Results 11,961-11,980 of 51,889 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: All of this is undermining the credibility of the household charge in the public mind. Does the Tánaiste really believe there will be such a rush to comply with the requirement to pay the charge that up to 1.5 million people will register to do so before next Saturday?

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: The Minister, Deputy Howlin, basically put his hands up this morning and said this has not been handled well. I ask the Tánaiste whether he thinks this is fair.

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: The Minister said it on "Morning Ireland".

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: Is it fair that fines will automatically apply to those who do not pay the charge by 31 March, even though they have yet to receive a leaflet explaining how to pay the charge and Labour Party Ministers agree that it has been badly handled? Will the Government reconsider the matter? Will the Tánaiste confirm to the House that the timeframe within which people have to pay the household...

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: That does not really answer the question. The matter has not been handled well. People should simply be able to go to their post office to pay the charge. Many people cannot pay online and some are being penalised because they cannot pay online, as we heard this morning. The Government should have broadened the exemptions from the outset, as my party proposed. We suggested a number of...

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: There clearly has not been a proactive, energetic, committed campaign by the Government to communicate to the people and get an effective response on the charge.

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: Last evening, Ursula Halligan reported on TV3 that she was being briefed by very authoritative Fine Gael Ministers and sources that there would be an extension.

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: It may not be announced, we were told, but that it would kind of seep into the public consciousness again, such that we will somehow discover-----

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: Is that the case? Is the Tánaiste aware that Ministers are briefing RTE and TV3 journalists and senior political correspondents, who have their sources? The Government has been very good at spinning and media management and I suspect this is another clever game at media management.

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: If the Tánaiste is not prepared to make an admission today, will he state whether it is his view that the deadline should be extended or whether the Cabinet is now contemplating this? Does he honestly believe it is fair-----

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: -----that people will have to pay fines despite his acknowledgement and that of many Ministers of the bungled nature of the management of the household charge?

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: Will it be changed?

Employment Levels (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: The Minister of State set out figures for the fourth quarter of 2011 in reply to the question on the number of workers in employment. Is that the latest period for which figures are available?

Employment Levels (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: I understand the figure for the first quarter of 2012 was 1.8 million.

Employment Levels (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: Are they are the last figures?

Employment Levels (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: We have nothing since then. Does the figure relate to the budget's projection of an increase in unemployment over 2012? That projection gives the lie to the claims about macro-employment action plans. I am alarmed by the Minister of State's claim that the domestic economy is not collapsing. The retail, construction and domestic services sector are in a depressed state. People who are...

Employment Levels (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: Has the Government distinguished between employment in the domestic economy as opposed to foreign direct investment companies? We gain on some foreign direct investment but we also lose when companies pull out or take longer than expected to mature. I welcome the Eli Lilly investment inasmuch as construction on the project will begin shortly but the permanent posts are three years away....

Employment Levels (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: Fine Gael controlled the local authorities.

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: Question 2: To ask the Taoiseach if the review of changes to procedures in Dáil Éireann promised in July 2011 has taken place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6196/12]

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: I take issue with two elements of the Minister of State's reply. To describe the programme of reform as ambitious is a complete exaggeration. It is anything but ambitious and I am sure the Minister of State will agree. It is very superficial and shallow parliamentary reform that bears no relationship to the commitments given to the people of comprehensive parliamentary and political reform...