Results 50,301-50,320 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: I find great difficulty in having any respect for the credibility of Deputy Rabbitte on this. The point about the infirmity of the pharmacy regulations is fair.

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: I will give the answer now. The senior counsel in the courts wrote a note that was handed to me by an official, I had not been briefed on it.

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: Does the Deputy want to know the truth? This is an important point because it shows how I act very quickly when issues of this kind arise. The senior counsel wrote a note and it was passed to me by an official in the Department of Health and Children. This was the Dame Street case as I recollect, although I am open to correction. He wrote in the note that he had to let me know that it was his...

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: ——specifically because they were not viewed as requiring my presence. It is certainly not the case that I missed the discussion because I was late. All the persons who attended the meeting confirmed that the item merited only a short discussion. The context of the discussion was that clarification was to be sought before it could be substantively considered. In light of the manner of the...

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: This is a policy I have followed throughout my ministerial career. In the normal course of events with an emerging issue, the relevant officials would seek a meeting with me, the issues and course of action would be discussed and a decision arrived at. The recollections of people about whether something was mentioned in passing as part of other discussions has been considered in detail by the...

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: I welcome this debate as an opportunity for the House to consider what is an extremely detailed and comprehensive report. It is an opportunity for the House to consider what is actually in the report rather than the Opposition's spin on what it contains. The report examines all the elements of how a charge ruled illegal by the Supreme Court in 1976 was kept in place for 28 years. Why the...

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: I have listened for quite a long time and I would appreciate the opportunity to put my contribution on the record of the House.

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: Deputies Twomey and Kenny, for example, earlier this week issued a list of questions they said had to be answered by the report, even though they knew the report had been completed. What makes this even more breathtakingly cynical is that Mr. Travers asked Fine Gael, just like other Opposition parties, if it wished to make a submission. Fine Gael did not even respond to him. One of the...

Report on Long-Stay Care Charges: Motion. (10 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: He examined all aspects of how the issue was raised or failed to be raised. In respect of the extension of medical card cover to the over-70s by means of the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2001, the report shows that no submission was made to me that existing charges were illegal and that they should be regularised through the legislation. The report shows, however, that the Act...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (9 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: Support for job creation and investment in individual counties is a day-to-day operational matter for the development agencies as part of their responsibility under the Industrial Development Acts. Enterprise Ireland is the agency with responsibility for the development of indigenous industries. The county enterprise boards, CEB, have primary responsibility for the promotion of indigenous...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (9 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 207 and 208 together. Each year, under section 4(1) of the Public Service Management Act 1997, all seven assistant secretaries in my Department are assigned by name, authority and responsibility from the Secretary General for matters within the remit of their respective divisions, including the following requirements listed in section 9 of the Act: provision...

Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (9 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: The Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 and the Public Service Management Act 1997 set out the legal position of Government Ministers and Departments. Section 3 of the Public Service Management Act 1997 restates the responsibility of Ministers for the performance of functions which are assigned to their Department. Section 2(1) of the Act of 1924 provides that each Minister shall be a...

Leaders' Questions. (9 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Rabbitte should read the minute.

Leaders' Questions. (9 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: He should read the agenda.

Leaders' Questions. (9 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: Did you read the agenda?

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (8 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: I am informed by the work permit section of my Department that having considered an appeal in this case, it has made a decision to issue the work permit subject to receipt of the fee, which had earlier been returned to the employer.

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (8 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: Persons who have been granted residency in the State on the basis of parentage of an Irish born child are entitled to register with FÁS, to avail of job seeking assistance from both FÁS and the local employment services, and FÁS training, on the same basis as other Irish residents.

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (8 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: There are currently nine staff working in my private office in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and 5.5 staff working in my constituency office. Furthermore 2.8 clerical officers provide clerical support to the private and constituency offices as the need arises. The following table sets out the annualised salary costs for each office. The figures for expenses are from my...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (8 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: I am informed by the work permit section of my Department, that having heard an appeal in this case and having consulted with the employer, it has been decided to issue work permits to two of the named individuals.

Order of Business. (8 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Rabbitte should tot up what Deputy Howlin cost the State when he was Minister for Health.