Results 7,321-7,340 of 50,134 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: I will talk to the Minister about the issues that have been raised, but very comprehensive resources have been agreed by the Government to deal with this issue, particularly apartment defects. More generally, the Government has committed in the territory of €4 billion to €5 billion over time to deal with mica, apartment defects and other defects. The issue is one of developing...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: I am a very strong believer in the work of the alcohol and drug task forces and I have visited several of them. We will be of a positive disposition in allocating additional funding. An Estimates round is now under way across different Departments, so this is an issue we will prioritise.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy has been very consistent on this, and I appreciate his work. People might not have been as aware of the phenomenon without it. I have become increasingly aware of it and I will talk to the Minister for Justice. We need to reflect on the trend the Deputy has identified, which can result in a significant denial of access and rights. From a more holistic perspective in respect of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I am familiar with the area and met representatives of Cobh chamber of commerce last year in respect of this. This is a key objective. In terms of the reclassification of the road as a national route, I am not clear that it is - excuse the pun - the route to go but I will check it.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: What we need to do is to find a way to allocate funding to upgrade this road because the current situation will not be tenable over the next decade. We have to get some route, some way, to try to get this road upgraded.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is clear from this morning's questions that the lead-in to the budget is well and truly under way, and we have maybe three months to go yet. This issue was raised yesterday evening at our parliamentary party meeting. The Deputy made a fair point and I know the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is examining the situation. Obviously, it is in...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: I am not familiar with the background to the case. I am familiar with the territory and the landscape in Rosscarbery, which is beautiful. I do not think RTÉ should ever assert squatter's rights over any person's property. That is not normally the way State agencies conduct their behaviour. There is normally engagement with landowners and agreements are arrived at. However, I am not...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is a matter of concern and I will revert to the Ministers for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and Finance in respect of what we can do to support the task forces and what route we can take to provide resources to enable them to retain staff.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is very seized of it. Again, there is an issue around availability of respite care and maximisation of resources, both staffing and in terms of additional capacity being provided, in both respite and residential care. We will respond to that in the context of the forthcoming Estimates.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: As I said in answer to an earlier question, the Minister has engaged and the Government continues to engage. There was a meeting and there is ongoing engagement with management and unions also. The Government is working to see what it can do, within state aid parameters, to facilitate an earlier reopening of the mine. The situation is very challenging and very serious for the workers, of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Minister has been very focused on this issue. He announced a scheme related to defective apartments, with a timeline that has a long duration back. It is a very comprehensive measure. The Government supported that recommendation from the Minister in a decision. The issue now is to work through that decision in terms of providing a structured way of getting apartments refurbished and...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: The option of taking it into public ownership is not on the agenda. Our major concern is with the impact on staff and their families. This includes 650 staff who are employed directly by the company in Navan, but also staff in companies impacted that have contracts with Tara Mines. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, met the management team from Tara Mines last week. The Department of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: So long as the Minister does not fly any herself.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: I take it that the Deputy has asked the gentleman to refer this to An Garda.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: Has it been referred to An Garda?

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: It is not his own business. The Deputy has raised it in the House and if fraud is alleged----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: -----and if interference with Revenue is alleged, it should go to An Garda. I say that generally because the key to the future of the country is that our institutions that are charged with properly investigating issues do their job and then we will have less need for inquiries that go on for six or seven years and cost an enormous amount. Project Eagle and the Siteserv investigation went on...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Government has allocated exceptional resources to increase staffing at An Bord Pleanála. Recruitment is under way and, in fact, quite a number of people have been recruited. The challenge will be to recruit a sufficient number of specialists in different areas into An Bord Pleanála. As the Deputy is aware, an interim board was put in place, with Oonagh Buckley appointed as...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: The rate of closures was down this year. It was the lowest this year compared with previous years. This is a fact that we need to take on board. The other side of this equation is parents paying very high fees. Part of the core funding model is to have management of fees in return for an allocation of additional funding. The results have been fairly significant for many parents in terms...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: We need balance and perspective in all debates. Thousands of people had free school transport, which Deputy Clarke described as a shambles. For thousands of people who received free school transport it was not a shambles. I believe 115,000 received free school transport as a result of the Minister's interim initiative in the context of the crisis we were going through. It was innovative...