Results 37,901-37,920 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: Which person are we talking about?

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: No. The Deputy mentioned some other person.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: As I said yesterday, I was not familiar with the arrangements that were arrived at between the Department of Health, the CMO and TCD. I believe the position was created by Trinity College Dublin in terms of pandemic preparedness and public health and, arising from that, there was a secondment arrangement. Again, though, I was not aware of the details of that. I think the Chief Medical...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: I attended a meeting of the European Council on Thursday, 24 March and Friday, 25 March in Brussels. This was the third meeting of EU leaders within a month and since Russia's brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February. Prior to my attendance at the most recent meeting, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, updated the House on my...

Seanad: Comhshuí de Dháil Éireann agus de Sheanad Éireann - Joint Sitting of the Houses of the Oireachtas - Address by H.E. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: A Cheann Comhairle, a Chathaoirligh, President Zelenskyy, Ireland is resolute in our solidarity and support for Ukraine. We thank President Zelenskyy for his heartfelt, honest, clear and, indeed, historic address to our Parliament this morning. The strength of his commitment and that of the people of Ukraine to his country and to restoring its place as a free, safe, democratic and an...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Gender Equality (5 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: Both my Department and the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO), the only body under the aegis of my Department, actively support diversity and inclusion in the workplace including gender balance. The Human Resources units in both organisations keep gender balance under ongoing review. As at 1 April 2022, the gender balance of staff in my Department (excluding politically...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Transport Policy (5 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: Both my Department and the National Economic and Social Development Office, the only body under the aegis of my Department, encourage and facilitate employees to use active travel, such as walking, running and cycling to commute to work by: - providing shower and changing facilities for staff; - supporting and encouraging staff to avail of the Cycle to Work Scheme; and - providing bicycle...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Appointments (5 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: The vacancy in the position of Secretary General to the Government and Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach has been filled following a request for expressions of interest from all suitable officers in the Civil Service. The post does not come within the remit of TLAC. The appointment was made by the Government, on my advice. There was no departure from the process that...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Public Sector Staff (5 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: Neither my Department nor the National Economic and Social Development Office, the only body under the aegis of my Department, have any employees who are presently absent from work on full pay due to suspension or workplace disputes.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Contracts (5 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: My Department had no expenditure on consultancy services in the period specified.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Flexible Work Practices (5 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant number of the staff of my Department have been working from home since March 2020. A phased return to the workplace has been underway since the easing of restrictive measures on 21 January 2022. In line with the rest of the Civil Service, my Department will finalise and progressively roll-out its blended working policy for the longer-term. This...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: In the first instance, in a wide ranging presentation, Deputy McDonald said the Government had been doing nothing on the cost of living. I need to disabuse her of that statement. That is a completely false statement to assert because the Government has worked extremely hard and consistently in easing - not by any means mitigating in total - the cost of living increases that have occurred in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: We reduced the caps for multiple children on school transport fees and have cut public transport fares by 20% until the end of the year.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: We will introduce the young adult card next month which will reduce fares for young people under 24 by a further 50%. We lowered the threshold for the drug payment scheme to €80 per month, benefiting over 70,000 families. We brought forward the working family payment increase announced on budget day from 1 June to 1 April.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: We launched a national retrofitting programme with unprecedented grant supports for home energy upgrades and increasing numbers of free energy upgrades for those at risk of energy poverty. Today the Government approved a proposal for the abolition of inpatient charges for children under 16 from July, to alleviate the financial burden of statutory hospital charges. There is much more in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----Deputy McDonald said it herself, in her opening remarks, that a minority now uses turf in our country in respect of their energy needs. It is important that we protect the rights of people in rural Ireland in terms of turbary rights, people utilising turf in their own bogs and traditional practices in turf sharing. They are not being banned at all.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: There will be no restrictions on people who own their own bogs and use turf in their domestic fire or share it with neighbours. There is no ban on the gifting of peat by those with rights to harvest sod peat. What Deputy McDonald needs to be very careful of is the fact that the big issue here is the coal industry; that is the big villain of the piece here. Back in the early 1990s, the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: What I say to Deputy McDonald and to all who have influence in Northern Ireland is that, as Deputy O'Dowd pointed out, there is an amount of smoky coal coming into the Republic with no controls.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: This is damaging health here. We need to deal with this too. Smoky coal is the target here, not turf.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: There is responsibility on all sides of the House, including Deputy McDonald-----