Results 38,521-38,540 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 20, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on social affairs and equality oversees implementation of the programme for Government commitments in the areas of social policy, including sport, equality, arts and culture, as well as children and youth affairs and public services, including matters relating to justice, policing reform and community...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputies for raising these issues. Deputy Ó Laoghaire asked about the issue of childcare. In the last budget, very significant additional funding was allocated for childcare with a focus on enhancing pay and conditions for those working in the area. Discussions are to take place between employers in the childcare area and representatives of workers with a view to reaching...

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an gCathaoirleach as ucht an gcuireadh a thabhairt dom chuig an gcruinniú seo agus as ucht an bhfáilte a chuir seisean agus baill an choiste romhainn go léir. I wish to recognise the important role of Oireachtas committees in providing advice to the Houses of the Oireachtas on a range of matters in their sectoral areas,...

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: First, in relation to Deputy Howlin’s point, we have approximately 29,000 - I can check those figures for the Deputy - Ukrainians who are fleeing war. We did undertake to take in 500 from Moldova. I will check the specifics on that and I will come back to the committee and to the Deputy. I will take on board what he said about financial support. Initially, in the immediate...

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will follow it up.

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: In the last number of years - I was an advocate for Dáil reform in 2016 and for confidence and supply - we created a budget office. We have created far more resources now in the Dáil than would have been the case. I will check with the Oireachtas Commission and with the Minister about this. Some legislation on this went through before Christmas.

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: My sense was that the envelope has not been as stretched as-----

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: That is what I am suggesting to the Deputies. Deputy Quinlivan was making a fundamental point. He also made a point about Northern Ireland MEPs. My understanding is that the Oireachtas reform committee is examining that at the moment. I have no issue with that at all. However, there are some legal issues that have to be dealt with and addressed.

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Dáil reform committee discussed it last week.

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: It did. I fully accept the extraordinary work of Deputy Lawless’s committee and its legislative workload. It has been substantive. I take the Deputy’s point about the loading of legislation and then a valley period and the withdrawal of Bills at short notice. That should not happen. There should be a back-up all of the time to make sure that is a continuous pipeline of...

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will pay attention to time. My apologies.

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Did the Deputy say the children's hospital?

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I have to accept that Deputy Funchion's committee has had an incredible agenda of major legislation, particularly the information and tracing Bill. The latter will give unprecedented access to birth records and is very important. There was the burials legislation and now we have the payments legislation. There are also other issues. I pay tribute to the fantastic innovation that children...

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Cabinet took a decision last Tuesday week to publish all of the documentation and pause the decision. It is almost two years since the Government was formed and prior to that there were many more years of discussions and toing and froing. The only objective of the Government is to provide a 21st-century hospital for the women of Ireland and a neonatal centre of excellence. The current...

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: There are some who object to it - not the Deputy but some.

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: My apologies.

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I appreciate that. Deputy Leddin floated a good idea, to which I had not given deeper consideration, that an office similar to the budgetary office in respect of climate could be established in the Parliament. That is not a bad idea in terms of resourcing the Parliament in general. The Oireachtas has to develop a more collective identity on climate change. We attempted to do this in the...

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I appreciate the strong contribution from Deputy Cahill in regard to a whole range of issues, in particular forestry. I am very concerned about this issue. When this Government came in, the licensing situation was very difficult because of a lot of legal actions that were taken against licences, and reforms and legislation were passed to try to speed that up. As to the current indications,...

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I have not seen that correspondence, but I will talk to the Minister about the points the Deputy raised.

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Turning to Deputy Denis Naughten's questions, I am in favour of what he said. We should take away the legislative barrier to facilitating people in the private sector to work longer. In the year 2000, Ireland was ranked 16th on the European Union league table for life expectancy. This year, we are ranked number one. I did a double take when I saw those figures because I did not expect us...