Results 1,321-1,340 of 49,960 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (12 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I did not call Deputy McDonald-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (12 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I did say, más féidir liom-----

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (12 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: Section 2 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1974 explicitly provides that the Director of Public Prosecutions shall be independent in the performance of their functions. One of the ways effect is given to this independence is that funding for the Director’s Office is provided through a separate Vote: Vote 5 – Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. While I have a role...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (12 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland’s Future, recognises the importance of Cabinet Committees to the policy development and oversight work of Government. It commits to the establishment of a reformed structure of Cabinet Committees within 30 days of the coming into office of the new Government and dedicated work is underway in that regard. The Cabinet Committee on...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Climate Action Plan (12 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: Circular 01/2020 requires all Government Departments, Offices and Agencies to record, monitor and value the emissions associated with official air travel. The procedures to be followed in calculating the offsets, for both commercial and Ministerial Air Transport travel, are set out in the Circular. The below table details the annual payment made by the Department of the Taoiseach to the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: National Asset Management Agency (12 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The NAMA Commission of Investigation was established in June 2017 following consultations with Oireachtas parties to investigate the sale by NAMA of its Northern Ireland portfolio, known as Project Eagle. On 4 October 2024, the Commission submitted its substantive report on the Project Eagle transaction to the former Taoiseach. The substantive report has been referred to the Attorney...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Artificial Intelligence (11 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The National Cyber Security Centre and the Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform have published guidance on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the public service which has been made available to all staff in the Department of the Taoiseach. While staff have attended conferences/webinars to explore and better understand the potential for and impact of AI, the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Contracts (11 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: Neither the Department of the Taoiseach nor the National Economic and Social Development Office - the only body under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach - enlisted the services of consultants in 2023 or 2024.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Covid-19 Pandemic (11 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The COVID-19 Evaluation, led by Professor Anne Scott, is completely independent in its functions so I am limited in what I can say in response to the Deputy's question. I can confirm that the work of the Evaluation is guided by its publicly available Terms of Reference- www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/311344/0d5cbf2c-3 8e3-4931-befb-93ed3925cf1b.pdf; that the Evaluation is in its...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Legislative Process (11 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: No legislation has been brought forward by the Department of the Taoiseach in the period specified.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Legislative Process (11 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 to 53, inclusive together. Article 25 of the Constitution provides that every Bill passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas, other than a Bill proposing to amend the Constitution, shall be submitted by the Taoiseach to the President for his signature and that the President shall sign such Bills no earlier than the fifth and no later than the seventh day...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Public Sector Pay (11 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The salary scale that applies to the post of Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach and Secretary General to the Government (a single post) is Secretary General Level 1 as per Circular 14/2024. The only changes that have been made to that scale in the past year (and that may be made in the coming period) are in line with the Public Service Agreement 2024-2026.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (11 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The expenditure incurred by the Department of the Taoiseach in relation to IT external service provision for 2023 and 2024 is set out in tabular form below. There has been no expenditure on IT external service provision to date in 2025. Company 2023 2024 Apogee €62,629 €65,012 Critical Data Services ...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Ministerial Responsibilities (11 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Government has appointed Ministers of State at the Department of the Taoiseach as follows: 1)Government Chief Whip and Minister of State attending cabinet with responsibility for Mental Health. The Minister of State receives delegated functions in respect of the Statistics Act 1993 (No. 21 of 1993) and the Civil Service Regulation Acts 1956 to 2005 and the Public Service Management...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising a very important question. I am familiar with the case, and I have read about it. It is extremely traumatic for the family of Joe Drennan to have such a situation unfold. I will talk to the Minister for Justice about it. Obviously, I do not want to comment on cases that might still be live in the sense of a potential appeal, but there are issues in terms of...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Government acknowledges the significant issue in terms of recruitment of GPs. That is why in the last 12 months decisions were taken to dramatically increase the numbers of doctors in training and people doing medicine in our third level colleges. I stand to be corrected but I think I read a figure whereby for every GP retiring, we have two in training. That is subject to correction,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: First of all, I congratulate Deputy Timmins on his election for the first time to Dáil Éireann. The programme for Government is clear in its commitment to roads. Obviously, the updated national development plan will be an opportunity to try to identify our priorities. We understand that with the growth of population in Wicklow and so forth there are huge needs, particularly on...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I agree with the Deputy. I believe the NTA has a huge agenda. There needs to be stronger engagement with both the Government and the Oireachtas, and maybe much more time could be saved, including in the development of BusConnects, for example. As I have said repeatedly, the scenario seems to involve publishing the worst possible plan, which ignites the greatest degree of opposition from...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I agree that the tenant in situ scheme is very important in preventing homelessness. It also helps to prevent child poverty. There is a significant crossover. If families end up in homelessness, their risk of poverty increases dramatically. That is an area on which I am particularly focused as Taoiseach. We hope we will have the figures available within the coming weeks.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy Smith for his commentary. One of the most immediate tasks is to ensure we have proper corridors wherever the transmission lines are. West Roscommon and Leitrim have huge issues with forests falling, or whole lines of Sitka spruce falling like dominoes onto the line. That can no longer be tolerated. We have asked the Ministers responsible – there has to be...