Results 101-120 of 50,683 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Coppinger raised an important issue. Gender-based violence is not nationality focused, or exclusive to any person irrespective of race, creed or colour. It is something we need collectively to rid out of society. It takes a lot of work. We have policies relating to it in this Government. As Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, did a lot of good work in this area. Her successor,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Disability Services (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I apologise. On dysplasia, I did not know that and was not aware of it. I will relay it to the Minister for Health. To Deputy Dempsey, I say independent living is important. She is correct a lot of parents have real anxiety about later life and if anything happens. That is something we are focused on. I spoke about Waterford, I think. To Deputy Ward, we are working to do everything we...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 to 31, inclusive, together. On 10 April, I announced the new phase of the Government’s shared island initiative in a keynote address to the fourth shared island forum. Our programme for Government sets out an ambitious agenda for building a shared island, backed by a further €1 billion commitment to the shared island fund out to 2035....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Disability Services (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank all the Deputies for the issues raised. Deputy Bacik asked the initial question about therapists. Approximately 461 were approved by the Cabinet today. That was sweating the existing asset, if you like, within our third level system, seeing how many additional places we can provide in addition to those already in place across a range of therapies. The Minister for Further and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Disability Services (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: There will be engagement between the Department of Health, the Minister for Health, the HSE and CORU because there is an issue around recognition of qualifications for those who travel from overseas, even from the United Kingdom and within the European Union. It takes too long, given therapists are crucial. In other professions such as medicine it happens much more quickly in terms of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: We have had increased migration in the context of the numbers now applying which went from an average of 3,500 in 2019 to approximately 14,000 to 15,000 in the past two years. This has a serious impact on services and our system. We need to accelerate it and make it faster for both the application and appeals processes but the message must be there that there are rules in Ireland and they...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: On Ukrainian accession, Ireland has been one of the leaders in pushing for an acceleration of accession and the Commission is working away on it. Hungary is against it and its negativity has slowed down the process by indicating its opposition to the various processes involved in the Ukrainian accession to the European Union. This is a pity as I believe the people of Ukraine see their...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Disability Services (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 19, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on disabilities has been established to oversee the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the area of disability, with a specific focus on children’s disability services and disability services more generally under the forthcoming new national disability strategy. The Cabinet...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Disability Services (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: What is it called?

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputies for raising a variety of issues. Deputy Malcolm Byrne focused on the multi-annual financial framework. This will be a very challenging debate, which we commenced last March. I met the President of the Commission about six weeks ago for a substantive meeting on a range of issues. I emphasised the importance of the Common Agricultural Policy retaining its core...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: There can be NATO peacekeeping that is accordance with UN principles and the UN charter and the UN acknowledges that such as in the Balkans and so forth. It is not the end of neutrality. Neutrality is defined by membership of a military alliance. We are not members of a military alliance and we have no intention of becoming members of a military alliance. The idea that Russia would have a...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: A Security Council resolution can be vetoed by Russia.

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: The General Assembly was used decades ago. It is not a feasible option for sanctioning peace initiatives and the Deputy well knows it. It is not a viable or feasible approach. Every peacekeeping mission in which we have participated have been sanctioned by the Security Council and it is increasingly becoming more problematic to even get agreement on humanitarian corridors in places of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive, together. I attended the European Council meeting on Thursday, 20 March where leaders continued discussions on Ukraine and European defence and security. Other topics discussed were the Middle East, competitiveness, the next multi-annual financial framework, MFF, new own resources, migration, oceans, multilateralism and the western...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I take this issue very seriously. I have met with Traveller organisations and agree that it is a very serious situation. I will ask the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health to respond.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I accept the Deputy's point and a lot of progress has been made over the last number of years in respect of caretakers and school secretaries in terms of salaries and so forth. We are committed to ensuring that grant-funded school caretakers will be afforded the opportunity to avail of an agreement similar to that offered to grant-funded school secretaries. There is more work to be done on...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: There is a commitment in the programme for Government to draw up a new action plan on insurance. We did a lot of good work in the last government in respect of insurance. Insurance companies have to come to the table as well and respond to the reforms that have occurred, which industry and others sought, in terms of awards and all of that. More crucially, in terms of flood areas, there are...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: I will have to look into the background. An Bord Pleanála is saying that the site is designated for a school. The docklands will have to have a fairly extensive campus for a primary, further, post primary and special education. The city council identified that as the site for the school but perhaps more engagement needs to occur with the owners of the site. I will discuss that...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: Apologies. The Department of foreign affairs, along with the Department of Health and others, provides financial support for centres in London, in particular, where there is a service to engage with survivors of mother and baby homes, advising them, counselling them and giving them the wherewithal to apply for the schemes. We will engage with our UK counterparts in respect of trying to ring...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Jun 2025)

Micheál Martin: My understanding is that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has determined to grant an aquaculture licence to Woodstown Bay Shellfish Limited and that the licensing process involves consultation with a wide range of scientific and technical advisers as well as various statutory consultees. I am informed that the legislation also provides for a period of public consultation,...