Results 50,561-50,580 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Disability Services (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 19, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on disabilities has been established to oversee the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the area of disability, with a specific focus on children’s disability services and disability services more generally under the forthcoming new national disability strategy. The Cabinet...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Disability Services (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: What is it called?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Disability Services (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank all the Deputies for the issues raised. Deputy Bacik asked the initial question about therapists. Approximately 461 were approved by the Cabinet today. That was sweating the existing asset, if you like, within our third level system, seeing how many additional places we can provide in addition to those already in place across a range of therapies. The Minister for Further and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Disability Services (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: There will be engagement between the Department of Health, the Minister for Health, the HSE and CORU because there is an issue around recognition of qualifications for those who travel from overseas, even from the United Kingdom and within the European Union. It takes too long, given therapists are crucial. In other professions such as medicine it happens much more quickly in terms of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Disability Services (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I apologise. On dysplasia, I did not know that and was not aware of it. I will relay it to the Minister for Health. To Deputy Dempsey, I say independent living is important. She is correct a lot of parents have real anxiety about later life and if anything happens. That is something we are focused on. I spoke about Waterford, I think. To Deputy Ward, we are working to do everything we...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 to 31, inclusive, together. On 10 April, I announced the new phase of the Government’s shared island initiative in a keynote address to the fourth shared island forum. Our programme for Government sets out an ambitious agenda for building a shared island, backed by a further €1 billion commitment to the shared island fund out to 2035....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputies for raising a variety of issues. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked about the sports front. There has been a range of investments. Casement Park is a significant one, with a €50 million allocation. There is also the sports club electric vehicle, EV, charging scheme, which got into difficulty in terms of procurement and the roll-out of public EV charging points in...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: But they do not see it as a hard border.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: We have been criticised on the opposite side, on the other side of the scale. There have to be rules around migration. I think the Deputy's view is that there should not be, which is fair enough and he is entitled to have a view, but I think his view is that there should not be any rules at all.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: That is not sustainable. I thought he was talking about asylum seekers coming North and South.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: Anybody who is legally resident in Northern Ireland can travel to the South.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Coppinger raised an important issue. Gender-based violence is not nationality focused, or exclusive to any person irrespective of race, creed or colour. It is something we need collectively to rid out of society. It takes a lot of work. We have policies relating to it in this Government. As Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, did a lot of good work in this area. Her successor,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I dtús báire, ní aontaím leis an Teachta. Níl aon bhaint ag an méid atá ráite aici leis an bhfírinne. Níl suim ag an Teachta leis an bhfírinne, áfach. Is é atá i gceist ag an Teachta, agus Páirtí Shinn Féin, ná a bheith i gcoinne gach aon chinneadh a dhéanann an Rialtas, gan aon pholasaí...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: She is back to the vulture funds-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: She then said this morning that if the Government is intent on using institutional funds, it is on the wrong track. Well, go back a few weeks and just replay what Deputy Eoin Ó Broin said on Virgin TV where he acknowledged-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: -----and recognised a role for institutional funds in the Irish market.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: Who do I believe here? Do I believe Deputy McDonald this morning? Do I believe Deputy Ó Broin? Do they believe there is a role for institutional funds? Or, when it is into politics, they just change the term and call them "vulture funds", because it plays well, or they think it plays well.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: It is just clichéd bingo announcements. That is all they are at. I heard the Deputy this morning.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: It was just bluff and bluster. The bottom line here is-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I have answered the questions. If we look at what Threshold said, for example, it said it is very clear that "the changes announced today will - with well-designed legislation and effective enforcement – this will be a huge jump forward in providing long-term stability to renters." It welcomed the national extension of rent pressure zones. We will be bringing in legislation to...