Results 50,841-50,860 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I did not rattle off any figures when I was answering Deputy McDonald.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I did not. What I said was, I outlined what TASC, the Think-tank for Action on Social Change, said in its publication today. That is not rattling off figures. It basically said that the short-term, once-off cost-of-living packages that we introduced had a very significant impact in helping people to deal with what has been the worst inflationary spiral since the 1970s, which we had after...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: -----but they still did not go to meet the enormity of the increases people experienced at the time. Do not say I just rattled off figures. I did not.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I then went on to say that we had extended the VAT reduction to 9%, which we did. That is not rattling off figures. That is a fact, which has had some impact. I mentioned free-of-charge HRT coming in on 1 June.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I mentioned the extension of the free schoolbooks scheme to all students. If you have one income coming in, we all know that every September and every summer, schoolbooks, going back to school and the cost of schoolbooks was the bane of most parents' lives. That is gone, eliminated. The Deputies did not have the good grace to acknowledge that. I do not expect any acknowledgement, but they...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I did acknowledge, and have spoken a couple of times today about, the elevated level of grocery prices and the impact it is having on households. Please do not say I did not acknowledge it. I did. It is the Deputy's standard practice now to make assertions that are not true. Of course prices are impacting on families and households but the taxation measures we took last year in the budget...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: We are looking at every aspect of cost and price with a view to getting prices down.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I assure Deputy O'Callaghan that we understand fully the degree to which this is impacting on people, households and families, but we have taken very effective measures. They include ones that even the Social Democrats did not advocate for, such as free schoolbooks, notwithstanding the position that party adopts on so many issues.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of primary care and GP provision. Undoubtedly, in rural Ireland in particular and in some urban areas, over recent years there have been challenges accessing a GP and getting a GP. On the other hand, there have also been significant developments and growth, particularly in terms of the number of places at third level. That has increased very...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: The new programme in Galway will be specifically focused on rural GP medicine. A huge investment is going into primary care and this area.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: Practices in receipt of the rural supports receive the maximum rate of practice staff subsidies, significantly reducing possible staff costs for smaller practices. They also receive the maximum rate of locum support for leave-taking. A new locum support initiative commenced in May, providing GPs in receipt of rural practice supports with access to a streamlined locum-sourcing service. The...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I think the Deputy's initial instincts were correct. "Brilliant", he said.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: It is rare that an Opposition Deputy would say we were "brilliant" when we got out of bed first thing in the morning.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: Ireland is number one in the world in terms of participation in third level education. That is the measure of this Government's commitment to students in third level education in terms of supporting students with reduced fees over the last number of years, improving the various maintenance and SUSI schemes for students, and building more accommodation, which is currently under construction...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy said 70% of services trade with Israel.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Bill only affects the occupied territories so I think the Deputy is conflating two different things there. The Tánaiste has asked the Attorney General for legal advice in respect of services. Obviously, there is a clear difference between services and goods in terms of tracking, tracing and manageability. It is quite a good Bill in terms of linking it to the customs legislation,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: -----in terms of asking if the European Union is compliant with the ICJ opinion in respect of the illegally occupied territories, and then the EU-Israel association agreement, where we are also pushing strongly.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: First of all, I would like to point out that the European Union is the single greatest donor to Palestine. It is an important point, although it never gets said.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: In real terms, the most effective contributor now to Gaza is the European Union.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I am not happy with the fact that we cannot get unanimity across the 27 EU member states.