Results 11,681-11,700 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Housing for All strategy is the most comprehensive and substantive policy-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----that has been outlined in quite some time. It is backed up by resources of €4 billion per annum. The Deputy might check, and I will check, to see what the situation is in regard to Tipperary County Council-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----engaging with the Minister in respect of affordable housing in particular. There is a strong pipeline of social housing this year, because of the focus we have put on that, but there is also provision for a wide range of affordable home schemes as well. I have no issue in working with the Deputy and with other Deputies. The Minister is in touch with all of the Deputies in Tipperary on...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Pringle should acknowledge the European Union support of Palestine, which is very strong.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I just note the partisan management of the presentation in terms of the European Union. The European Union is the biggest donor to Palestine, and it strongly supports the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, as does the Government, which is the most effective and important relief organisation for Palestinians. That all gets forgotten in the presentation. Equally, Ireland has...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: This is a programme that the Minister is very committed to, so much so that up to €40 million is being made available to fund the programme. Forty million euro is a very significant sum of money-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----which indicates a very significant degree of capacity as well. It will also address the needs of migrant students by addressing English language skills and integration. The funding provision enables schools to hire a co-ordinator or overseer for the programme, which means that principals do not have to take this role if they do not wish to do so. This position is paid at a higher rate...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Again, I strongly condemn the killing of the Al Jazeera reporter, Shireen Abu Akleh, in Jenin on 11 May last. As I have said time and again, media freedom and the safety of journalists must be paramount and must be protected. We have called for an immediate impartial, independent and effective investigation. Ireland's representative in Ramallah attended Shireen's funeral. The excessive...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for so eloquently articulating the emotions and the message from the Ukrainian students at Galway Community College. We thank the college and the people of Galway for welcoming the students so warmly, as they have articulated. On behalf of the Irish people, I also thank the students for bringing insights to us and for shining a light on what has happened to both their...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: This Government is in office only two years.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Already, we have had the largest commencement in terms of new housing, of 35,000 units from March to March. It is the largest number of commencements since 2008.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Without doubt, housing is the biggest crisis facing the country. We had two lockdowns during the Covid crisis, which was a significant factor. However, I think the Deputy's party will have to stop objecting left, right and centre to developments here.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am struck, for example, by how her party opposes every build-to-rent development in the Republic. It makes it a kind of issue of principle, whereas in Northern Ireland, the party has no difficulty in supporting the largest build-to-rent proposal put forward. The party supports build-to-rent housing in Northern Ireland but opposes it down here.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: We do not need that kind of hypocrisy in terms of housing policy.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: First, I think the Deputy should withdraw the word "deplore". What is she deploring?

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Does she deplore the building of a modern maternity facility with state-of-the-art facilities for women in the 21st century? I hope she withdraws those words in the future, when what emerges will be the very opposite of what she is suggesting. There are no issues around the public ownership of this hospital. It is a tenner a week for 300 years. There also is no issue in terms of its...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: We will have a debate but there is an issue with Deputy Coveney's schedule this week.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Bacik raised the issue of passports. We could have a debate, perhaps next week, but there will not be time this week. An additional €10 million has been provided in budget 2022. Passport Service staff numbers have increased by more than 300 since June 2021. There is a recruitment campaign ongoing for temporary clerical officers. The competition is under way and, once...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: It is not actually a matter of delays but a matter of a higher volume of applicants. We can have a more extensive debate on that.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Mattie McGrath raised the issue of the World Health Organization, WHO. I am a strong supporter of the organisation and believe we should increase and enhance its capacity to deal with pandemics. The World Health Organization is the body that calls pandemics, rather than national governments. There is a very good reason for that. Some governments in the world would never call a...