Results 39,941-39,960 of 50,916 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Order of Business (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: There was no noise; it was made very clear at the end of the Order of Business.

Order of Business (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: Will the Taoiseach publish the advice received? The Labour Party stated it had received solid advice last year. Is it still relying on that advice and will it be published?

Order of Business (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: Fine Gael stated before the general election that it could do it.

Order of Business (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: In fairness, Deputy Ciarán Lynch made a great career out of it for 12 months.

Order of Business (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: He swore blind it could be done.

Order of Business (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: That is an awful comment to make about Deputy Ciarán Lynch and it should be withdrawn. He has been at this issue for 12 months, but the Minister, Deputy Shatter, cannot deliver.

Order of Business (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: Some 12 months before and after.

Order of Business (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: Going back to 1921.

Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: As I said yesterday, the proposed cut in the payment to young people with disabilities is callous and unnecessary. To single out this group for such a cut is truly a retrograde step. The Taoiseach's attempted explanations yesterday did not add up as young people with disabilities will have their incomes dramatically reduced - some to the tune of €111 a week - no matter how much he tried...

Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: As a result of the budgetary strategy to be pursued, the Taoiseach deliberately adopted an approach of finding cuts which were deeply unfair and carefully targeting smaller benefits relied on by vulnerable groups in society.

Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: Yesterday the Taoiseach was adamant that there would be no change and the Minister for Social Protection sat alongside him to give him the rationale behind this approach. Will he confirm that the very strong signal which emanated from the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, last night-----

Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: At least, the Minister for Finance gets the light which perhaps some Labour Party Ministers and Deputies might not.

Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: Will the Taoiseach confirm that this cut will be reversed in the social welfare Bill?

Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: With the greatest of respect, it is time for the Taoiseach to stop blaming everyone for decisions he is taking. The Taoiseach's answer this morning lacks credibility and is pathetic. This decision in respect of young people with disabilities has nothing to do with the troika.

Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: The troika has made this clear time and time again. As for listening to people, we raised this matter yesterday. This cut-----

Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: This cut was a sneaky, cowardly attempt to get something in through the back door in the hope that people would not notice. When we raised this matter yesterday, the Government tried to muddy the water and would not come clean about what it was doing. Forget about appointing people to review the issue. The Government should do the honourable thing, accept it is a mistake and reverse it.

Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: The Government should not put up a smoke screen about appointing someone to review.

Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: We all know the issue. We do not need to be told about the current application of the situation.

Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: We all know the reality of the implications of this cut. The honourable thing to do would be to reverse it. Will the Taoiseach confirm to the House that we will not proceed with the cut in the rate of payments to young people with disabilities? We all know of individual cases. The Government should have known what they were before it took this decision.

Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2011)

Micheál Martin: It had many Cabinet meetings at which it deliberated on these cuts. We were told that it was meeting on Sundays.