Results 41-60 of 49,824 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: With fossil fuels 20 to 25 years ago, there was no Carnsore Point for fossil fuels.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: That was a different kettle of fish.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: It is an interesting point. It ends up that fossil fuels are one of the reasons we are where we are with climate change. Anyway, that is a philosophical point but that is where we are. Deputy Shay Brennan is revisiting the great work his dad did, and he now wants to bring the metro to Sandyford, with his dad having done the initial work. Fair play. It is at the design stage and there...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: That is being worked on. It has not been mothballed or anything like that. It is being progressed and we will come back to him on that. Deputy Seamus McGrath made an excellent point about new active travel facilities. The facilitation of participation by people with disabilities should be built into public infrastructure, full stop. We were both at the opening of the marina promenade...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: Quite a number of issues have been raised. Deputy Ó Murchú started with housing, Uisce Éireann and the medical device sector. In the past week, I have spoken to a number of CEOs in the medical device sector as well as in the pharmaceutical sector about the challenges that are arising. The discussion was more on the medium-term and longer term impacts of the tariffs and other...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: How high?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Child Poverty (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: There was a need to target that too because it was being used by some local authorities as a catch-all and maybe not targeted at those who were about to become homeless or in danger of becoming homeless.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Child Poverty (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: It was never meant to be a scheme to just buy second-hand properties. The Minister is engaged in refining and targeting that. I will talk to the Minister in respect of that case. It is not that the person was not two years on HAP but that the house was not in HAP for two years----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Child Poverty (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: Again, the idea of being in HAP means you are within the social housing provision and the prospects of homelessness are higher there, so the idea is to target the resources there. I will talk to the Minister in respect of that case and come back to the Deputy. In response to Deputy Ó Fearghaíl, in fairness, "a lot done, more to do" is correct. There needs to be more focus on...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Child Poverty (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: Whatever, we should do so. They regularly do refer people to London.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Child Poverty (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: In response to Deputy Coppinger, I have dealt with the public inquiry. I have views on that. I think there might be better ways of getting to it. Again, we will assess it fully when we have the other two reports - the one on dysplasia and the Nayagam report, which is the overarching report. When we have both of those with this report, we can progress it. I have answered Deputy Cian...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 36, inclusive, together. The first meeting of the new Cabinet committee on infrastructure took place on Monday, 24 March, and the next one will take place on Monday, 28 April. Membership of the Cabinet committee consists of the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, Minister for Finance, Minister for Public...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Child Poverty (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: There are a number of questions there. Deputy McAuliffe started on the model that has been developed in the north east, and there is something similar in Ballymun. I have asked my officials to look at broadening that model out to certain areas, as we had before. In previous times, under the former Minister, Pat Carey, or Noel Ahern and others, going back to Pat Rabbitte’s time, the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: This is no consolation to any parent or child seeking a place now but there has been an exponential growth in the number of special classes in the country over the past four years. Over a five year period we now have 19,000 children attending special classes. Five years ago that number was 9,000. There has been constant expansion of the provision of special classes. In the past four years...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Ministers is not here. However, I will raise this issue with him. I can well recall there was a determined attempt nearly two decades ago to create a financial services presence, hub and footprint in the south east, in particular in Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny. State Street opened in Kilkenny. To a certain extent that got traction. It is disappointing that BNY has made the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Child Poverty (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 16, inclusive, together. We are retaining the child poverty and well-being programme office in the Department of the Taoiseach because we know we need to continue to build on the work to break down silos between Departments and drive delivery. We will not be able to make a decisive impact on child poverty without a whole-of-government and...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy Aird for raising this issue. Deputy Collins raised a similar issue relating to financial services earlier. The Central Bank has issued a new consumer protection code relating to technology more generally. Technology and financial literacy are two very important programmes that are under way to try to educate people in order that they do not fall foul of these scammers and...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy knows well that the new procedures and protocols governing protected disclosures have been processed under the policy in place to handle such matters. I have been assured that the independent investigation by GSOC, which is investigating this matter, will be completed in due course, notwithstanding the time already lapsed since the protected disclosure was first made. Obviously,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue of safety in the context of the safe routes to school scheme. I take on board what he has said. I will ask the Ministers responsible to look at the scheme. The Deputy has said it is taking too long. He mentioned that 421 schools are involved.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: We will see what we can do to expedite that.