Results 11,701-11,720 of 51,889 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Departmental Offices (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: Your record for the past ten years, such as when you guys were neutral when Crimea was invaded, tells me for whom you are useful puppets-----

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Departmental Offices (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----as does your record in respect of what is going on in Ukraine as well.

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Departmental Offices (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: Yes, you were.

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Departmental Offices (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: The point is the European Union governments are the most consistently constructive and proactive on climate change. Deputy Barry and his colleagues can never bring themselves to acknowledge that.

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Departmental Offices (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: All you guys can do is attack the European Union and the United States every single day, almost to the exclusion of anybody else.

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: European Council (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 to 22, inclusive, together. As I set out in my statement to the House on 16 November, I attended a meeting of the European Council in Brussels on 20 and 21 October. Issues discussed included developments in Russia's war on Ukraine and its wider impacts, supply and price challenges on energy, economic issues, and a number of external relations issues,...

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Departmental Offices (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: In response to Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh on retrofitting, I sometimes wonder, when Sinn Féin makes propositions, if it ever wants anything done at all. It is a very good retrofit programme and there has been a 130% increase in applications. It is about getting energy efficiency into our entire system. Its fundamental priority is energy efficiency and reducing energy waste. There are...

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Departmental Offices (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----certain outcomes, it is Ireland's responsibility. Ireland makes a very progressive and constructive contribution to these international gatherings and takes it very seriously. Our officials and political representatives at COP apply themselves seriously to this to try to get agreement. An agreement is better than no agreement. I genuinely believe that.

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Departmental Offices (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: With regard to loss and damage, we have made proposals. We have put forward a target of €225 million per annum by 2025. We are not there yet but that is Ireland’s commitment in terms of funding. We have to increase our funding significantly next year and the following year to reach that target, and we are doing everything we possibly can to reduce-----

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Departmental Offices (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will come to that. Deputy Smith also raised loss and damage.

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Departmental Offices (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: I take that point but a lot of questions have been asked. I have dealt with loss and damage and I have dealt with the failure to limit general temperature. I was coming to the Deputy’s next point, which is the licence extension to Europa and existing licence holders. I have other questions to deal with so I do not know whether we can get a few minutes extra.

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Departmental Offices (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: On the extension, Europa already has a licence. There are legal constraints on the Government in terms of existing licence holders. This Oireachtas decided to ban, or recommended the banning of, the issuing of any future licences. The Government has adhered to that and it is part of the programme for Government. However, in terms of existing licences holders, of which there are just a few...

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: I do not actually equate the US with Russia.

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: There they go again. The "whataboutery" is a constant. The Deputies are against the pro formabut then they attack America. The bottom line is they attack America far more than they do Russia.

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: My point is, without interruption, it is not tenable that this situation continues. There has to be reform of the UN and the Security Council. When we were on the Security Council, Ireland put forward a good proposal linking climate change with security. India and China were sceptical at the beginning. Both of those countries abstained. One country stopped what the overwhelming majority...

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: The question is in the context of my meeting with Vice-President Šefčovič. It is important to put on the record that we did not discuss the Apple case. The updates are there to be had in terms of the proceedings of the court and the court's timetable. I can get the update for the Deputy and communicate that to him. Deputy Conway-Walsh raised a separate issue on the...

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Departmental Offices (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 14, inclusive, together. The climate action unit is part of the economic division of my Department. The unit was established in 2019 and it supports me and the Government in dealing with the challenges of climate change and driving the necessary transition to a climate-neutral economy. The unit assists in co-ordinating a whole-of-government response...

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: On the reference to Ukraine by Deputy Bacik, that would be more immediate than the Magnitsky legislation. I discussed the matter with the Minister for Justice. The view was that the Bill, as tabled, would have no real effect. The Prime Minister of Estonia first mooted the idea of confiscating Russian foreign reserves in respect of rebuilding Ukraine. There is a lot of merit in that...

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: Someone asked me to confirm whether I was lobbied.

Report of Committee of Selection: Motion: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (22 Nov 2022)

Micheál Martin: To the best of my knowledge, I was not lobbied in respect of the tax. I do not know whether an email was sent. I was not lobbied in any way. I met the company some months ago regarding its plans for the field in terms of carbon storage and a renewable future post extraction, something that is currently under way. That is the position on that. Deputy Boyd Barrett referenced the Fine...