Results 5,821-5,840 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Mattie McGrath for raising that question. The Minister of State, Deputy Mary Butler, met with the INMO and the local representatives in the area-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: ------in respect of St. Brigid's hospital in Carrick-on-Suir. I will allow the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, to come back to the Deputy on the detail of that.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Griffin for raising this issue. As the Deputy will be aware, the Minister for Education and the Government generally place great priority on the issue of literacy and encouraging children and, indeed, adults to constantly upskill and enjoy the undoubted benefits of reading. I note that the issue of local authority librarians providing services for primary schools is an...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Connolly for raising the national maternity strategy. The Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, was in a position to provide full funding for the plan in the current year. Very significant progress has been made in its implementation but we certainly acknowledge that more needs to be done. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy formally with an update.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Matthews for raising this issue. As the Deputy will be aware, the recent Housing for All document commits to the establishment, consistent with the programme for Government, of a commission on housing. It is intended that the terms of reference of the commission will include consideration of the referendum on housing and it will have the opportunity to hear from a range of...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Patricia Ryan. I do not have specific details of that particular drug. As the Deputy will be aware, there is an agreed process for the approval of medicines and the consideration of value for money through the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics. I do not know exactly what stage in the process that particular drug is at but I will ask the Minister and his officials to...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Ceann Comhairle, and thank Deputy Durkan for raising the issue. As I stated a moment ago, the relevant bodies here are all working together - the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, EirGrid and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. They have taken certain steps to ensure continuity of supply. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has said he is confident...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Stanley. I certainly will. The Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, are active on this issue. We are, as a Government, acutely aware of the issues with the licensing of forestry operations in Ireland. This is as a result of the Department having to make changes to the appropriate assessment procedure due to European Court of Justice and...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy and I know she raised this issue yesterday as well. Undoubtedly, the significant increase in gas prices internationally is now working through to the very high increases which we are seeing in electricity prices. That is a real concern. We are also seeing it, of course, at the pumps in the forecourts in regard to petrol and diesel. The Government will take this into...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. We will, of course, consider the point that he has made in regard to the commencement date of any changes that we make. As I said, for those in receipt of the fuel allowance, they will start to receive the benefit of that next week but there are many people who do not get the fuel allowance currently, given the eligibility criteria. It is a means-tested support and...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. What I can confirm is that the review of the national development plan is almost complete and will be published before the budget. We now have agreement from Cabinet in regard to the overall financial framework. It is going to be the largest public capital investment programme in the history of the State for transport. It will involve an...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for again raising the issue of the former Debenhams workers. I will look into the issue of that training fund because we have sanctioned it and the fund should be up and running to provide the support for people who want to return to work, if they have not already returned to work. The decision we made yesterday, I believe, is a fair one because it would be grossly...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As he knows, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities and EirGrid are working closely with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan's Department to ensure that we have security of supply across this winter and, indeed, into the future and have taken certain steps to ensure that is the case. In regard to data centres, there is a balance to be struck. We,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I mentioned Covid-19, not as an excuse, but as a reality. The reality is that 5,179 people have died in Ireland with Covid-19. There have been points over the past 18 months when our system was under real strain, and we got through that thanks to the heroic work of our front-line workers in the HSE, allied health professionals and others working across the system. Despite that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: The Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, spoke with Professor Keane over the phone because he is in Toronto. He has spoken on more than one occasion with Laura Magahy since her resignation took place. He has spoken and met with the implementation advisory council and will now consider its request for an extension of time. We will consider that in the context of the consideration of what we...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: Of course the Government acknowledges that the resignations were deeply disappointing. Of course we acknowledge that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: We need, of course, to examine the reasons that those resignations took place. The Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, has spoken directly to Laura Magahy and Professor Tom Keane. He has engaged directly with the Sláintecare implementation advisory council. He will, of course, go before the Oireachtas health committee. Yes, the Government is considering the structures that are in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this very personal and sensitive issue. I personally know of a number of women and their families who have been impacted. I know the devastating impact it has had on their lives. The Government is here to support the women and their families. That is why we decided, with the full support of this House, to put in place a tribunal to support women to get...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I want to make the point that the purpose of the tribunal is to get cases settled quickly, in months rather than years, and to respect the deeply sensitive, private and confidential nature of the issues at hand. The hearings are, of course, held in private. There are also pre-hearing steps designed to reduce the adversarial nature of claims, including allowing women to give written...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: The tribunal's rules of procedure enable it to make directions to progress urgent matters. The tribunal registrar has confirmed that urgent claims will be facilitated. It remains the right of any woman or family to go to court. The Government wants to make the tribunal entirely user-friendly and the vehicle of choice for the settlement of these issues. We recognise the right of women to go...