Results 43,061-43,080 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I appreciate the Deputy raising this issue. As he said, the national childcare scheme is a scheme of financial support to help parents with the cost of childcare. A component of the scheme is a sponsorship referral which makes special provision for vulnerable children. Officials in the Department are aware of the issues the Deputy has highlighted regarding the sponsored subsidy rates to...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: That is primarily an issue for the HSE locally to resolve. Sometimes, the HSE will readvertise a position. These situations have evolved through demographic issues and so forth, including challenges in general practice in rural Ireland particularly. I will ask the Minister to talk to the HSE, but he does not get involved in every case. I presume that the HSE is alive to the issue with a...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputies for raising these issues. Deputy Andrews referred to the GRA and the Garda situation. We support community policing and invest heavily in it, but the issues that remain outstanding in respect of the rosters should be resolved through the available industrial relations machinery. It is important that those avenues – the internal mechanisms and the established...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: In schools is where I would have them. The Progressing Disability Services, PDS, programme has a different view, but coming from an education background, that is what I believe. We had it ad hocin the past before PDS and it worked in many areas. To be fair to the HSE, it will argue that children who were not in special schools did not get the same level of access, but children in special...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Northern Ireland (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank all the Deputies for their remarks. I do not agree with Deputy Tóibín's assertions, which are more in the realm of sloganeering, polemic and propaganda than a serious discussion of the issue. We have been very clear as a Government. I support what Deputy Brendan Smith said in that this relates to all actors in Northern Ireland who perpetrated atrocities. Deputy...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Middle East (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: President Abbas's response was that because the Israeli Government refuses to facilitate the holding of elections in East Jerusalem - which is a critical issue for the Palestinian National Authority - they therefore cannot proceed with elections. He referenced the current level of aggression within the occupied territories. Fundamentally it rests on East Jerusalem being enabled to be part...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Northern Ireland (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: First of all, there has been much speculation as to timings and approaches. To be honest, the Windsor agreement was a genuine response to the issues unionism raised in respect of the operation of the protocol. In my view, some of the issues that were resolved through the Windsor Framework were issues that unionism legitimately raised. Indeed, other parties in the North were quite okay with...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: Regarding these two things, in terms of the cost of disability, the report has been published, as I said. The Department of Social Protection has taken actions to improve employment supports for people with disabilities. Additionally, the earnings disregard for those receiving disability allowance and the blind pension has increased several times in recent years. A lot of action has been...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: We use the dividend to enable us to introduce the measures to alleviate the pressure. We have taken measures in respect of excess profits at the energy companies, as the Deputy knows. We have taken those measures and we expect revenues to come in, some before the end of the year, including the windfall tax, and more next year, which we will reallocate back into measures to reduce the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I agree with the Deputy that the State should be the key provider in severe cases or cases that have complexity attached to them. That is one of the reasons, when coming into government, we wanted the disability brief moved to a different Department in order to get a more coherent and holistic approach to the issue of disability. It has taken too long given all the transfers that have...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Reports (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 18 together. With a growing focus on security and defence issues across Europe and at national level, Iconvened a national Consultative Forum on International Security Policy in June. This was the first time the State has ever embarked on a national conversation on security and defence issues in this manner. The aim of the Forum was to provide an...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 45 together. The Passport Service is successfully meeting the current high demand for passports. Thanks to significant investment by the Government and the dedicated work of the Passport Service staff, all turnaround times are at their target level and there are no backlogs. Almost 800,000 passports have been issued to date in 2023 and forecasts...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Disaster Response (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 37 and 41 together. I was shocked and saddened to learn of the earthquake in Morocco and of the flooding in Libya which has claimed so many lives. My thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones, the injured and emergency responders. In Libya, the flooding has affected a country whose people have already endured years of conflict, poverty and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukraine War (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14, 46 and 49 together. Ukraine continues to be a regular focus of discussions at EU level, in the face of Russia’s ongoing illegal and unjustified war of aggression. The response by the European Union to Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been unprecedented in its unity, firmness and determination. It has encompassed political, financial,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 22 together. Ireland has been providing support to Ukraine and Moldova, both bilaterally and through the EU budget, since Russia launched its war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022. On 19 September, I announced €23 million in new humanitarian and institutional support for Ukraine and Moldova, which will include funding to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: On 30 December 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 77/247, which included a request to the International Court of Justice to render an advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. Ireland voted in favour of this resolution, which was supported by 87 UN Member States. ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Government does not currently have plans to open an Embassy in Baghdad. The Embassy of Ireland in Amman is accredited to Iraq. Ireland’s global impact and diplomatic network has been strengthened by the Global Ireland Programme, which was launched in 2018. The Global Ireland programme aims to double Ireland's international impact and influence in the period 2018 to 2025,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 44 and 56 together. The developments in Nagorno-Karabakh are a matter of serious concern to Ireland and our EU partners, and our priority remains the safety of the local population, and the humanitarian situation on the ground. On 18 September, we were encouraged by the simultaneous passage of humanitarian supplies from Armenia via the Lachin corridor...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 21, 40, 63 and 67 together. I visited Israel, the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) and Jordan from 4-8 September 2023. In view of the continuing priority afforded by the Government to our relations with these partners and – in particular – the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this visit provided an important opportunity to meet with my...