Results 12,601-12,620 of 50,151 for speaker:Micheál Martin

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

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, met with farming organisations yesterday in respect of the situation that could emerge, in terms of ensuring we avoid a fodder crisis next autumn and the obvious implications if Ukrainians do not plant grain this season because of the war and likewise in terms of Russia. We are working on it but it will be a...

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

Micheál Martin: The Deputy is making a fair point. The challenges for Ukrainian children fleeing war to access our schools will be enormous, in terms of how we respond from an educational perspective. The Government will not be able to do it all on its own and will have to draw on resources across society, particularly from the perspectives of psychology, language and curriculum content. It will involve...

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

Micheál Martin: The point is that more expenditure will be required. We are only in March and we have already allocated an extra €800 million in about five weeks because of the international crisis and the war. That is the reality. No government wants to preside over escalating energy and fuel prices. We want to cushion the blow for people, both for households, for whom we would do more if we...

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

Micheál Martin: With the greatest of respect to the Deputy, the Government is being honest with the people and will continue to be straight with the people about the crisis before us.

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

Micheál Martin: The Deputy needs to understand that there is a war on, which is the fundamental factor behind the exponential growth in oil and gas prices. As for our response to that, we are reducing the price of petrol and the price of diesel. That is what the Government is deciding right now. In addition, the Government has decided to give additional supports to people through cuts in electricity...

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

Micheál Martin: -----and other measures. We will work consistently on this to try to protect people and families.

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

Micheál Martin: This is not of the Government's creation. The Deputy should be honest enough to acknowledge that-----

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

Micheál Martin: -----but her desire for the sound bite triumphs every time over the bottom line.

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

Micheál Martin: Everybody in the House realises-----

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

Micheál Martin: -----the impact of this on people on the ground, and there will be other impacts, as I said earlier, in respect of food and so on.

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

Micheál Martin: The way forward is through energy efficiency, doubling down on renewables-----

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

Micheál Martin: -----and dealing with the geopolitical situation.

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

Micheál Martin: I am surprised that the Deputy seems to quote me as saying I want to get rid of neutrality. I never-----

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

Micheál Martin: The Deputy is wrong, and I think she knows she is wrong, but it did not stop her saying it, which is a disingenuous way to behave. Yesterday in the House I spoke on this. I referenced Frank Aiken and our policy and our proactive role in nuclear non-proliferation as well as the role of Fianna Fáil's Frank Aiken, the heroic work he did and how that would impact any debate on military...

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

Micheál Martin: On the Deputy's reference to Government warnings and so on, I said last week that Secretaries General of Departments have been asked to carry out scenario planning for various potential scenarios. We do not envisage rationing of oil and petrol. We have oil and gas reserves. However, scenario planning can be carried out for varying scenarios and one can be worse than another. It makes...

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

Micheál Martin: The Government works on behalf of the people. The revenues that the Government works with are generated by the people in the economy through taxes.

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

Micheál Martin: I did not interrupt the Deputy; I ask her to have the courtesy to allow me to respond.

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

Micheál Martin: All revenue in this country in respect of energy taxes has been well debated in this House and across Europe. There are energy directives that we cannot flout or ignore.

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

Micheál Martin: The point I am making here is this-----

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

Micheál Martin: The fundamental point I am making is that revenue generated across the economy, be it income tax, VAT or whatever, is used to invest in services such as education, health, social protection and across the board. That is the bottom line. The Government has decided to reduce petrol by 20 cent a litre and diesel by 15 cent a litre. It is not possible to remove all excise duty as the Deputy...