Results 2,541-2,560 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: I acknowledge that this is an issue Deputy Shanahan has raised in the House on a number of occasions. I will ask the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, to consider what Deputy Shanahan has said in the context of the Estimates process and the way in which we allocate funding to the different Votes, that is, the different Government...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: I recognise the importance of this project. The Deputy has consistently advocated for it, as have Deputy Cahill and others. I have visited Tipperary town, as Deputy McGrath said, and have heard and seen at first hand the congestion and the urgent need for a bypass, which I think would be very positive and would free up the town for future growth and development and commercial and retail...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: The Deputy's note of congratulations to the Cork footballers is duly noted. I hope he will be supporting us this weekend as well. We might get another crack off Kerry in a few weeks' time, I hope. The N22, the existing project, is a fantastic project, and we all look forward to seeing the remaining phases of it opened in the months ahead. It does highlight the inadequacy of the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: I acknowledge that Deputy Ó Cuív has consistently raised this issue. The Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016 proposes to amend the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000. On completion, it would give legal effect to the proposed reconfiguration of the raised bog natural heritage area network arising from the 2014 review of the network as well as providing for reviews of blanket bog habitats,...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: I will follow up on it personally, but I expect so, yes.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: As I was coming in yesterday evening, I met the group outside and had a chat with them. I subsequently met the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and discussed the issue with him. He will revert to the group concerned. As Deputy Ó Broin will know, this is a major new scheme with a potential cost of between €1.5 billion and €2.5 billion. It will be one of the most...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: Deputy Bruton is right to highlight the role that right-sizing or using empty bedrooms around the country can play in meeting current housing needs. There is a balance to be struck. We have to be careful not to introduce any measures whereby people feel they are being forced to sell a home that perhaps they have been in for half a century. That said, there is merit in examining whether it...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: Housing output increased by about 45% last year. The data on commencements, completions, planning permissions and so on is more encouraging now than it was around six months ago. There is a lot of activity in the sector. The suspension of the development contributions, for example, and the water connection fees is making a real difference. It is making projects that might have been...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: I join with Deputy Bacik in wishing everyone a happy Pride. The decisions we made at the Cabinet this week will be welcomed by many across the country. I assure the Deputy that the report will be published and the necessary legislation will be brought forward as a priority by the Minister. I do not anticipate any delay. I think it will be broadly supported in this House. It is a very...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: Tusla has implemented its child-exploitation procedure in 2021 in partnership with An Garda Síochána which provides Tusla staff and carers with information on how to recognise indicators of child sexual exploitation, how to make appropriate referrals and how to respond to cases where children may be at risk of sexual exploitation. Tusla also developed a training e-learning module...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: Did the Deputy refer to baldies and grey-heads there? Do I take it he will not be canvassing for support from any bald person or any grey person in Cork North Central at the next election? I do not know why he felt the need to throw in-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: I do not know why he felt the need to throw in a disparaging remark like that. I am sure the people that description might relate to will remember exactly what you said.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: It was petty and unnecessary. On the substantive issue, I do not know what the Deputy has against debate. This is an opportunity for civil society to have a debate on a really important issue not only for Ireland but every country in the world -----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: ----- on defence, foreign policy and security.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: It is not rigged or stacked. We have been very clear.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: There is no intention of changing Ireland's position on military neutrality. I think the Deputy knows that well. He might reflect on his comments.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Healy-Rae. I want to underline the Government's support for the family farm and the principle of that all over Ireland. I negotiated with the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, over the last number of budgets, significant increases in the funding for his Department. He successfully negotiated a new strategic Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, plan worth almost €10 billion...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: To be honest, I would be more optimistic than the Deputy. I recently visited the Farm Zero C project, with which Deputy Michael Collins will be very familiar, in Shinagh, Bandon, where the four west Cork co-ops have come together to develop, on a commercial basis, a farm that is environmentally sustainable. They took us through all of the different aspects of what they are doing - testing...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: On the question of a referendum, the relevant Cabinet committee is actively working on this issue. A meeting of that Cabinet committee will take place this afternoon as I understand it. It will be given further consideration and there will be engagement across the House and of course public confirmation of any final decision on that particular issue. On child trafficking, since last...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2023)

Michael McGrath: I must apologise because I am not familiar with the detail of this particular case, the Davitt complex, but we will certainly look into it. I want to underline what the Government position is. Our position is that we support integration. The best developments around the country have a mix of tenure types, of house types and apartments, involving private, cost-rental, social and affordable...