Results 12,521-12,540 of 51,299 for speaker:Micheál Martin

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: With regard to that housing estate in Kildare last year, it was not bought out by funds. The majority of those homes went on the open market while the remainder have been acquired by Kildare County Council for social and affordable housing under the terms of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000. There is an endless attempt to spin this issue, but the facts are the facts. That...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: The planning measures that were introduced have worked in terms of protecting the individual owner. Certainly, we will keep everything under review, but there must be a little balance and perspective. The funds are not dominant in the Irish housing market. The Deputy keeps saying they are, but they absolutely are not dominant in the housing market.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: Last year, out of 20,000 houses, some 9,000 were social housing. Nearly 50% of the 20,000 houses last year were social houses.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: On the pay front, discussions have taken place between the Government and the public service unions on public service pay. They have broken up for the time being, but the Government is open to re-engaging in the public service pay talks. Meanwhile, in the private sector there have been various agreements in different sectors between different companies and their employees in respect of pay....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Minister has appointed an independent senior counsel. It is an independent review. It is not the Minister's review. I appreciate the concerns the Members of the House have on these issues. Under the terms of reference, Mr. Remy Farrell SC was requested to provide a report to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, within a period of six weeks....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: It cannot be this week. It may be next week or the week after.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: First, there were approximately 33,000 housing commencements from April to April. There are clearly challenges facing housing because of commodity prices going up and inflation generally. The Ukraine war-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Mattie McGrath raises his eyebrows every time I mention Ukraine-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: The point I am making to Deputy O'Donoghue is that the Ukraine war does matter, has mattered, and is the driving factor in all of this. It could get worse in terms of energy. It could get worse because of the Russian strategy to stop the flow of gas to Germany and other major customers. That will have an impact.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: Thankfully, we are not as dependent on Russian gas and oil for our energy supplies. More generally, if there is a contraction in supply globally, it will affect everybody at the end of the day in terms of pricing and so on. I must put it to Deputy O'Donoghue that the next budget will be about expenditure, tax and a package of measures to alleviate the pressures on people.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: Parallel with that we have a public service pay process in place. Every extra per cent of that context is a substantial proportion of expenditure also. There are significant issues across the board that have to be met. I think I lost 20 seconds in the first round or rather, I did not avail of them.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: We are doing that. We will continue with the actions-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy said the Government takes taxes but we do not take them. The Government provides services to the people of Ireland through raising revenue and spending it. We need a tax base to fund education, housing, health, childcare services and child protection services and the development of transport infrastructure. We need revenue to do those things. Every stable democracy needs a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy knows that is not the case. The existing cath lab has four whole-time equivalent approved consultant posts. An additional intervention cardiologist post was filled on a permanent basis on 1 March.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy is now upping the ante. When I met him at the commencement of this Dáil, getting that second cath lab in place with staff was a key priority for us all collectively.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: That was the Deputy's priority and the priority of everybody here.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: I accept there are delays in getting the construction and so on because of Covid and all the rest of it. I cannot go down there and build it myself. However, we have committed the resources to doing it and we have asked the South/South West Hospital Group and the HSE to get on with it as fast as they possibly can - both the physical facility and the resources. Regarding the broader...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will make one key point to the Deputy first of all. He said that we are waiting for clinical reviews to get political cover. Anybody who knows anything about how healthcare has evolved over the past 20 years will know that clinical expertise have been the driver and has occasioned courageous political decisions with regard to modernising healthcare service in this country. Politics likes...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: I do not disagree with much of what the Deputy is saying. People are terrified of the winter and we want to make sure we have a comprehensive package that protects people throughout the winter. Throughout and beyond the winter, we want to protect people as best we can. We have to do it while taking on board a range of issues. Right now, we have to settle our expenditure levels in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Jun 2022)

Micheál Martin: I did not say that at all-----