowns. Putting that to one side, however, from our perspective access to housing is fundamental - social...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The help-to-buy scheme benefited 29,000 people. Sinn Féin has opposed it resolutely since its inception. On shared equity, Sinn Féin plays a double game. It actually sneakily voted for it in the end despite all the ranting and raving about it by Deputy Ó Broin and so on. He opposes shared equity, allegedly, but ended up voting for it when it came before the House. I...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----because every time a proposal comes for a mixed type of housing, be it private, public or whatever, Sinn Féin opposes it on the grounds it has to be 100% public on public lands and nothing else. Everything else gets pushed out. I do not know how Sinn Féin thinks we will get houses built without builders or finance. The Government is putting up €4 billion but we will...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy is wrong in that she is not meeting the realities. Housing for All is a very substantive, well-researched, evidence-based approach to dealing with housing challenges over the next number of years. I have seen nothing in comparison from the Deputy’s party in response to it and nothing by way of solutions. We all know the reality. I have accepted that housing is the biggest...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----and we are determined to deal with the reality of that. That is why I have said consistently and all of the time to people of all parties, including the Deputy’s, to stop objecting to the O'Devaney Gardens and Oscar Traynor Road projects of this world if they are sincere about meeting realities. The Deputy’s party lacks sincerity when it has that sort whole-scale...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Ó Broin ends up voting for it sneakily at the end of the process but he does that anyway.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: That is the hypocrisy that has become his hallmark on housing policy.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: These are political and not personal points I am making.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I want solutions from the Deputy-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----that meet the realities of housebuilding and house supply. We are determined going to go on. We will spend €4 billion this year and will continue on a prolonged and consistent social housebuilding programme, the likes of which have not been seen before. We are not going to be deflected from that and we are also going to work on our affordability.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: In the first instance, I am somewhat taken aback by the commentary on auto-enrolment. Surely everyone in this House agrees we should as a State and society deal with poor pension provision for workers in this country, both those who own homes and those who do not own homes. The auto-enrolment scheme does not discriminate when it comes to home ownership and pension provision is not good...