Results 2,881-2,900 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Cahill for raising this matter. As he knows, the Government does not get directly involved in those matters of detail for which the HSE is responsible. We do, however, understand the importance of the issue when this happens for a patient who has been receiving medication under the medical card scheme. We have taken note of the specific issue raised by the Deputy, and the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, has been doing a great deal of work in this area. Having negotiated several budgets with her, I know she has pressed the case for increased funding very hard. She was extremely successful in securing extra funding. Since 2021, we have provided an extra €207 million in funding. That is no consolation to anybody who cannot...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: The Government has been very consistent in being a voice for restraint in this conflict. We are not at all, in any way, satisfied with what we are witnessing. It is appalling. The bombing of civilian areas in Gaza is simply not acceptable and must come to an end. We have joined the international calls for a ceasefire. Mediation efforts are under way. We urge all parties to become...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. That sounds a shocking situation-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: -----that should never have happened. I will speak with the Minister on it and we will follow up. If the council has made an offer to buy the property, that should be facilitated and that is what should happen. We will follow up on this specific case.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. I do not have the operational detail available to me to give him a substantive answer to his question. I acknowledge the concern and anxiety that is evident when patients have to wait that length of time for results. The Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, will get back to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. I am not sure about the blaze of glory-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: ----but I am sure the former Taoiseach's visit was genuine and motivated by a desire to try to move the project on and make progress. My colleague, Deputy Cahill, has also raised this matter and was there on the day with the Deputy. We will need to get an update from the local authority, the NTA-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: -----and the Department of Transport to establish the exact status of the project and why it is stalled, as the Deputy said it has. We will need to check that out.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Pringle very much for raising this issue. Just yesterday, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, met with members of the Mica Action Group. The regulations are being finalised. The Minister expects that they will be in place in the coming weeks and that the new scheme will finally be in place and up and running. Of course, anyone in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: I am happy to meet with the homeowners to see what assistance I can provide. I recognise that practical issues will arise for them with regard to their mortgages. In many instances, people will be out of their homes for prolonged periods. While the State is assisting in other ways, people may well need support and assistance from their financial institutions. I always have to say that...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: What we are going to do is build more homes. We are going to place an emphasis on age-friendly accommodation because we recognise the clear demographic trends and that there is going to be a requirement for the State to deliver public housing for older people at scale over the coming years. In the interim, the housing assistance payment and other supports will continue to be available. We...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and there are a number of different strands to this. Where a case is taken, we need to ensure that case and claim are dealt with as efficiently as possible. None of us want to see instances where, especially in the case of catastrophic injuries, it takes many years and eventually on the steps of a court a settlement is agreed. We are seeing an...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: There will be individual cases that go all the way to court or to the steps of the court. That is unavoidable. There are two parties involved and there are lawyers providing legal advice to their clients and some people will want to have their day in court, but they are a small minority. The vast majority of claimants want to reach a settlement as early as possible in the process, and that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: The next step here is to have an agreed and approved project. This is a project that is still in the statutory planning process. We hope it will come through that in the not-too-distant future. What the Taoiseach and I have signalled is a willingness for us to have a conversation with our partners in Northern Ireland and with the British Government to see what more might need to be done on...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. As she knows, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is going to launch this report later today with Threshold and Alone. That reflects the seriousness with which the Government treats this issue. The Minister will, of course, consider the findings of the report, which is a research report. It provides us with more information. That helps inform policymaking and allows us as a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. I want to give assurance that, especially when it comes to older people served with an eviction notice, we will move heaven and earth to help them and find a solution. Whether it be through our local authorities or approved housing bodies or the interventions we are supporting at a national level, we will help people and we will find solutions. We will not allow older...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Doherty for raising this issue. He is right to say that this is not just about improving infrastructure or opening up the economic potential of the all-island economy in the north west. It is also about road safety and saving lives. That is a stark statistic the Deputy put on the record, that since the upgrade was first announced in 2007, 47 people have died. That most...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Data (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: I am advised by Revenue that a breakdown of excise receipts for 2021 and prior years is available on the Revenue website at www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/information-about-revenue/statis tics/excise/receipts-volume-and-price/excise-receipts-commod ity.aspx. In relation to VAT, I am further advised by Revenue that traders are not required to identify the VAT yield generated from the supply of...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Data (11 May 2023)

Michael McGrath: At the outset, it is important to clarify that in my role as Minister for Finance, I have no involvement in respect of the distribution of the Horse and Greyhound Fund. The Fund is under the remit of the Department of Agriculture as it contains equestrian and animal welfare elements, in this way it differs from regular sports funding. The way in which Exchequer funding to the Horse and...