Results 12,181-12,200 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Reports (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. My Department's annual report for 2021 was published on gov.ieand laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas last July. The report sets out the work of my Department in 2021 to deliver under the strategic priorities set out in the Department's three-year statement of strategy. My Department continues to work at the centre to ensure...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: First of all, as part of our response to the cost-of-living issue, we waived all fees for the school transport scheme. The measure is saving families up to €650 and the Deputy calls that a mess.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: It is saving families €650 and the Deputy's response is that it is a mess.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Some €280 million is being provided. More than 124,000 tickets have issued-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: That is an increase of 21,000 over last year. That is good news. There have been challenges with the scheme but the bottom line is that we did not hang around here. There was a cost-of-living crisis and we said we will move to reduce it for families and get rid of the fee, and we did. Of course, this created issues this September-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Department is working and Bus Éireann is doing everything it can to process applications and issue tickets as soon as extra buses and drivers are sourced.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: The alternative would have been to do nothing.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am familiar with the issue. I thank the Deputy for raising it. I am acutely aware of the anguish of parents of children with cystic fibrosis and their eagerness to see this drug made available for their children. There is ongoing dialogue between the HSE and Vertex, the drug manufacturer. Efforts are ongoing to ensure that this drug can be made available to those 35 children currently...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy has raised an important issue. The Mental Health Commission is there to make sure proper standards are applied across the mental health arena. On the registration of the mental health care and recovery approved centre in Bantry, the commission made a recommendation or decision that should be reduced from a total number of registered beds from 18 to 11 due to its concerns over the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: With regard to the Deputy's budget recommendation, I know the Minister with responsibility for housing is working on all these issues. Government must consider a whole range of measures. I will certainly present the Deputy's perspective. It is one that others have put forward as well.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: First of all, I disagree with the Deputy's figures.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Leaving out special transport, an extra 21,000 tickets have been issued over last year. That is significant. There are pluses to what has happened. If we did nothing, we could have managed the existing numbers and left everything alone but we were anxious to reduce costs for families, which are significant. A figure of €650 for many families is a significant reduction in the cost.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: Again, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is very much aware of this issue, which has been longstanding over the years, but is now gaining particular importance because of the new public service pay agreement that is being concluded by the Minister, which is welcome, and also with the Building Momentum agreement. There had been an agreement prior to Building Momentum with regard...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I appreciate the Deputy's consistent raising of the situation in the public domain. It is a very difficult and tragic situation when a child is forcibly removed from its mother in that context. I do not know the full background of the case in its entirety. Normally, we would not perhaps discuss it in a public arena but the Deputy has to raise it and I appreciate that. Normally, our...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: First of all, as the Deputy has said, the European Central Bank is independent, and because of inflation, it is taking its measures and making decisions independently to get inflation down. I know from the CSO figures released today that the number of first-time buyers is up this year as against last year. There has been quite an interesting increase in first-time buyers, and that is...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy knows, we cut public transport fares last year by 20% and we introduced a 50% cut in fares for young people. Prior to this September we decided to waive school transport fees for the public, which caused difficulties because more people applied for places than ever before, but it meant getting more people out of cars and onto public transport. The Government is not disagreeing...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: First, I have given priority to special education. I met representatives of FUSS Ireland last Saturday. I met a range of disability groups last Saturday, mainly involved on the health side. There was a very significant focus on the progressing disability services, PDS, programme and its implementation and application. I have had issues with that myself. There was a series of meetings...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: One child who does not have a school place is one child too many. While I do not know the background to the individual case, as far as I am concerned, that child should be provided for. I know the Minister will agree with me it is within the capacity of the Department of Education to provide for that child. I do not have the details of the case, but if the Deputy wants to share them with...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has received that report and published it. The Government is going to consider intervention, just as we have in other areas like pyrite and mica, to which we have made very substantial and comprehensive responses. The response will be equally comprehensive on this front as well.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Sep 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will talk to the Minister for Health about the proposal the Deputy has made regarding specific sections of the Bill. Deputy Grealish is suggesting we accelerate changes to aspects of the legislation in advance of any comprehensive overview of the Act, as I understand it. I will talk to the Minister about that.