Results 12,921-12,940 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: No, but I just want to make the point. We are not a PR agency for it or anything like that. This House legislated for and created that body on a statutory footing to reduce deaths and accidents on our roads and that has been a spectacular success, if one looks at what has happened.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I know. I have answered the question. I will make a further point. I will communicate to the RSA what Deputies Moynihan and MacSharry have said. I do not have the reply here with me but my recollection is clearly that it has moved to an appointments-based system. It is saying to the public that it will be doing this work by appointment rather than everyone having to queue up. It is...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: First, Government officials have been meeting and co-ordinating in respect of the Russia-Ukraine crisis in terms of contingency planning on a number of fronts in the context of potential repercussions from the escalation of the crisis and the resulting impact on fuel supplies, cost and so forth. In terms of peat, that was not a Government decision. The courts decided what was going on was...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: The courts made a decision. We cannot just keep going on with illegality. The courts were very clear on that.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: We have, however, developed alternative approaches and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, as the Deputy is aware, has plans-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----in terms of utilising bogs of a certain size to source the peat for-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----our natural resources.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: First, I assure the Deputy that the Minister, Deputy Foley, wants this resolved and is anxious and supportive of the talks process. The Minister, Deputy McGrath, wants it resolved also. Both of them have given this considerable momentum since the formation of the Government. As I said to the Deputy or another Member who raised the issue last week, there have been intensive discussions at...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: That is easier said than done. I fully accept the Deputy's frustrations, by the way.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: The budget is there. I take the Deputy's point but there are negotiations going on. We have to get value for the taxpayer but we do have to get a service for the public as well. Those talks are continuing and they need to be brought to a resolution.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. He tends to be very alert to these issues on the ground, as I know from previous questions he has asked. At the moment, across the NDLS front office network there are approximately 76,220 appointment slots in total across a six-week period. Of these, 43,715 are booked, with the remaining slots available. Nearly 30,000 slots are available to be...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: We are fully in accordance with international regimes in terms of taxation and in terms of the European Union's capital and financial markets.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: We are regulated by the European system as a country. In respect of the IFSC, special purpose vehicles have been established there that are used in securitisations and structured finance transactions.That includes services that----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----have been provided to some Russian entities.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Government has taken steps to deal with these issues.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: They include making changes to tax laws in the Finance Acts. That has happened. Last year, significant changes were made to anti-money laundering legislation. The Finance Act 2021 saw the completion of our transposition of the anti-tax-avoidance directive, which is ahead of many other member states across Europe. The Act also introduced the authorised OECD approach for the transfer...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----that Ireland has played an active role in developing at the OECD and European Union.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Even if there are advertisements that emanate from the council and so on, that is not correct. It can never be used for that purpose by anybody. I am very clear about that.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I do not think it is enough to say that there is growing anxiety about the aggressive position of Russia. I think we should all be clear in this House that we all condemn the Russian aggression. We should use that language clearly and without equivocation. Yes, there will be repercussions from sanctions. That is the inescapable consequence of Russia's behaviour. We do not want to take...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: First, as has been said, we are moving from an emergency phase of the pandemic into the transitional phase. Subject to Government approval, it is intended that testing for SARS-CoV-2 will move from extensive case find and tracing of infection to reduce transmission towards a focus on mitigation of the severe impacts of Covid-19 for those most vulnerable to the severe effects of the disease...