Results 13,361-13,380 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Children's Health Ireland got the money. The Deputy can contact it or seek to meet with it through the Oireachtas Committee on Health, or by whatever means. The Deputy can meet it. It will go through all of that with the Deputy. There is no issue.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I agree that one can oppose Israeli Government policy and should not be labelled as antisemitic for doing it. It is important, given our strength despite being a small country, that our voice on this matter has been seen as objective and honourable, although not by everybody. Generally speaking, our interest is genuine and we have been one of the strong supporters of the United Nations...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am on the pragmatic side. I know what works. When I say "works", we must help people and children to get an education. We should seek, at a European level and with our American partners, to expand UNRWA and its support for the vast majority of people.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I respect all parties but we are entitled to have our own opinion as well.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: We are entitled to read reports, analyse them and form our own opinions. There is a great novel by Colum McCann, Apeirogon, and the Deputy should read it. I have read it. That in a far more impactful way, I think, illustrates the reality of life involving two people-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----on different sides. The Deputy should read it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Go read it. I rest my case.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I rest my case.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis an Teachta as an cheist phráinneach agus tábhachtach seo a ardú. Níl an tuarascáil léite agam ach tá a fhios agam faoin idirdheighilt sin agus na deacrachtaí atá ag na Palaistínigh, go háirithe ag teacht ó pholasaithe an rialtais atá ann faoi láthair. I fully acknowledge that there are...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: That is currently being examined by the Department of Foreign Affairs. I have not read it yet, but I will get through it as quickly as I can. From our perspective, through the European Union we have a clear policy position in this regard. We believe that Israeli policy is counterproductive to the emergence and triumph of moderate opinion within Palestine, in both the West Bank and Gaza....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: From the outset the Government has been committed to first supporting workers and people on the ground. No Government wants people to perish or die in the ditches. For God's sake, let us have some common sense and some sense of perspective. The bottom line is that the Government is considering measures right now, over and above what we have already undertaken in the budget, which provided...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----that this inflationary cycle is imposing on people. There is no question but that this is a global phenomenon. Nobody is arguing about that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: We need to take measures now that can ease the pressure on people's everyday weekly outgoings on a number of fronts and that is what we are examining. Before the end of the week, we will have proposals to add to the decisions that we have already taken in this regard. We fully understand the pressures that people are under and we are going to deal with them.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Again, I have to restate what I said earlier. At this time last year, a barrel of oil on international markets traded at $61. Today, it is $91 a barrel. That is not because of the carbon tax. It is very dishonest to say the carbon tax is the key contributor to fuel inflation.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: It is not the key contributor in any shape or form and we need to be honest with the public because I know there will be attempts made to misrepresent-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----what has been a global situation in terms of the price of oil and the price of gas. We only hope that conflict does not break out in relation to Russia and Ukraine, which could even exacerbate it further, which is something we do not want at all.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Gas prices on international markets, as I said, have quadrupled in the past year. That is not because of the carbon tax. On the other side of the coin, we do want to release unprecedented funding to people through grants to enable them to retrofit their homes to make them more energy efficient and cheaper to run in the future.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: That is what we want to do. We want to prioritise that area. It makes sense to insulate homes and we will give good grants to people to enable them to do that. In terms of looking after low-income families and the fuel allowance and so on, we were able to take measures in the last budget on the social welfare package because of the revenue that has been generated from the carbon tax itself...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: The other factor is, of course, to take cars as an example, there has been a shortage in terms of microchip manufacturing. There have been fewer cars manufactured. As economies have bounced back across the world, the demand for cars has not equalled the supply of cars. That is causing inflation. That is just one product. That can be mirrored in product after product since economies have...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Average wages in Ireland are higher than the European average, as I think the Deputy will acknowledge. There have been increases linked to productivity, which is good. That would be a priority. Again, even if purchasing power is factored in, our minimum wage is the sixth highest in the 27 EU member states. That is factoring in the cost of living, and so on. We will work with the social...