Results 11,001-11,020 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Reports (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Barry raised the issue of the minimum wage, which is a 7.6% increase. Last year's increase was higher than inflation, actually.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Reports (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: That is my understanding, yes.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Reports (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: In terms of the year it applied to, yes. This is just narrowly lower. It is an independent commission, not the Government, that decides the minimum wage. We want to move up as quickly as we can to a new living wage. For the first time in the report, a living wage has now been identified, so progress has been made. The Deputy is aware the vast majority on the minimum wage are not the main...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Reports (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: The practice has been to accept the recommendation of an independent commission. However, in the budget and the cost of living package, we will be taking other measures to help people on the minimum wage to get through the current crisis.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Reports (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I have an official State event here on Saturday.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Bodies (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: The parliamentary liaison unit in my Department assists Government in its relationship with the Oireachtas. It works with the Office of the Government Chief Whip on issues that arise at the Business Committee and the Committee on Dáil Reform and Standing Orders, including Dáil reform proposals and amendments to Standing Orders. The unit supports the Office of the Government Chief...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Reports (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Yes. A whole range of issues were raised there. Deputy Bacik raised the issue of childcare. The difficulty is that if we were to move completely to a State system, it would involve very significant engagement with stakeholders to dramatically and radically transform the area. As I said, we dealt in the last budget with a significant allocation for pay and conditions. Working between...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I would agree 100% with the Deputy. We do need such a campaign. The Minister is going to launch a communications campaign in relation to energy demand reduction, but I think the Deputy has outlined a very good list, one that we should work on as a country. Irrespective of the crisis, we need to move much more quickly in terms of reducing our dependency on fossil fuels in particular and...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I do not doubt what the Deputy is saying in terms of the cost of childcare, particularly how it is higher in certain locations than others, but it is high across the country generally.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Yes, but I am just saying generally. There are a number of mechanisms by which we can intervene depending on the type of care involved in looking after a child in whatever context. In the last budget, we focused primarily on trying to get better working conditions for those working in the childcare arena. Thankfully, in the past two weeks, an employment regulation order has been agreed,...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: On the pandemic payment, which was the subject matter of the first two questions, 122,000 staff have now received the payment, representing the vast majority of those who are eligible and employed by the HSE. The HSE's figures reported for the week ending 9 September 2022 show 85,078 eligible HSE staff and 37,589 eligible section 38 staff in voluntary hospitals have received the payment. I...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Reports (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. My Department's annual report for 2021 was published on gov.ieand laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas last July. The report sets out the work of my Department in 2021 to deliver under the strategic priorities set out in the Department's three-year statement of strategy. My Department continues to work at the centre to ensure...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: First of all, as part of our response to the cost-of-living issue, we waived all fees for the school transport scheme. The measure is saving families up to €650 and the Deputy calls that a mess.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: It is saving families €650 and the Deputy's response is that it is a mess.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Some €280 million is being provided. More than 124,000 tickets have issued-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: That is an increase of 21,000 over last year. That is good news. There have been challenges with the scheme but the bottom line is that we did not hang around here. There was a cost-of-living crisis and we said we will move to reduce it for families and get rid of the fee, and we did. Of course, this created issues this September-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Department is working and Bus Éireann is doing everything it can to process applications and issue tickets as soon as extra buses and drivers are sourced.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: The alternative would have been to do nothing.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am familiar with the issue. I thank the Deputy for raising it. I am acutely aware of the anguish of parents of children with cystic fibrosis and their eagerness to see this drug made available for their children. There is ongoing dialogue between the HSE and Vertex, the drug manufacturer. Efforts are ongoing to ensure that this drug can be made available to those 35 children currently...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy has raised an important issue. The Mental Health Commission is there to make sure proper standards are applied across the mental health arena. On the registration of the mental health care and recovery approved centre in Bantry, the commission made a recommendation or decision that should be reduced from a total number of registered beds from 18 to 11 due to its concerns over the...