Results 4,241-4,260 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Public Works (18 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: The OPW is continuing to review the feasibility of installing defibrillators at heritage sites across the country, including at Maynooth Castle. In the interim, the Deputy might be interested to know that a defibrillator has been installed in the Gate Lodge at Maynooth University (South Campus), which is situated immediately adjacent to the Castle main entrance.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Judicial Reviews (13 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I wish to advise the Deputy that a deferred reply will be issued to her in respect of this Parliamentary Question, in line with Standing Order 51B.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2023 (13 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: In carrying out my responsibilities as Minister I engage regularly with the Taoiseach on a wide range of issues, including those issues referenced here. This is particularly the case in the run-up to the Budget where extensive deliberation takes place at Government level across a number of forums, both in meetings and in general discussion. As stated in my response to your second PQ, it bears...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2023 (13 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: The options for policy reform in the area of supports for parents and foster parents are the remit of the Minster for Social Protection and the Minister for Children Equality Disability Integration and Youth. Those Ministers and their officials are responsible for developing policy in those areas and they can provide further information, if needed.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2023 (13 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: The issues raised during the Order of Business on 5 October 2022 are, in the first instance, the policy responsibility of my colleague Minister O'Gorman in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in the first instance. As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I am responsible for the allocation of public funds, through the annual Budget process, across...

Supplementary Estimates for Public Services 2022: Leave to Introduce (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I move: That leave be given by the Dáil to introduce the following Supplementary Estimate for the service of the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2022: Vote 29 — Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary Estimate); and Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Supplementary Estimate).

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Minister for Education and her officials are working on the detailed design of that scheme and how it will be operated in practice but I was certainly clear in my own mind and in the budget announcement on the day that it was in respect of publicly funded schools. That was the basis of the discussion we had but it is now a matter for the Minister for Education to work through the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I reassure Deputy MacSharry and all colleagues in the House that the Minister for Finance will give careful consideration, as will the Government, to all of the issues that have been raised regarding the levy. That said, we must raise money to ensure we can fund what is a major remediation programme in respect of mica and the State must make decisions as to how it responds to the apartment...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am aware that the Women of Honour issued a public statement yesterday. I heard some commentary on that in the media last evening but I am not fully across all the details. When the review was established, it was regarded as a critical first step. It is significant that it has not attracted the support of the women themselves. That is a concern...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: Those workers are in touch with us as well. I know many of them are very frustrated at the delay in these payments being issued. It should be acknowledged that almost 124,000 staff have received the €1,000 pandemic recognition payment. In essence, those are the people directly employed by the HSE, which includes many section 38 voluntary hospital staff, but many others are waiting....

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: The scheme the Minister for Finance announced on budget day, which is still being developed, is a broad-based scheme to support businesses with the very high energy costs they are going to be facing over the period ahead. It is based on the relative increase in the per unit price of energy for a particular business. Many of those companies the Deputy has identified, because of their scale...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I know this is an important issue and it is one we are committed to addressing. It is undoubtedly the case that a significant number of contracted dentists have chosen to opt out of the dental treatment scheme. It has caused a lot of problems and delays for medical card patients around the country.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Minister for Health has approved new measures to provide for both expanded dental healthcare for medical card holders in the dental treatment scheme and increased fees for dental contractors. Those came into effect on 1 May. In addition, further funding has been provided in the recent budget to assist the HSE in providing care to adult medical card holders who meet the HSE criteria for...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I have seen some correspondence coming to my constituency office about this from people pointing to individual examples of what this means for them. It is an issue that the Minister for Finance is very conscious of and will be engaging with over the course of the progression of the finance Bill. I ask the Deputy to engage directly with the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I acknowledge that this is an issue the Deputy has consistently raised. Leaving social housing income limits aside, it should not be the case that a family with two children with special needs are sleeping rough so I ask the Deputy to please provide us with the details of the case so that we can make sure it is followed up on. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has increased the limits...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Canney for raising this issue, which I know is of great local importance. The Minister, Deputy Donnelly, is aware of the issue and has agreed to meet with Deputy Canney and other Oireachtas Members this evening to see what progress can be made on it.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I know the importance of SENOs and the relationships they have with parents in helping them to secure an appropriate school place in communities all over Ireland. We provided increased resources for the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, in the most recent budget. That will result in an increase in the number of SENOs all over Ireland. If the Deputy provides me with the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I am not familiar with the detail of this issue in respect of radiation therapists but I will raise it with the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, who will get an answer from the HSE and revert to Deputy Harkin. I will make the point that we have increased overall staffing numbers in healthcare by 15,000 over the last two years. This is biggest increase in staff since the HSE was...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: We fully appreciate the importance of connectivity for the mid-west region. I commend the management of Shannon Airport on its recovery, which is now well advanced, following the very dark days of Covid-19. Government has provided a lot of support and will continue to provide support to Shannon Airport through the regional airports programme. In light of the pressure Dublin Airport has...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: Some of the scenes we have witnessed on our television screens and social media feeds in recent days have been utterly shocking. These are attacks on civilian targets, on cities and residential buildings. What is happening there is appalling and subhuman. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Coveney, to respond to the specific question the Deputy has asked but we have been very clear about whom...