Results 11,621-11,640 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: He was almost legendary. The debate will be organised next week. That was agreed yesterday with the leader of the Labour Party.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: The issue is that the Housing for All strategy includes an action for the Department of Finance to collect data on vacancy with a view to introducing a vacant property tax. That has been our position. As the Deputy knows, local property tax, LPT, returns include questions such as whether a property is vacant and the reason for the vacancy if the period vacancy if the period of vacancy...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I dealt with this on Leaders’ Questions when it was raised by Deputy Paul Murphy. As I said, there were talks yesterday at the Workplace Relations Commission. I hope that those talks will continue in order that we might get a resolution to the outstanding issues.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: As I said, the most effective way to resolve this issue is through the labour relations machinery and industrial relations machinery of the State. It is the most effective way to resolve all disputes of this kind and, ultimately, the only way to do it. That is understood and accepted across all the social partners in respect of disputes in the public and private sectors. As I said, there...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is not present in the room at every dispute that occurs.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Obviously, as the Department representing the taxpayer and everybody, it is always there as an influence. We know that but the bottom line is there is always tick-tacking and-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----things do not happen in isolation. The Deputy knows that. As a trade unionist, she knows how-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As she said, she has made a submission in respect of it to the group looking at reform of the SUSI scheme. As she said, at the last budget, the Government took a number of decisions to improve the student grant scheme, in particular the increase to all student grant maintenance payments, including the special rate of grant of €200 per year,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Government is proactive on this. The NCSE is very focused on the current legislative framework and on this on an operational level. Under the Acts that I have mentioned, very often the onus is put on the parents to seek to places. In my view, the system should be seeking the places for the child. That is the fundamental change that must occur. That requires an automatic response from...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: We talk about inclusivity, and the Acts provide for that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will finally say that there are approximately 19,000 SNAs in our schools at the moment.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: We have created 918 new teaching posts alone. This is an issue of-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----organisation, planning and so on.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: As I did yesterday, I again take the opportunity to recognise the hugely important and vital work carried out by medical scientists, as well as their role in respect of the functioning of our health service. They are dedicated, professional and highly committed and have been so for many years. This was particularly the case during the pandemic. There is a long-standing concern. The...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: We have secured public ownership of the hospital. That is the point.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I understand the politics of the motion. I have been around now for a bit to understand the motivation behind Private Members' motions and the need to keep the Government under pressure. I fully understand that. We will deal with the motion in the manner that we as a Government see fit-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----just as you, equally, will put forward motions with a very clear political agenda behind them. We did not all come down on the last cloud. I am fully comfortable with what is happening this evening in respect of the Private Members' motion on this issue.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: The more important point is that the fundamental issue of ownership has been dealt with-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----in terms of the 300-year-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: With the greatest respect to Deputy Healy-Rae, when I spoke to him before the formation of the Government, his main request was that we would last five years and make no intention to undermine it in any shape or form.