Results 12,581-12,600 of 50,151 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The fundamental point about passports is the exponential growth in applications and the number being issued. I will come back to the Deputy but I believe 1.7 million passports will be issued this year. There were 634,000 issued in 2021, despite Covid-19 restrictions. A total of 45% of online adult renewals are processed within one working day while 99% of online applications for renewals...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The first point is that ESB is a State company and is owned by the people of Ireland. Second, it is making very significant investment in projects now and for the future that will need to be financed by borrowing, and the debt already accumulated by ESB is quite significant. It needs profits to enable it to meet debt obligations and to ensure its capital expansion plans in future can be...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The energy security issue is very important given what is going on.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for his question. He might also have picked up on the latter part of my commentary where I indicated that our immediate focus should be on the current war in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis flowing from it, as well as the need to direct all our policies and energies to that. I am somewhat concerned as we need a united approach in the country on how we deal with...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising those very important matters, particularly with respect to the undocumented Irish. I will certainly raise that with President Biden. It is subject to the domestic political environment and realpolitik in US politics. I will also meet representatives of Friends of Ireland in Congress and I look forward to engaging with them on the matter. It was very...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: Yes, efforts are being made on that front. In the initial phase, the Government was determined to give cash aid to trusted international agencies such as the Red Cross and UN agencies, and €20 million has now been allocated for humanitarian assistance. A further €10 million was allocated through the European Peace Facility in respect of non-lethal supplies to be sent to...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Health yesterday announced a women's healthcare strategy, with significant expenditure, which also involves the establishment of specific endometriosis clinics, which would deal with issues in a multidisciplinary way. The measures announced yesterday contain a focused approach, and funding has also been allocated.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Consumer Protection and Competition Commission exists to pursue any companies breaking the law, price gouging or behaving in an anti-competitive manner. Equally, as I said earlier, this is an internationally-traded commodity and we must take that reality on board in respect of price caps or price controls, which have never worked in the past as a mechanism to deal with situations like this.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: There has been significant investment in the past while and particularly on the cardiac front, as the Deputy will be aware. The Government has been in office now for a year and a half and we are responding in respect of-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy knows a process is in place in respect of getting the new facilities in place. The tendering has happened, and all of that, and the money has been allocated. That has occurred and the Deputy knows that. There is no issue with the Minister for Health meeting with Deputies from the south east. A lot of progress has been made, however, on the cardiac front-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: Regarding procurement issues, they have to be gone through.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The beef, milk, pharmaceuticals and technology products produced and manufactured in Tipperary are exported to every member state of the EU and all over the world.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: Ireland depends on a global free trade environment.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy should know that.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: It is the same within the EU. That is the bottom line and most people with a bit of common sense know that too. We need less of that kind of rhetoric and so on.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: In the first instance, we are working in concert with our European colleagues. It is an unprecedented measure to have applied the temporary protection directive in respect of all Ukrainians fleeing their country. That must be the focus now in respect of those issues. Again, there are limits too, but those issues will be explored further concerning other nationalities. It is difficult to...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: Is féidir leis an Eoraip teacht le chéile, agus is iontach an scéal é go bhfuil an méid sin aontas ann agus go bhfuilimid go léir ag obair le chéile maidir leis an méid atá déanta ag an Rúis ar an Úcráin. Is uafásach an scéal é go bhfuil cogadh ag an am seo agus go bhfuil a lán daoine ag fulaingt de dheasca...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: It is interesting to look at our history of neutrality. De Valera is regarded as the person who conceived the policy during the Second World War because of historical issues in our relationship with the UK. Nonetheless, during the League of Nations in the 1930s, he was deeply disappointed that force was not used against Italy when it invaded Ethiopia, the point being that we can never be...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am not sure the Deputy has been that consistent on cost of living over the past while. How strong was her party's budget submission on fuel prices and various measures? It was quite weak.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: In the North, the Sinn Féin finance minister has €300 million and is saying he cannot deploy it because of rules and is not allowed to. The Deputy needs to reflect on her party's policies and lack of preparation.