Results 44,901-44,920 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: RTÉ is funded by a combination of the licence fee, taxpayers' money and advertising revenue. Essentially, the RTÉ licence money is the public's money. Where public money forms the bulk of any organisation's revenue, there should be full transparency and accountability to the public. What has happened is unacceptable. There should be no secrecy in respect of any package which any...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes, hands off. Government can never interfere with a public service broadcaster. There has always been a hands-off and an arm's-length approach. I can remember as a young student when people accused governments of the day of interfering too much in RTÉ in terms of editorial control or saying that RTÉ should not publish this or should not criticise that. That was an earlier...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy clearly did not listen to my original reply. I said there should be full transparency in respect of everybody who got a package from RTÉ. That is my view. It is public money; it is licence fee money and taxpayers' money. There must be full transparency in respect of any individual. I said that already.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: In terms of the licence fee, Sinn Féin's alternative budget for last year, which was published only four months ago, did not mention, let alone budget for, its plan to scrap the licence fee.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: You did not.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: It would cost in excess of €150 million.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: The other point I will make is that the other fundamental problem with the amnesty proposal is that for the hundreds and thousands of people who paid the licence fee down through the years, it is an incredible insult. "Fools you were to pay" is what Sinn Féin is saying to them. What does that mean for other bills that people pay? What Sinn Féin is saying to people is, "Don't...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: That is what Sinn Féin is saying.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: "We will look after you at the end of the day." That is what Sinn Féin is saying. It is saying it does not have to provide for it in alternative budgets.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: For those who have paid their licence fees over the years, that was an incredible slap in the face. The Deputy has basically-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I wish to say finally that what Sinn Féin has basically said to the Irish people is, "Why bother to pay any bill?".

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I agree with the Deputy on almost everything she has said. Her point about bogus self-employment contracts is valid. She has consistently raised the matter and it is a very serious issue. A significant and comprehensive investigation is under way. The Department of Social Protection commenced that investigation into the PRSI classification of RTÉ contractors. RTÉ provided the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I expect to have the recommendations of the two expert advisory groups, on governance and culture and on contractor fees, human resources and other matters, shortly. They will be incorporated into a new strategy for RTÉ, which will come to the Government. They will bring clarity to the basis on which the Government will make decisions on the future funding of RTÉ. In the interim,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: The referendum covers three areas, the first being a more inclusive definition of the family to ensure the up to 43,000 children born outside marriage in 2022 are finally recognised by our Constitution and have a sense of full inclusion. It is a very children-focused amendment in that context and it takes within its compass new family formations of recent times. Second, it deals with the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes, we have responsibilities and have to do everything we possibly can to prevent such situations from arising, but any of us who deal with young people in life realise the complexities involved. When Minister for Education, I recall people escaping from Trinity House. I recall that education, health and justice were three silos at the time. That was before Tusla and the more co-ordinated...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: In response to retired Mr. Justice Simms’s letter, Tusla is working with officials within the Department of children. There were four documents. The Deputy referred to a bureaucratic response. I think he is referring to the Data Protection Act. The Department formed the view that it did not have a legal basis to process the personal data contained in those three reports-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: -----and those reports were subsequently deleted from the Department’s records. However, the Department is addressing the substantive issues to which the reports related and that were set out in the correspondence itself. These are issues that have to be dealt with in respect of the personal information relating to any individual or child in the State. However, again, legislation is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for his presentation and for raising the issue of health services. On the question of who is in charge, factually, I presume the Deputy will be aware that Bernard Gloster is the CEO of the HSE and Deputy Stephen Donnelly is the Minister for Health. There are 26,172 more staff working in our health service now than there were at the beginning of 2020. That is 26,000...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: -----and I acknowledge that continues to place strain on services but the Deputy has to acknowledge the enormous increase in investment and resources that has occurred.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I welcome that the Deputy acknowledged the Government funding for Clonakilty Community Hospital. It is not a normal pattern of political behaviour on his part to acknowledge Government funding where it happens. I welcome that Government funding has enabled what we both agree is a fantastic service and facility for the people of Clonakilty agus an dúiche mórthimpeall. The...