Results 12,861-12,880 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Without doubt, housing is the biggest crisis facing the country. We had two lockdowns during the Covid crisis, which was a significant factor. However, I think the Deputy's party will have to stop objecting left, right and centre to developments here.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am struck, for example, by how her party opposes every build-to-rent development in the Republic. It makes it a kind of issue of principle, whereas in Northern Ireland, the party has no difficulty in supporting the largest build-to-rent proposal put forward. The party supports build-to-rent housing in Northern Ireland but opposes it down here.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: We do not need that kind of hypocrisy in terms of housing policy.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: First, I think the Deputy should withdraw the word "deplore". What is she deploring?

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Does she deplore the building of a modern maternity facility with state-of-the-art facilities for women in the 21st century? I hope she withdraws those words in the future, when what emerges will be the very opposite of what she is suggesting. There are no issues around the public ownership of this hospital. It is a tenner a week for 300 years. There also is no issue in terms of its...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: We will have a debate but there is an issue with Deputy Coveney's schedule this week.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Bacik raised the issue of passports. We could have a debate, perhaps next week, but there will not be time this week. An additional €10 million has been provided in budget 2022. Passport Service staff numbers have increased by more than 300 since June 2021. There is a recruitment campaign ongoing for temporary clerical officers. The competition is under way and, once...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: It is not actually a matter of delays but a matter of a higher volume of applicants. We can have a more extensive debate on that.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Mattie McGrath raised the issue of the World Health Organization, WHO. I am a strong supporter of the organisation and believe we should increase and enhance its capacity to deal with pandemics. The World Health Organization is the body that calls pandemics, rather than national governments. There is a very good reason for that. Some governments in the world would never call a...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am not shy at all with regard to pandemics. To be serious, one risk is that during the last pandemic, the previous President of the United States, Donald Trump, made efforts to undermine the WHO. That did not serve the world well.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I apologise. I suggest we hold one next week, if that is possible.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am looking at the schedule but I just cannot see any.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Would Deputy Pringle like to?

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am open to it.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: We need the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who will not be here, because he has been engaged with the British Government on this issue.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: Was the question whether I am travelling?

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: No, I am not.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputies for raising the various concerns regarding the Order of Business as outlined this week. On the announcement today by the British Government, as I said earlier at the remembrance ceremony for the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, the 48th anniversary of the worst atrocity of that time, the Stormont House Agreement remains the agreed position of the two Governments and all the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: First, I thank the Deputy again for raising this issue. There are very serious issues and he made reasonable points in respect of this. I would be wary of estimates that we get from time to time. We should all be wary of estimates in respect of projects of this kind, particularly in the communications area because they tend to balloon, particularly when the State signals too early an...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 May 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue about connectivity, particularly as it applies to rural Ireland, the economic life of rural Ireland and the quality of life in a modern digital era. The main twin pillars of the Government's economic recovery plan were digitalisation and the green economy. The economic recovery plan has been particularly successful in its objectives....