Results 781-800 of 49,960 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff (19 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: The annual amounts claimed by Special Advisers employed by the Department of the Taoiseach in respect of mileage, subsistence and vouched expenses from 1 March 2020 to end February 2025 are set out in the table below. Year Total Mileage Claims Total Subsistence Claims Total Vouched Expenses 2020 (from 1 March 2020) €1,112.56 ...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Information and Communications Technology (19 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: Neither the Department of the Taoiseach nor the National Economic and Social Development Office - the only body under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach - have used the services of the IT service provider in question.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Natural Gas Imports (19 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: I visited Austin and Washington D.C. for a programme of engagements to mark St. Patrick’s Day. In Texas I met with Governor Abbott. My political engagements in Washington included breakfast with the Vice President and First Lady, and a bilateral meeting with President Trump. Other political engagements included the Speaker’s lunch on Capitol Hill, meetings with Speaker...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Bodies (19 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 to 107, inclusive, together. Composition of the board of National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO), the only body under the aegis of my department, is prescribed in the governing legislation, namely the NESDO Act 2006. As such there is no requirement for its board members to have any specified skill or qualification and no skills gaps have...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Artificial Intelligence (19 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: The National Cyber Security Centre and the Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform have published guidance on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the public service which has been made available to all staff in the Department of the Taoiseach. The Department of the Taoiseach and the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) - the only agency under...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: I accept fully that community and voluntary health and social care workers in section 39 organisations are the backbone of essential services. The State depends on them to deliver critical support to people across the country every day. I welcome the fact that talks reconvened through the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, yesterday for organisations funded under sections 39, 56, 10 and...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: I know what it is all about. The programme for Government commits to working with the voluntary sector to progress this issue.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: Mar is eol don Teachta, tá deacracht ó thaobh Fhoras na Gaeilge faoi láthair. Níl aon amhras faoi sin. Níl an Rialtas anseo freagrach as an deacracht sin. Táimid ag déanamh gach aon iarracht an cheist sin a réiteach. Mar aon leis sin, táimid sásta níos mó infheistíocht a chur isteach i gcúrsaí Gaeilge i gcoitinne...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: That is a misreading of my comments. Sometimes people get the impression that vetting is extremely comprehensive in terms of the background of a person. It is not as comprehensive as people might believe. The big cry in the House for quite a while now has been for more gardaí, getting more people into training and so on. I will ask the Minister for Justice to reply to the Deputy more...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: First, I dealt with that comprehensively earlier when Deputy Rice raised the exact same question, and I made the point that a clinical audit is being conducted by an external international expert on surgery for children with developmental dysplasia of the hip across CHI and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh. Developmental dysplasia of the hip, as I said, is a problem with the way a...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Beidh mé ag caint leis an Aire, an Teachta Calleary, faoi sin anois. Tá an Teachta ag rá go bhfuil sé i bhfad níos costasaí do na scoileanna ar na hoileáin a bheith páirteach sa scéim seo. Ní raibh sé sin i gceist againn. Le cúnamh Dé, beimid in ann é sin a réiteach sula i...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I will discuss this with the Minister for Education. As the Deputy knows, the school transport system has its anomalies and complexities. I will see what we can do in respect of that. I fully share his view that public transport can reduce emissions through the replacement of cars, and his commitment to the climate change aspect of this is...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: The economy has been extremely strong in recent years. That has helped the profitability of many companies, including banks. By the way, the Central Bank governs the supervision of banks, as the Deputy knows. However, I do believe that in the next while we should focus on finance available to building and house building in particular, that both the cost of that finance would be reduced and...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: No. There have been huge mortgage drawdowns for first-time buyers in recent years and banks benefit from that, but we need more housing. If you talk to anyone about house building the cost of finance is a big inhibitor. It is a big problem. We need to look at the cost of finance to get to 50,000. I am interested in solutions not sloganeering or politicking and so on.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: Deputy O’Connor has been pursuing this issue for some time, to be fair to him. He has made some progress but he would like it to be faster. I mean that seriously. These things can take time. He has my support and that of Government in respect of this project. I will see to it if we can, through the various agencies, get a design consultant appointed.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: Yes, Deputy McGreehan has spoken to me on this and I will talk to her again later. First, the Irish Government has been very proactive on the Middle East and the Palestinian question in recognising the State of Palestine and taking a very strong position in supporting UNWRA as the only viable UN agency that can enable education in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and elsewhere as well as...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: I am coming to that. I know that.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: This is the point I am making. Once this is done and the next thing is done, then it is something else and it is always used to denigrate the Government.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Government is progressing that Bill and is progressing legislation.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: I have no difficulty engaging with the Deputy on this issue. There had been reforms of the bail laws. People are very intolerant of people who are awaiting trial, etc., and who then go out and commit crimes again. I do not know whether the Deputy is proposing wholesale internment of everybody who is a suspect because that is another side of the story. The point is, the figures are huge...