Results 61-80 of 46,414 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: As Deputy Doherty knows, budget 2024 introduced a series of cost-of-living measures, including income tax, energy credits, increases in social protection payments as well as an increase in the bank levy to €200 million. It also provided for a mortgage interest relief measure to help some borrowers with the increase in interest rates. That took place. It did not cover every situation...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Markets expect the ECB to cut policy interest rates several times this year, with the first cuts-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Generally, our cost-of-living measures-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy Ó Ríordáin. I know of his long-term commitment to this area. I have looked at the north-east area where there is a multidisciplinary team of psychologists, occupational therapists, speech and language across ten primary schools.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I am a passionate believer in multidisciplinary teams in education. Things have happened over the past decade which, in my view, have gone against that with regard to progressing disability services. I will speak to the Minister in respect of this, particularly with regard to children who have been subject to significant background trauma. They need a variety of engagements and supports....

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I am very much aware of it. I heard the Ceann Comhairle this morning on "Morning Ireland" very articulately and trenchantly putting the case and saying society as a whole must address this issue in the interests of democracy. Some of the cases we have heard about and read about recently are shocking. The very negative misogynistic focus in particular is a worry and for women who wish to...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I just want to say it because I am passionate about democracy and I do not want people to say we cannot knock on doors. We can. We do need to address it, and collectively the House should look at supports we can provide to public representatives in terms of protection, particularly at their homes.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: In terms of focusing on just one aspect of this challenge, we should focus on the broader picture. There are two fundamental challenges, digitalisation and decarbonisation, which we must try to reconcile. Whether we like it or not, data centres are a necessary infrastructure for many of the services we now take for granted, including technological advances such as cloud computing, quantum...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I acknowledge the sincerity with which the Deputy has approached this matter. That he comes across situations such as these is evidence of his diligence at constituency level. This is not the first case about which he has articulated concern due to his diligence on the ground. I indicated that a full review of the SNA contract is on the way as part of the SNA workforce development plan....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I know he and many other public representatives are strong advocates for Clonmel. Councillor Siobhán Ambrose regularly gets in touch with me about the well-being of Clonmel. It is a lovely town, and I like Clonmel.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: It has considerable potential and has grown and expanded significantly over the past two decades. There has been significant investment in the town. I appreciate the Deputy acknowledging the investment in the university hospital. As far back as my time as Minister for Health, we invested significantly in Clonmel University Hospital. There is a challenge here on which we need to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: A new 50-bed community nursing unit is being built at a cost of €13 million and will be completed this year. There is also a whole range of urban renewal and rural community development funds that are putting money into towns across the length and breadth of the country, including Clonmel. On drug dealing and addiction generally, we have a challenge in the country and not just in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I did mention sick pay.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I said that from January 2024, the number of statutory sick leave days has increased from three to five.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: There has not been a decision on the next phase, but there is a review.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: That is not a decision. Let us be very clear-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: There is an issue. The most fundamental thing is to create employment opportunities in our economy. Most people want to be at work. The Deputy nodded in affirmation that the hospitality and retail sectors have been on to him. The first people to lose out if costs become unsustainable are those very vulnerable and low-paid workers he was talking about, because it will mean fewer people...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. When I was Minister for Education in 1998, I took a decision and brought a related memorandum to the Cabinet providing for the employment of SNAs for the first time in mainstream schools. It was a watershed decision and I can recall how dubious Department of Finance officials were about my protestations to the effect that the measure...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: It is noticeable from his reply that the Deputy avoided any response to the fundamental problem-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Through the Chair.