Results 421-440 of 50,683 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: Generally speaking, this Government has taken a position to support the construction of roads within the provisions of the public capital programme. The updating of the national development plan will involve provision for roads. We may not go into every specific road in the country in that plan because flexibility has to be allowed to Transport Infrastructure Ireland and to local...

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this crucial issue. Investment in childcare has quadrupled since 2015 from €260 million to close to €1.4 billion in 2025. Last year alone, funding went up by 26%, or €261 million. Childcare costs meanwhile have dropped by more than 38% since early 2023. The last Government did a significant amount of work. I acknowledge Deputy O'Gorman...

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: -----to ensure stronger provision.

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: First, I have to say very strongly that it is one thing to say we acknowledge it. We need to more than acknowledge it. There has been a significant step change in investment in childcare in the past four years. That will continue as regards the level of it. The State funds nearly 40% of all early learning and care of school-age childcare places across multiple funding rounds. Last year,...

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: -----and the employment regulation is key to that.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: I met Mark and Cara this morning at 9 a.m. It was a positive and constructive meeting. We discussed all the issues involved and I outlined what I will do and what the Government will do. I already outlined in a response under Leaders' Questions earlier, all the steps we will take. I was involved in drafting the 2005 legislation-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: -----so I am fairly well clued-in with the legislation.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: The important point is this: I am interested in solutions. I am not at all clear that Sinn Féin is.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: I get the feeling from the Deputy that the longer-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: Sorry? We will bring that forward to this House.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: I said it yesterday-----.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: -----in terms of greater flexibility so that we use therapists optimally and get interventions.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: The fundamental intervention at the moment is State-led. The Labour Party says it believes in State-led intervention. Almost the entirety of the intervention nowadays is State-led. It stands at more than €8 billion at the moment.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising a very key issue. He began by speaking about the septic tanks that are largely associated with existing housing stock across the length and breadth of the country. It is important that we improve upon them and refurbish and develop them and provide grant assistance to enable people to replace septic tanks that are old and not performing to the optimal level. ...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: I have met them. We discussed one of the critical issues in towns and villages across the country, which is the need to free up capacity, for example to local builders if they are developing a housing estate of 20 houses or 50 houses so that they would be able to develop their own treatment facility according to the specifications set by Uisce Éireann. That would then be subject to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: I suggest that maybe if you guys have a monopoly on it over everybody else-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: I will say no more than that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: I was not in government in 2013.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: What is the Deputy saying about Askeaton?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 May 2025)

Micheál Martin: I have spoken to Uisce Éireann representatives about this and they have a national mapping exercise already. With the best will in the world, if we want to build 50,000 houses per year and if we give an extra couple of billion euro to Uisce Éireann over the coming years, it will have to concentrate that spend on the big cities and big areas of population. Therefore, for smaller...