Results 10,201-10,220 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy took me to many places when I was in Carlow last week, but I am very annoyed that she did not introduce me to Laz Murphy's sausages.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy might send me a pack of sausages.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: I occasionally indulge in a sausage, notwithstanding what you might think.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: I heard that. Clonakilty is listening in. The serious point is about microgeneration. I will talk to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, regarding the first point the Deputy made in respect of farmers, where microgeneration can be used for energy within the farm but also for selling on to the grid eventually. That is the objective of the scheme. We want farming to become more involved on...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Government maintains ongoing contact with the haulage industry. We have had a number of schemes from the time of the Covid pandemic and onwards to try to support the haulage industry. We are acutely aware of the impact of energy price rises on the industry. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has provided some supports and initiatives. I will talk to him in respect of what the Deputy...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The issue is basically that the patrons and trustees of both schools have set this process of amalgamation in train. A fundamental principle of partnership in education is consultation. Parents are clear that they have not been consulted enough in respect of this proposal. I was not in the Chamber yesterday evening - I was in Cairo - so I did not...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: We have changed the curriculum and prioritised physical activity in schools. We need to be careful that we do not compartmentalise this into one 45-minute period of the day. One of the big problems with primary schools is curriculum overload because there are so many core subjects, with science and other subjects having been added in the past 20 years. Physical activity should be part of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: In terms of Ukrainians who fled war, the vast majority are being housed in hotels and various collective accommodation. They are not in houses right now, but they are in pledged houses that individuals who, having seen what was happening in the war, decided to make their homes or vacant houses available to Ukrainians. Therefore, Ukrainians have not affected the social housing market and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: I just want to make the point that the rapid build is only started. In terms of Ukrainians, we developed a new scheme. I told the Deputy that we have to consider rapid build for social housing and the housing issue more generally to get the numbers of houses that we can build up significantly. We need to build more houses than we are building. The past two and a half years have seen very...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: That is my understanding. That was a key ask, particularly to unblock the student accommodation issue. Some of the institutions have land but the schemes did not add up in terms of viability, as I said. That has slowed down much of the student accommodation in the past two to three years. The State has to get involved to bridge that viability gap. The Minister, Deputy Harris, is working...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: As I said, huge activity has been under way on the housing front, notwithstanding Covid-19 and the inflationary cycle that has come as a result of the war in Ukraine which affected house construction. We will exceed our targets on the Housing for All plan this year. We will get more than 24,600 houses but that is not enough. We need to get to 33,000 houses per annum. Next year’s...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: We have to build it. We have to get more supply into the market. It is as simple as that at the end of the day. We cannot magic up houses but they can be built. We have to work on getting them built as fast as we possibly can. We will work with the representatives of the residents and the county council to see what can be done.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: All works must be treated with respect and dignity and in line with our law and employment law. I made it very clear in the context of the Twitter announcement that I was not at all happy with the manner of it. Respect and dignity are very important in communication terms. There are established frameworks for communication and there are obligations on employers in proposing collective...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. He is correct that the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, was to cover Leaders' Questions today. I was not sure I would get back on time. I flew through the night to get here. I managed to get back for the Cabinet meeting and I then took the opportunity to come to the Chamber.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Shanahan is correct regarding an announcement on funding for the Waterford North Quays project. It is a fantastic announcement, which the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, brought to the Cabinet today. The Cabinet approved the decision to invest, along with the local authority, more than €200 million in what is a groundbreaking project for Waterford and the North Quays public...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: I pay tribute to the local authority, the Minister and the Department for getting this development, which is the largest urban regeneration project in the country, to begin, paving the way for Waterford to enhance its offering as an attractive place in which to invest and enabling it to develop new transport solutions. This is great news and we are very pleased with it. I take the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: There were ridiculous objections and so forth. We have the Croí Cónaithe fund. Sixteen Acts have been passed in this House. The Minister has brought 16 pieces of legislation on housing through this Dáil. We have capped the rent increases in rent pressure zones at-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----no more than 2% per annum. There has been an extraordinary burst of activity over the last two and a half years under the Minister. That cannot be taken from him. It is real and substantial.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am not going to play the Deputy's populist game.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: Sinn Féin is essentially populist in its approach to issues. I have stated my position on housing. I used my definitions and I said it is the greatest and most important and urgent social problem facing this country. I have said that repeatedly. Deputy McDonald is not going to put words in my mouth.