Results 12,461-12,480 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Urban Development (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The whole thing really should be about changing the cycle.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Official Apology (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 13, inclusive, together. Since taking office, I have issued one formal apology in the Dáil, on behalf of the State, for the hurt experienced by many former residents of mother and baby institutions and county homes. I apologised for the profound generational wrong visited upon Irish mothers and their children who ended up in a mother and baby...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Official Apology (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: First, Deputy Tóibín raised the Grace case. That commission has completed its work and there have been interim reports. It is a shocking case and I want to await the outcome of the full, compete report. I have not seen the Alice report. From what the Deputy has just said to the House, it represents a shocking situation. I will engage with the Deputy again on the issues and see...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Urban Development (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputies for their comments. The national centre will involve a collaborative spirit. I will come back to that later. In terms of the review of the north east inner city initiative that Deputy McDonald has asked for, I have not gone cool on it but we wanted to work through it. We did the progress report, which in a way is a review of its own. I think the Deputy is looking for...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Reports (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: Both Deputies McDonald and Bacik raised the expulsion of four senior officials in the Russian Federation embassy because their behaviour was not in accordance with international standards of diplomatic behaviour. We are doing this under Article 9 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. I do not want to divulge the security briefing we received in respect of these individuals...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Reports (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Paul Murphy raised the issue of the bonus for healthcare workers. Again, the Government has given the resources to do this to the Department of Health and HSE. These are major employers but I am anxious that the front-line workers are suitably provided for with the €1,000 payment we have agreed. The Government decided this and the implementation is about to begin. There has...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Urban Development (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 7 to 9, inclusive, together. The Mulvey report, Dublin North East Inner City - Creating a Brighter Future, was commissioned by the Government and published in February 2017. It contained recommendations for the social and economic regeneration of Dublin's north-east inner city. This report has been supplemented by the publishing of the North East Inner...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Reports (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, together. My Department's annual report for 2021 will be finalised and published in the coming months and will set out the work of my Department in 2021 to deliver on the strategic priorities set out in the Departments three-year statement of strategy. My Department continues to work at the centre to ensure that policies developed...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will follow that up with the Minister. I have noted that if you stay in here long enough, you will get a good geography lesson across every county and town in Ireland. I take the point the Deputy makes seriously and will follow through on it. The Healy-Rae syndrome is beginning to-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy. The key issue with housing is supply. We simply need to get more houses built more quickly. That is key to dealing with the housing crisis. Regarding HAP, there are different rates across the country. They are not all uniform and the cities have much higher levels of rent, unfortunately, which have necessitated more flexibility around HAP payments. I will talk to the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will talk to the Minister on enforcement. Enforcement is being increased across wildlife and habitat protection. I agree we have to have a stronger focus on protecting habitat and biodiversity. There is no question about that. It is under enormous threat across the country and it cannot be business as usual.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Government has taken measures to help and to alleviate the pressures on the sector. As I said earlier, we cannot do everything. There are limits to what governments can do and they cannot 100% compensate every situation. We have to bear that in mind. We are conscious of the impact of the war, the issues arising from supply chain difficulties and inflationary pressures. We have to...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I know, but, unfortunately, the impacts of this will be longer term than we might have anticipated.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: To deal with Deputy Carthy first, the Government wants to keep the pig industry going. It is a good industry in terms of viability and had been doing well. Some market distortions arose. There is a perfect storm at the moment with the war in Ukraine. We have taken initial steps to assist the industry. The Minister, Deputy McConalogue, is in constant engagement with the farming...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: First, my understanding is the HSE and the Department are in ongoing consultation with the health sector trade unions to finalise the application of this measure. It is intended that the payments process will be instructed to commence this week. The Government has committed very significant resources. The Government wants to do this. We are not holding back at all. I will engage again...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. A plan of action is being implemented by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to meet the challenges of this increased demand and to reduce the processing time, which has built up recently, as the Deputy said. Staffing actions include recruitment of additional permanent and temporary staff which will increase the permanent processing...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I can tell the Deputy we will look after it. I am pressing very strongly. I will make sure the next time I am down there that I will get on it.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this on behalf of the 60 families in Henry Street. I certainly will ask the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to intervene. As the Deputy said, this behaviour is not tolerable and should not be tolerated in this day and age. I will ask the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, with the RTB, to intervene.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy has raised this issue consistently and correctly. I will follow that up with the Minister concerned and get an answer for him as quickly as I can.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Government is committed to public housing. In particular, 12,000 is the target for 2022, 9,000 of which will be built. That would be the highest ever and we are on line to achieve that in 2022. On the referendum, the commission on housing which has been established has established a sub-committee chaired by Ailbhe O'Neill, a barrister with extensive experience working in...