Results 13,181-13,200 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: A massive number came from the north-west development area. We were up there recently and that emerged in the work. The Senator is right in saying it is no wonder because there are major issues with connectivity there. Funding is there for the A5. Everyone I speak to seems to say there are planning processes and public inquiries. We are ready to go and the money is there to progress the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: I agree.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: We will engage with this matter. From our perspective, it is hard to comprehend how this could get to the table. It runs contrary to the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement. It is clearly an issue in respect of which we are very much on the case. I also agree the Stormont House Agreement is the template for dealing with legacy issues. All of us have a role to play. The Government stands...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: Will I come back in on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank Ms Hanna for her commentary and the best of luck in her endeavours. She is probably in transit. The commitment is to infrastructure and to how we can advance services. Her point about Covid is very well made. I did not say so earlier, but there is huge potential for public health collaboration on outcomes in health and public health, such as Covid, infectious diseases and a whole...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank Dr. Farry. I agree there are significant opportunities through the shared island initiative for co-operation and getting projects off the ground. The all-island rail feasibility study is a particularly important one. It is comprehensive by nature but we would be anxious to get going on the more practical initial jobs that could be done fairly quickly after publication. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: My view is the UK Government and the European Union have within themselves and within what has already been discussed the landing zones to reach a resolution of all those issues. I am convinced of that. We have been helpful in that regard. People have raised legitimate questions about the protocol. I do not dispute that at all. We have actually sensitised the EU to work on those issues...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: That is a very subtle way of asking me to shorten the answers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: Will Deputy Tully repeat that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: Someone used to refer to the midlands as the Balkans with the different hospitals competing with each other. The north east is no different as Mr. Brady knows. I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for her positive comments. As she said, education is key to jobs, quality of life, future engagement and that whole idea of the Atlantic innovation corridor. We are funding interesting research through...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: Has it cleared all the required processes? We can talk to the Department of Transport about this. The rail review, then, covers all areas. I note that Deputy Conway-Walsh got in the subject of the western rail corridor. Along with all her colleagues from the west, she has made the importance of this project clear to us as well and it is covered by the rail review. The main issue with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: We are very conscious of the passports issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will finish by saying, because the greenway was mentioned, that if any of the members have projects or ideas, they should let us know-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----so we can progress them in a programmatic way. We are anxious to undertake greenways. A map of all-island greenways will shortly be produced by the Department of Transport. The next question then will be how we can connect all these greenways over time. It will involve a ten-year plan. Existing greenways are everywhere. The question, on an all-island basis, is how we connect all of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: The committee is very welcome. I thank all the people in the Department as well, including Aingeal, Eoghan and all the team, for the work they do in this unit. This initiative is genuinely gaining critical mass and many people in the research community are involved at different levels. Therefore, this is progressing in an orderly way. I thank the committee.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: First, on Deputy Mac Lochlainn's point, I had a very worthwhile visit to Derry recently and met with the North West Regional Development Group. I think it is a very progressive group that leaves politics outside the door and its members do a lot of good work in terms of the economic and social development of the north west. We had a very good meeting in respect of commitments North and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 to 14, inclusive, together. The Government co-ordination committee last met on Monday, 25 April and is scheduled to meet again on 9 May. The committee generally meets in advance of Government meetings to review the activity of Cabinet committees, review the agenda for that week's Government meeting, discuss political priorities and review...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (27 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Mac Lochlainn raised the issue of the impact of Brexit on fisheries, which was significant because the approach of the Government of the United Kingdom to the fishery negotiations left it until the 11th hour. A no-deal Brexit would have been ruinous and had appalling consequences for our fishing industry. Brexit has led to a reduction, particularly in terms of the pelagic fleet,...