Results 12,181-12,200 of 50,453 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: It is accepted by many members of the Government that the handling of the water meters project has been diabolical and a shambles. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, has been upfront in apologising for the confusion. Flat charges, metered charges and usage charges were proposed and the prospect of cutting off water supplies was articulated by Ministers and...

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: It is actually Leaders' Question, which concerns questions on matters raised. There is an important distinction between Question Time and this. The Standing Order is very clear.

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: It says that when Irish Water is fully operational staffing will be significantly lower than the approximately 4,300 involved in water services today. It makes the point cogently yet the Taoiseach dismissed it last week. The PwC report was based on the 2006 census. The 2011 census highlights even further challenges for the Government in the project. Why did the Taoiseach ignore the...

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: We are proposing to spend €500 million, borrowing it from ourselves with no clear cost model published or any documentation except the PwC report.

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: That is an entirely unsatisfactory answer. On what basis did the Government ignore the PwC recommendation?

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: If Deputies read it they will see the PwC had no mandate for privatisation.

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: If Deputies read it, they will see it was excluded from considering -----

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: It was excluded in its terms of reference from considering a privatisation model.

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: Whatever your plans are subsequently are a matter for yourselves.

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: The Taoiseach commissioned the report, but on what basis did he select Bord Gáis Éireann? Will he publish the research, the evidence, the model and the rationale for selecting Bord Gáis Éireann above anybody else? We have a paucity of any documentation, any business case and any research as to why we are doing this.

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: He may have ideas about the principles of levying for water, but the fundamental point remains that we are going down the route -----

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: I want to find out a bit more, Deputy Howlin.

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: There is a basic requirement and prerequisite before any Government goes down the road of at least a minimum of €500 million investment. It could be multiples of that before we are finished, if one listens to executive engineers across the country or to the executive manager of Dublin City Council.

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: The only plan the Taoiseach has now on this is to pass the buck. What we are hearing now is that Bord Gáis is saying there are serious engineering challenges. The census has thrown up more challenges and some 300,000 houses cannot be metered and so on and on. There will be no charges before 2014. We are being told not to worry about the detail, as the regulator and Bord Gáis will take...

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: The country is owed more than that. I ask the Taoiseach to publish all documentation and all advice he has received on this project, from all Departments and agencies so that we can have an informed debate on the merits or demerits of the entire project.

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: Will the Taoiseach publish all the advice?

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: Will the Taoiseach publish all the advice received?

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: It would need to.

Order of Business (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: Not agreed. Yesterday we raised the issue of the guillotining of Second Stage of the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill. What is proposed today is to take Committee and Remaining Stages of the Bill today and tomorrow. No separate time has been allocated between Committee Stage and Report Stage and 23 pages of amendments were presented to the parties in the House this morning. Yesterday we...

Order of Business (25 Apr 2012)

Micheál Martin: I put it to the Taoiseach that we are not happy with the way the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill is being treated.