Results 48,761-48,780 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: There is what we need, and we need 50,000 houses per year according to the ESRI.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: The question then is how we get there. I will say again that the Department of Finance and everybody else says that we need approximately €20 billion in development funding for housing. At the moment, the State is spending €6 billion.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: Sorry-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: If the rest of you could start telling us how to fill in the gaps and get to the €20 billion-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: No, you will not do it happily.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: All the Opposition does is to say "No" to everything.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: I would welcome an engagement with the Deputy on housing-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: -----but please, less of the misrepresentation.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: I was talking about what the Deputy said to me.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: With the greatest of respect, Deputy, you had an opportunity to go into government but you did not show up.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: Yesterday, the housing subcommittee of the Cabinet met. We made some concrete decisions in respect of housing. There will be an additional €450 million of funding to build a further 3,000 affordable and social homes, and cost rental accommodation. We made the decision to establish a strategic housing activation office, as recommended by the Housing Commission, of which the Deputy is...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: The county development plans will allow us to reach, or give us a fighting chance of reaching, the targets identified by the ESRI.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: As I said earlier, yesterday the Government took a number of key decisions on the national planning framework, which is key - I hope the Deputy agrees – and will lead to more zoning of land which is important given the numbers of houses that we have to build in the coming years. We approved an additional €450 million for 3,400 social, cost rental and affordable homes. In...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: They might be doing it in the best interests of housing but you cannot say one thing and then have it both ways, as Deputy Ó Broin has been doing serially. I will look at that and I will discuss with the Deputy mechanisms around utilising that €160 billion he spoke about and how we release more private sector capital into housing. That is what I have been saying since this...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: First of all, I would say that the volume of new homes built in the past five years represents the highest level of delivery since 2008 - almost two decades ago. That is a fact, but it is not enough. I never mentioned section 23 relief. In the past month, I never mentioned it. I repeat I was in government for the past four and a half years. Decisions were taken. Brownfield sites have...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: -----on how we activate brownfield sites because they make sense. At present, we are being told, they are not viable. At present, the apartment building is not happening, in particular in cities, to the degree that is necessary to give people a chance of either owning an apartment or renting an apartment at an affordable rate. We want to give opportunities to young people-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: -----to either rent or to buy at affordable rates. That is our agenda.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: First of all, the Deputy is referring to the publication of the Commission on the Regulation of Utilities large energy users connection policy minded-to decision paper. It is a mouthful, but it is an important document. It is not as the Deputy has described it, by the way. I think a lot of people on the industrial side might see a bit of progress in this but it will take a lot of detailed...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: Are we saying we do not want to participate in the AI revolution? The AI revolution is the most profound economic revolution currently occurring since the 19th century industrial revolution. It is, but it has a problem.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2025)
Micheál Martin: AI uses enormous amounts of energy. That is a problem. The US says it will be fossil fuels. The French say it will be nuclear power. Ireland will have wind energy but there will be a gap in between. When the wind starts to flow - offshore wind in particular - we hope there will 5 GW by 2030 and more in 2031 and 2032. We cannot shut the door on data centres in an absolutist way, which is...