Results 8,801-8,820 of 51,889 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: Dublin, apparently, having said all of that, recorded the lowest vacancy rate national of 1% in the latest GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report in June 2023. Local authorities need to be very proactive in utilising the powers that are already there in respect of dereliction and derelict sites. They need to be more proactive in implementing and enforcing the legislation.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: Central government has provided significant funding and significant grants for people to refurbish and bring back to life derelict houses or buildings, and also vacant ones. There are very substantial grants for individuals, families or young couples in towns around the country under this scheme, which is a good initiative. On the Derelict Sites Act, there is an obligation-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy will say to me some day there is too much centralisation in the country-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: -----yet when people have responsibility locally everybody comes back to the centre to solve their problems.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I will check for the Deputy in terms of where the legislation is, but this Government has dramatically increased home care hours for people.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: Sorry, the Deputy needs to be honest about it too. There has been a dramatic improvement and increase. The only thing holding back home care has been the recruitment of people, not resources or funding.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy knows that as well and she should acknowledge it.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I said I would check. I will come back to the Deputy on that.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: First of all, globally, in terms of women's reproductive rights, Ireland, through its work on overseas development assistance and with other member states in the EU, does a lot of work in supporting the health and well-being of young girls and women across Africa and across many of the developing states. We work with the Clinton Foundation as well in that regard. In many locations, we have...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy Fitzmaurice for raising this issue. I do not have access to the individual case he raised but I do not doubt what he said. The experience the Deputy has articulated is not in any shape or form satisfactory in respect of that particular family or, indeed, for families in similar situations with what would appear to be a young child, young adult or teenager on the severe side...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I agree with the Deputy that the State should be the key provider in severe cases or cases that have complexity attached to them. That is one of the reasons, when coming into government, we wanted the disability brief moved to a different Department in order to get a more coherent and holistic approach to the issue of disability. It has taken too long given all the transfers that have...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: On the Deputy's overall point on the cost of living, over the past 12 months, the Government has responded swiftly and strongly to cushion the impact of prices on households, businesses and farmers, with supports of up to €12 billion. That is not an inconsiderable sum of money by any yardstick. The Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, found that the one-off measures we...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: The ESB is a State company. I take it the Deputy is a strong supporter of State companies. If he had his way, he would have more State companies across the board.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: We use the dividend to enable us to introduce the measures to alleviate the pressure. We have taken measures in respect of excess profits at the energy companies, as the Deputy knows. We have taken those measures and we expect revenues to come in, some before the end of the year, including the windfall tax, and more next year, which we will reallocate back into measures to reduce the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Government is investing in An Garda Síochána and will invest in the force. The Deputy knows well that the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted the recruitment processes. We all know this. This was a significant challenge in terms of Templemore and so forth, but this aspect has recovered and is recovering. The numbers coming into the college now are increasing, although, because we...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: Is the Deputy talking about disability reforms in respect of payments?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: More broadly, I take issue with some of the language the Deputy used. I know he speaks in good faith, but there is no agenda on this side of the House to demonise any person with special needs or a disability or, indeed, to divide the disability community. I wish to make this very clear. The State has more to do in respect of providing for disability services and for people's special...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: There is a Green Paper on disability reform, but no decisions have been made in this respect.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: Consultation is ongoing with the stakeholders.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: Regarding these two things, in terms of the cost of disability, the report has been published, as I said. The Department of Social Protection has taken actions to improve employment supports for people with disabilities. Additionally, the earnings disregard for those receiving disability allowance and the blind pension has increased several times in recent years. A lot of action has been...