Results 841-860 of 49,960 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Administrative Arrangements (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: Who is seeking the opinion?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Administrative Arrangements (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Geoghegan raised the first issue, which was an interesting point, relating to the recruitment of therapists, particularly from overseas. This was raised at our initial meeting between Ministers last week. Perhaps we need to engage with CORU on this. Historically, although I am not sure whether this is the case here, regulatory bodies can have fairly rigorous criteria for...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Administrative Arrangements (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: Yes, a therapy-based service is being worked on. At our meeting, we gave the green light for that and asked the Department of Education to prepare to, we hope, commence it this September, if we can get the Estimates right and so on. It was not provided for in the previous budget because the pilot scheme had been initiated under the auspices of the Departments of Health and children, but...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Strategies (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: Yes, Deputy Bennett too, apologies. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler said earlier she has met the group. She says the HSE is telling her that it has to satisfy governance and it wants audits and so on. It is working with the group to try and fix that and get that sorted.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Strategies (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: I know but there must be some issues there that need resolving.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Strategies (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: As soon as we can get it done. The Minister of State is sympathetic. She has met the group with a view to getting it resolved.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Strategies (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: On Deputy Coppinger’s question, the €3 billion will be some time off. The immediate target is LOA 2. The programme for Government commits that after that a move to LOA 3 but we are some distance off because of procurement and so on. The Deputy spoke of increases but we are one of the lowest spenders. We have very low spending on military and we are coming from a very low...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Strategies (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: I will be going, yes.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Strategies (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for the points he made. I refer to Mark Henry’s book which identifies the extraordinary gains that have been made in lifespan in Ireland among men and women. It is a great story which never gets told but Health did something right over the past 20 years. Lifestyle is important as well. I like the idea of tax relief for gym membership. I think it is a good idea...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Strategies (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: -----are inevitably saying there are complexities. Inevitably there are complexities attached to the proposal but I think we should do everything we possibly can to encourage activity and fitness levels in society. That is why I think one of the best things we have done in recent years is transformative investment in active travel across the country. One only has to go along greenways or...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Administrative Arrangements (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 23, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on disabilities has been established to oversee the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the area of disability with specific focus on children’s disability services as well as disability services more generally under the forthcoming new national disability strategy. It is due...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Administrative Arrangements (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: How many occupational therapists?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Strategies (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: Sorry?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Strategies (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Cian O'Callaghan raised the issue of the CIÉ pensioners. I take on board the Deputy's point that the actuaries are saying it would not impact on the scheme itself if the pensions continued to match salary increases. I will talk to the Minister with a view to getting an assessment of it. I am conscious of the issue. I want to see other ways to make progress on this issue. I...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Strategies (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: Did he apply for retention?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Strategies (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: I will examine the details and try to get back to the Deputy. If he can send me the background to the case, we will pursue it. We want people to insulate. We do not want people to be penalised for insulation. Deputy Bacik raised workers' rights and the reproductive healthcare leave Bill. I will have to check where the research commissioned by the previous Minister, Deputy O'Gorman,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: I will get back to the Deputy with a more specific answer but I surmise that the legislation will be complex. We will see whether we can accelerate the timeline for it. We are a generous people but I concur with the Minister for Justice that the majority who apply for protection are economic migrants. The work permits system has proved to be very effective in terms of targeting and in...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: My understanding is that the numbers have grown exponentially. For this school year, the numbers have again increased very significantly in terms of SNAs generally. There are close to 23,500 special needs assistants in our school system right now. These are enormous numbers. The increases have been quite dramatic over the past number of years. I will check in respect of the specifics of...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: Four Government Deputies have spoken out of 11 speakers.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Mar 2025)

Micheál Martin: If people want, we can provide more. We can provide four if that could be facilitated. I appreciate Deputy Gannon's generosity in wanting to share time with Government Deputies. That is kind of in line with Government thinking. On Deputy O'Flynn's question, we need to review the regulatory framework governing energy prices, particularly in terms of the user base. It will not be easy...