Results 11,121-11,140 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: Core funding is worth up to €221 million to the sector. Obviously there are implications in terms of affordability and so forth. Last year, we allocated very substantial funds specifically for staffing, training and to create career pathways within the early childhood sector. In work under way within the Government legislation committee, GLC, this year the Government has signalled...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am aware of the organisation. It is a wonderful service. We have the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind as well, which does wonderful work. That is a long-established centre. I certainly will talk to the HSE regarding the requirements of ChildVision and, in particular, the children they look after.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: To be fair, on any balanced, objective assessment there has been very substantial investment in special needs education in this country over the past 20 years. In particular mainstreaming special needs education started in the late 1990s through the provision of a pupil-teacher ratio for children with autism. That started in 1998. SNA provision was implemented and now has many thousands of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: Whatever summer break I get will be a relatively short one. I am not going anywhere in a hurry due to pressing demands on our time. We can make arrangements to set up that meeting. The Minister of State has put a lot of work and thought into this. We will engage with the HSE as well to get a workable solution that can meet the needs of the community.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Government is finalising regulations relating to measures to enhance air quality. The Deputy did not mention air quality in his presentation. Does he have any-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: I know that but the Deputy cannot be just defending the coal industry all the time because that is what goes to the-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: The issue in terms of these regulations is smoky coal, which is killing people. That is the big picture.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy's party just keeps ducking and diving. He refuses to accept responsibility, which he should, as a legislator, in respect of the need to protect people. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is one of the biggest killers in Ireland. The town of Enniscorthy had air quality measures similar to those of New Delhi in the middle of winter because of smoky coal. That is the real...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: In respect of turf, representatives of my party and others have made very sensible ideas and suggestions and those will be reflected in the regulations in the context of the traditional turbary rights of bog owners being protected.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: Yes.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: The setting of such levels is extremely challenging. The Deputy heard the remarks of the previous speaker. She and I are at one on the climate crisis. I am not sure that is true of those seated to her left in the House because all I get from them are reasons we should keep delaying doing anything. It is urgent. We are very late to the table. In a global sense, climate change is...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: Yes. The Government has demonstrated that it is up for the challenge. In the two years it has been in office, it has done very significant work-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----in terms of legislation, the funding allocated to active travel and rewetting our bogs. There are huge resources going into biodiversity now, contrary to what was happening before, in terms of the National Parks and Wildlife Service being established as an agency by the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan. There is significant work going on across the board, including the agri-climate...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----and calculations because these ceilings have serious implications for every sector. It is not like switching on and off a light.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will get a more detailed reply from the HSE on the issue of the procurement of PPE. It is important to point out that, in the midst of a pandemic, actions were taken on a set of principles and making sure that we would have a sufficiency of supply of PPE.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will get a more detailed response from the HSE on the matter.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: I have long enough experience in health to know that different consultants can produce different perspectives.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy asked a question; I am trying to make a point in reply. As he will be aware, other consultants were arguing very strongly for actions in respect of Navan and they argued differently from the consultants to whom the Deputy has spoken. That is fair enough. That is the way the world works. There is no one uniform view in respect to the configuration of services from the medical...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy means "wagging".

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jul 2022)

Micheál Martin: We are only two years in government. We inherited a massive backlog. Why? Be honest and tell the truth now and again and stop the political nonsense. There were individuals out in society that objected to every planning application on forestry, including felling, planting and harvesting. The Deputy knows that as well as I know that. He should not be trying to blame Government or...