Results 48,341-48,360 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: I want to finish by saying that long after this general election is over, I will make this prediction: In years to come, people will look back on this initiative and say it was a good initiative that did some good for the children of that generation. That is what will happen, by the way. This will be implemented.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: It will be impactful long after the election.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising what is the most significant social issue of our generation. This Government, notwithstanding Covid-19, has made very significant progress and initiated a range of actions and initiatives on social and affordable homes of different types and supports for first-time buyers. A total of 125,000 new homes have been built since 2020, notwithstanding the lockdowns....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy has painted a picture that, I would argue, does not represent the very significant progress that has been made on house building in the past four years. Supply is the key to the cost question-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: I did not interrupt anybody. I would also make the point that the Social Democrats voted against the Affordable Housing Act. The Deputy might understand why we sometimes feel there is a terrible disconnect between what social democratic parties and others articulate about housing in this House when, in practice, outside of the House they do different things. In here, they opposed the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: -----have voted against housing developments such as Ballymastone in north County Dublin-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: -----where 1,200 social, affordable, cost-rental, affordable purchase and private homes are now, thankfully, under construction.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Social Democrats opposed that scheme. That is why people do feel, genuinely, that there is a disconnect of the sort Deputy Cairns spoke about, between her party’s actions on the ground and its delivery.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: On the vacancy issue, the initiatives of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, relating to grants for derelict and vacant homes have been the most effective way of dealing with dereliction. I do not believe you can tax your way to housing supply.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: I have not seen Deputy Cairns's blueprint for housing. She has been here for four and a half years and her party has not produced any blueprint for housing. She has proposed no solutions other than, I would argue, to dampen further investment in the rental market in particular.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: That is simply not true.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: It is all just empty rhetoric.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: I acknowledge and I am acutely aware that the Government and the country are facing significant challenges in respect of housing, which we discussed earlier, the cost of living, health, climate change and many other important issues, and I look forward to getting out about the country to debate these issues in the time ahead. However, it is important to meet head-on the narrative that the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: Just more than 50% of the population has completed higher level education and that has doubled in just 20 years. More pupils than at any point in the past century are being taught as Gaeilge. We are living much longer now, with an average life expectancy of 82 years. We are healthier than we have ever been and, for example, smoking is at the lowest level in 50 years. Deputy Smith may not...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: We have made a lot of progress in this country. It is wrong that Deputy Smith does not at least have the good grace to acknowledge the extraordinary progress the country has made, notwithstanding the challenges that we have. We have made progress as a country.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: I am the son of a busman.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: I came from a working-class community.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: I did not interrupt the Deputy. I will tell her "So what?"

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: I am the son of a busman who was a founding member of the NBRU.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: I was the first to get to second level education in our family and we were the first generation to get to third level.