Results 11,021-11,040 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

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

Micheál Martin: With regard to the Deputy's budget recommendation, I know the Minister with responsibility for housing is working on all these issues. Government must consider a whole range of measures. I will certainly present the Deputy's perspective. It is one that others have put forward as well.

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

Micheál Martin: First of all, I disagree with the Deputy's figures.

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

Micheál Martin: Leaving out special transport, an extra 21,000 tickets have been issued over last year. That is significant. There are pluses to what has happened. If we did nothing, we could have managed the existing numbers and left everything alone but we were anxious to reduce costs for families, which are significant. A figure of €650 for many families is a significant reduction in the cost.

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

Micheál Martin: Again, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is very much aware of this issue, which has been longstanding over the years, but is now gaining particular importance because of the new public service pay agreement that is being concluded by the Minister, which is welcome, and also with the Building Momentum agreement. There had been an agreement prior to Building Momentum with regard...

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

Micheál Martin: I appreciate the Deputy's consistent raising of the situation in the public domain. It is a very difficult and tragic situation when a child is forcibly removed from its mother in that context. I do not know the full background of the case in its entirety. Normally, we would not perhaps discuss it in a public arena but the Deputy has to raise it and I appreciate that. Normally, our...

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

Micheál Martin: First of all, as the Deputy has said, the European Central Bank is independent, and because of inflation, it is taking its measures and making decisions independently to get inflation down. I know from the CSO figures released today that the number of first-time buyers is up this year as against last year. There has been quite an interesting increase in first-time buyers, and that is...

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

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy knows, we cut public transport fares last year by 20% and we introduced a 50% cut in fares for young people. Prior to this September we decided to waive school transport fees for the public, which caused difficulties because more people applied for places than ever before, but it meant getting more people out of cars and onto public transport. The Government is not disagreeing...

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

Micheál Martin: First, I have given priority to special education. I met representatives of FUSS Ireland last Saturday. I met a range of disability groups last Saturday, mainly involved on the health side. There was a very significant focus on the progressing disability services, PDS, programme and its implementation and application. I have had issues with that myself. There was a series of meetings...

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

Micheál Martin: One child who does not have a school place is one child too many. While I do not know the background to the individual case, as far as I am concerned, that child should be provided for. I know the Minister will agree with me it is within the capacity of the Department of Education to provide for that child. I do not have the details of the case, but if the Deputy wants to share them with...

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

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has received that report and published it. The Government is going to consider intervention, just as we have in other areas like pyrite and mica, to which we have made very substantial and comprehensive responses. The response will be equally comprehensive on this front as well.

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

Micheál Martin: I will talk to the Minister for Health about the proposal the Deputy has made regarding specific sections of the Bill. Deputy Grealish is suggesting we accelerate changes to aspects of the legislation in advance of any comprehensive overview of the Act, as I understand it. I will talk to the Minister about that.

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

Micheál Martin: Yes.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I have already outlined that the Government is going to intervene in a cost-of-living package and in the budget in two weeks' time-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----in respect of the energy crisis. There are two debates. The Dáil is meeting at 2 p.m. today and will meet tomorrow. There are two Private Member's debates on energy, each of which I believe is of two hours' duration. There are plenty of opportunities for Deputies to articulate their views and for the Government to respond with regard to energy measures. There is debate-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: There is a debate this week on energy. The Deputy has called for a debate on energy and there is a debate on energy this week. There are two debates.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: We have also just had Leaders' Questions, which were almost predominantly on energy. Three out of the four leaders raised the issue of energy, quite correctly given the scale of the crisis. I have no issue with that. Therefore, I do not believe it is fair to try to suggest we are not debating it or discussing it in the two days we have allocated this week.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: On Deputy Boyd Barrett's points, again, we have two days to get things done. We can certainly-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Hold on, please. We can certainly look at considering time and allocating-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I have always facilitated Deputy Boyd Barrett in terms of debates.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I always have. We have had plenty of debates.