Results 10,461-10,480 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: Subject to my schedule. My officials have met them. We are anxious to properly analyse these issues. When I said there should be no hard border, there is no one stopping anyone on the Border and saying they cannot come in because they are a migrant. That is a hard border.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: A hard border is someone stopping people, as is happening in many borders around Europe. That is the point I was making in responding to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: On the issue raised by Deputy Quinlivan, of course the British and Irish Governments are key in underpinning the Good Friday Agreement. The Minister for Foreign Affairs has been working with the new Secretary of State and engaging with the political parties on this. I met with political parties yesterday and I have met with the British Prime Minister about the restoration of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Alliance Party have been on this topic for about ten years, if not more.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: To be fair to the Alliance Party members, they are right in terms of how they are being treated in the new situation in which they have 17 seats. It is a demonstration that the existing structures do not work, but that said, the existing structures are there under the electoral framework for which people voted. Therefore, the results must be vindicated. I do not think we can do reform...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: There are serious issues here in that people voted in a certain way and you cannot change the will of the people. The people have voted and their votes should be reflected in the institutions. I would be very serious about that. What the Deputy is suggesting could have real implications that could be negative. Reforming systems is done best through proper engagement. The Deputy referred...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy was surmising through the electoral commission but he cannot make a declaration that the election will take place on 15 December. That may have been unintentional on his part but it might give the wrong impression to people. Deputy Brendan Smith made an important point and he was correct. All parties still believe in access to the Single Market, which is an important point....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: We have a State transport company.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: I was honoured to be invited last week to address the National Bus and Rail Union annual conference, given that my father was a founding member of the union.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: Ireland has a different attitude to this. We have not nationalised water. Sorry - we have not privatised water.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: We have nationalised water, unlike the UK. We are in a far different situation here. I would argue the propaganda sound bite does not work in the comparison Deputy Barry made. I happen to agree with some of what Deputy Ó Murchú said. We can modify and make changes. Over time, people are becoming more comfortable with some aspects of how we monitor trade. If the EU gets the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Social Dialogue (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: More than two years ago, there were up to 1,000 people who were in direct provision and could have left but decided to stay.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Social Dialogue (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: The number is probably higher now. I am speaking in particular about people in employment. Deputy Barry spoke about an employment regulation order. The Government has to act within the law. People are entitled to take out an injunction, whether or not we agree with them. In this case we do not agree with them but they are still entitled to take out an injunction. We do not say people...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Social Dialogue (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: That would be a real slippery slope if it were to be applied in other situations and people could only get a contract from the State if they had to do what the State tells them in other areas.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Social Dialogue (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: That might be the authoritarian way of the-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Social Dialogue (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: That is the kind of stuff the Kremlin gets involved in and other regimes.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Social Dialogue (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: I would not accuse the Deputy of being a fan of Stalin but that was the old collectivisation stuff of people doing as they were told. I do not agree with people taking out injunctions against the order in any event.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Social Dialogue (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: We do not support the injunction. We are against it.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Social Dialogue (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: To respond to Deputy Tóibín, huge funding has gone into childcare in the past two years. The idea it is on the precipice of collapse given the huge funding going in does not add up. There may be issues between providers and the State.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Social Dialogue (18 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will raise the matter with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and ask him to engage with Deputy Tóibín. To respond to Deputy Ó Murchú, we agree on bespoke models in respect of domestic heating. We are keeping the wider issue of supports for businesses and the protection of jobs under review.