Results 10,821-10,840 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will put it this way - God help us if it ever gets near the national finances.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: In respect of first-time buyers, we have to look at things fairly. This Government is giving unprecedented support to first-time buyers. The help-to-buy scheme has assisted 35,000 first-time buyers, at €30,000 per qualifying property. The new first homes shared equity scheme will provide further supports to first-time buyers. In the past 12 months, more first-time buyers bought...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Policies (4 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 to 40, inclusive, together. Through the Government’s Shared Island initiative, we are engaging with all communities and traditions to build consensus around a shared future; and delivering tangible benefits for the whole island, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. In the Budget last week, the Government confirmed an allocation of...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Programmes (4 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 67 together. Ireland submitted its National Reform Programme (NRP) for 2022 to the European Commission on 4 May. The NRP was laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas and published on gov.ie thereafter. The NRP is an element of the European Semester, the annual cycle of economic and fiscal policy co-ordination among EU Member States. The NRP provides...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Investigations (4 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: The investigation to which the Deputy refers is being conducted by a senior official in my Department and it has not yet been concluded. I have not involved myself in the detail of the process and it is not possible at this point to indicate when the process will be completed.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Transport (4 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: My Department has not incurred any expenditure on domestic flights in the period in question.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (4 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: I visited New York for UN High Level Week from 21-23 September. While there, in addition to delivering Ireland’s National Statement, I had the opportunity to engage with a number of other Leaders in roundtable discussions, bilateral meetings and in the margins. I had formal bilateral meetings with the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres; the President of the UN General...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Citizens' Assembly (4 Oct 2022)

Micheál Martin: Two Citizens’ Assemblies committed to in the Programme for Government were established in February this year, one on the issue of Biodiversity Loss and the other on the type of directly elected mayor and local government structures best suited for Dublin. The inaugural meeting for both Assemblies took place in April 2022. The Terms of Reference, as set out by the Oireachtas, call...

Financial Resolutions 2022 - Financial Resolution No. 6 – General (Resumed) (28 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Carbon taxes are an essential part of a credible plan to tackle climate change. That is a simple fact. Therefore, we will never agree with Sinn Féin’s opposition to carbon taxes. They are essential to both changing behaviour and funding a fair and inclusive transition to a sustainable economic and environmental model. This policy is the shared view of this Government and, just...

Financial Resolutions 2022 - Financial Resolution No. 6 – General (Resumed) (28 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Its only interest is to exploit the real pressures individuals and families face. As we saw when the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, debated with the Sinn Féin spokesperson earlier this year, the sound bites simply do not stack up to even the most basic scrutiny. Their costings and building numbers are little more than inventions designed to claim to have a plan rather than actually...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: First, the Deputy is correct to say it was raised in the Dáil.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Christopher Sullivan raised the issue of the decision of the Mental Health Commission to put a restriction on the registration of the mental health care and recovery approval centre at Bantry General Hospital, reducing the centre's total number of registered beds from 18 to 11. As the Deputy knows, the HSE has appealed that now and it is in the district court. I will come back to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I do not think the Deputy should call into question the integrity or honourable motivation that Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan applies to this work. He has been a very strong advocate for Bantry General Hospital and continues to be.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Collins knows that and should acknowledge it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan fights very hard for west Cork more generally and he was very anxious that I would visit Bantry General Hospital.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: It does mean something to the people who work in a hospital and so on that Government Members visit and listen. Deputy Collins knows the endoscopy and stroke units are happening. Much design work has to go into all these projects. They will happen, just as other investments happened in Bantry General Hospital. The stroke units have been very effective across the country and they will...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----we also need to develop community and primary care centres.

Financial Resolutions 2022 - Financial Resolution No. 6 – General (Resumed) (28 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: In the midst of all the noise that surrounds the budget these days, it is important step back and look at the direction of our economy and its ability to support strong public services. It is remarkable how rarely in the past two and a half years the Opposition has even mentioned the economy, and now that we have secured a rapid increase in employment levels, even parties which like to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: To be fair, one would have to acknowledge the very significant moves in childcare, with a reduction of 25% in costs, on top of significant measures last year that culminated in the employment regulation order agreed between the unions and employers in the childcare sector. That was a substantial breakthrough that has been acknowledged by the social partners in respect of improving working...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Again, I do not think it is fair to look at that in isolation. I would point out the enormous supports the Government is giving to young people in respect of affordable housing. More than €1.3 billion of investment will support an overall package of measures to deliver thousands of affordable houses next year by helping people buy and rent at an affordable rate, such as the...