Results 38,041-38,060 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: In respect of KBC and Ulster Bank leaving-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: If you let me-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am speaking through the Chair. The point I am making is that existing banks should do everything possible to work with the exiting banks to facilitate customers. The Department of Finance is engaging with the banks to ensure that happens.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: Everything must be done to protect tenants and we are doing that through a variety of legislation and so forth. The Deputy asked about St. Helen's Court in Dún Laoghaire and landlords issuing notices to vacate to five HAP tenants at that location. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is working with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to ensure the five...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Tyrrelstown amendment was the optimal that could be achieved within the current constitutional framework. That is my understanding and we must work with the practical and real legal framework.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: It would require a change to the Constitution. We are working on an amendment to the Constitution related to housing. It is one of the tasks of the new Commission on Housing. With regard to Radoslaw, Tony and the other tenants who are the victims of this unacceptable behaviour, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is working with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: We are going to do that. Fortunately, this year we have put €4 billion into a contingency fund in the budget for Covid for 2022. Some of that is now being used for Ukraine. The figure the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform used last week was an estimate of what it could be in 2023. We hope it is not and that the war will end. I accept the Deputy's bona fides and the merits...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí agus ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy and Legislation (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: The only way we could implement the motion this evening would be to get rid of the legislation that underpins the carbon tax, which provides the funding to deal with fuel poverty. We have brought the fuel allowance to well over €1,000. The motion does away with the retrofitting funds to enable people on low incomes or people generally to retrofit their houses so there would be lower...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí agus ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy and Legislation (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: The motion tonight.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí agus ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy and Legislation (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: I have read the motion.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí agus ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy and Legislation (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: I have read out the words in terms of the carbon tax increase and in terms of excise on fuel, which is carbon tax in another form. It is carbon tax but Sinn Féin has tried to hide that fact by using the term “excise" on home heating, which is actually carbon tax. They had it both ways. Their motion is full of duplicity but it is essentially about getting rid of the carbon tax....

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí agus ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy and Legislation (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: In this country, we are sometimes very critical of ourselves and that can be a good thing. I was struck by a recent survey that illustrated that it has worked very well in Ireland during Covid-19, even without any legislative framework, and we should acknowledge that. The experience for people who benefited from remote working is that they had higher satisfaction levels, quality of life and...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí agus ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy and Legislation (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue with me. Access to sexual and health education is an important right for students. I do not want to single out any particular school and I do not have the full details in regard to it. From the Government’s perspective, we are updating relationships and sexuality education and the social, personal and health education, SPHE, curriculum for...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí agus ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy and Legislation (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy knows, we had the rent pressure zones on existing tenancies, which are effective according to the ESRI, which has done a lot of research on the application of the rent pressure zones in keeping rents down.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí agus ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy and Legislation (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: The RTB relates to new tenancies. Supply is the key. What is very important is that we really get supply up, which we are doing now, with 35,000 houses from March 2021 to March this year on all streams – social, private and cost rental. That is the key to this and we are going to continue to work on getting that supply up. I would really appreciate the Deputy’s...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí agus ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy and Legislation (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. He is correct in saying that we experienced a higher decline in transplant rates compared with many European countries, due in part to the reallocation of staff and resources from the donation and transplantation system to intensive care units to aid the Covid-19 response. An additional €2.25 million has now been provided for...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí agus ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy and Legislation (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy has raised a very important point. I will revert to the Minister for Justice on it. My understanding is there is an examination of the wards of court system on the way. The Deputy has raised a legitimate point and I will come back to him on that.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí agus ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy and Legislation (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: It is a prospecting licence and therefore it is not extraction at this stage. The Minister, Deputy Ryan, has to operate within the legal framework. I would like to examine the situation more deeply before making any kind of commitment in terms of banning anything in that regard and to hear the background to this and people's concerns.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí agus ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy and Legislation (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy knows, the ongoing consistent position over the years has been income based with different categories - over-70 and below-70 - and there has been particular provision for those with a terminal illness. One concern in terms of taking a one-disease approach is the question of what about other chronic diseases. A number of Deputies have articulated on behalf of cancer patients....