Results 12,101-12,120 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: It is a very fundamental point in terms of how society----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Yes.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: No. The Government has to be the key instrument of the social contract in making sure that when a child is born in this country, that child has access to early education, the best of health services, and has an opportunity to progress to primary school, secondary school, further education and third level. That costs money.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Tax does contribute and revenue generated----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy, you have been interrupting non-stop every time I get up to speak.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I have not interrupted you.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: At least have the basic decorum that this Parliament demands that you allow people to answer your question.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: The bottom line is this in terms of the revenue that we have raised, the country is in significant debt. We borrow, and borrowed during Covid. The Deputy can go to any enterprise or business out there. I meet his businesses all the time and I meet businesses that provide services to all of us. What do they say about Government? They say, “Thank you for helping during Covid-19.”

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: First, the Government is not a business.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: That is an important point. The Government is not a business-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: We are facing the worst global energy crisis ever. It surpasses the 1970s.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: It was fundamentally brought about by the war on Ukraine; there is no question about it. The price today for United Kingdom gas on the wholesale markets is 287 pence. By the way, it was 463 pence last week.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: This day two years ago, the price-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----was 40 pence a therm.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising a very important issue that is affecting quite a number of people. I have tremendous sympathy for those suffering from long Covid. It is one of the reasons that during the height of Covid, when we had the lockdown, I was insistent on taking strong measures. It was not just about mortality. This was a deadly disease. When a person got Covid, it could lead to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I do not disagree with the Deputy. There were clinics on HSE sites that were operational before the model of care was rolled out. The intention is to align all of them towards a national service. It is intended that the interim model of care will be expanded to put in place eight post-acute Covid clinics and six long Covid clinics within hospital groups nationwide. Additional aspects of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I gave the Deputy specifics on beds-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I gave you specifics on ICU and home care hours-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I gave you specifics on a whole range of issues in terms of preparing and upgrading the health service. The number of college places has been expanded for all of the professions over the past two years. The Deputy cannot just shake her head. They have been increased-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----and in terms of career progression. The winter preparedness plan has adopted a bottom-up approach. It has gone to every hospital group and local plans have been sought. Sanction has being given to hire emergency consultants if the groups so wish. In the plans that have come from the various hospital groups, flexibility will be applied in sanctioning the teams they want to hire. As...