Results 3,421-3,440 of 50,909 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy is aware from my previous replies on this matter, the Government has decided that the site at Columb Barracks, Mullingar will transfer to the LDA. My Department has completed all the pre-contract paperwork to facilitate the transfer of the site as soon as the LDA is ready to accept the site.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: As Minister for Defence, I am deeply committed to the transformation of the Defence Forces into a modern fit for purpose organisation to defend the State and meet the challenges of today and the future. The Commission on the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment in the Programme for Government, and its report was published on the 9th of February 2022. The Commission...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 155 together. As of 30 June 2024, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,399 personnel and 213 personnel had been inducted. Induction numbers fluctuate from year to year. The military authorities initially projected an induction figure of 540 for 2024. I believe that the Defence Forces' recruitment target needs to be more ambitious. On...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: As Minister, I am deeply committed to the transformation of the Defence Forces into a modern fit for purpose organisation to defend the State and meet the challenges of today and the future. The Commission on the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment in the Programme for Government, and its report was published on the 9th of February 2022. There were 69 main recommendations...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy will be aware the provision of housing is a matter in the first instance for my colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and my Department assists in any way it can in support of such applications for housing assistance, when requested to do so. The Deputy may also be aware that it is a long-standing policy that long term residential accommodation is no...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Ministerial Responsibilities (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: Jennifer Carroll MacNeill T.D. is the Minister of State in the Department of Defence. She is also Minister of State for European Affairs and was appointed by the Taoiseach to these separate roles on 9thApril 2024. No formal functions of the Minister for Defence have been delegated to the Minister of State and full responsibility for Defence policies, the Department of Defence, and the Defence...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I will engage with the Minister for Education in respect of the Delvin situation which the Deputy mentioned and also more broadly on introducing the practical measures contained in the school transport review as effectively as possible within the funding framework. It is the largest review of the school transport scheme since it was established in 1967. About 135,000 children are now...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I do believe there is a very serious issue here in relation to children’s access to therapy. There are recruitment issues within the HSE but in my view we must look at other mechanisms and initiatives to deal with this. We are dealing with this at Cabinet subcommittee level at the moment and will be pursuing alternative approaches. However, that length of time is not acceptable.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for her help and co-operation and all of the ushers in the Dáil as well for all their support, and the staff in general.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: -----in exiting people out of emergency accommodation more quickly than would have been the case before. We have built more houses in the past four years than were built in the previous ten. We intend to continue to build more houses, particularly social houses, to deal with the social housing crisis and the issue of homelessness. Homelessness is a multifaceted and complex issue. I would...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I would hate to think that there are any public servants counting the days until the Deputy leaves to go to the European Parliament.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: It would shock me that there would be people counting the days, although not everyone has the Deputy's uniquely creative approach to issues. I mean that as a compliment. Compliance is taken seriously by the Minister for children and his Department. There is no doubt that there has been an unprecedented increase. Some 31,000 people, of whom some 8,000 are children, are now living in...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I hope it will be factual. The word "collation"-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy. I have no doubt that he read the report from cover to cover. During my time as Minister for Education, the Deputy was my Opposition counterpart. I know from his diligence and his work that he would read every report that was ever published. I take his point that the retrofit programme has been a success. However, he makes a fair point about the 250,000 houses using...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: That does not mean the Deputy read it.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: That is not the case. I will not take lectures from the Deputy in terms of how to communicate with grieving families. and how his party has communicated with grieving families down through the decades.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: No, it is not. I am just making the point. The scoping inquiry and the publication of Judge Haugton's report into-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy made assertions. After the Dáil resolution of a number of years ago calling for a public inquiry, the scoping inquiry was established.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: It took much longer than anyone anticipated - about three to four years - for the report to emerge. It was a comprehensive inquiry. The Government has now decided to refer it to the justice committee. Two weeks ago, other Deputies raised the matter during Questions on Policy or Legislation. I suggested that I would like to talk to members of other parties to see if there is a way through...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Ceann Comhairle said he would be interested in convening meetings of party representatives to see if we can find a route through. I would now have ethical issues about another inquiry going on for four or five years or maybe longer. There have been lots of inquiries that did not give victims their-----