Results 13,421-13,440 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy made a very fair point - and has made it consistently - in respect of the school transport scheme. As the Minister for Education has indicated, she is undertaking a review of school transport. In my view, going back to the issue of climate change, if we want to get people out of cars, it makes sense that we would broaden the remit of the school transport scheme to facilitate...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will revert to the Deputy after talking to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage about this. The progress of legislation is important and is a welcome first step, but we certainly need strong regulation to ensure the quality of building materials and of building are what they are meant to be, that people get value for money in respect of what has been constructed and that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: I do not.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: I must point out to the Deputy that prior to the formation of this Government, the Oireachtas committee of all parties was in favour by a vast majority, first of all, of taking very strong measures in relation to climate change. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae is in a very small minority-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----of people who believe that climate change is not happening.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: He is also in a very small minority in this House who believe we should do nothing about it and just let China or the United States do it, and that we should paddle on. I do not agree with him.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: We are not playing our part right now. We are not doing enough in terms of climate change. We are behind. Carbon emissions are increasing.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: The challenges we face between now and 2030 are significant. I am trying to be honest here. Let us not pretend that we are doing something extra or better than others.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: We have to step up to the plate. We did not do enough in the past-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----in respect of climate change. There are win-wins here. The Central Bank of Ireland said there will be 88,000 extra jobs. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae talks about closing the country; a doomsday scenario. For God's sake, during the pandemic, we took measures-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----that rescued this economy and put it on the pathway to a dramatic recovery.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: We want to do the same now in the context of this war-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----in order to respond intelligently and sensibly to enable us to protect jobs and the economy, but, above all, to protect the quality of life of younger generations yet to come.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Minister, Deputy McConalogue, has been very active in engaging with the fishing industry in respect of all these issues and in ensuring a pathway to a more structured relationship with the European Commission into the future than we have had in the past, which has caused many of these difficulties. The Minister is very aware of these issues and is engaging with all concerned to bring...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: We are doing everything we possibly can to make sure that the sanctions have effect and that assets that are meant to be are frozen. That is happening in terms of the sanctions we have already introduced. President Zelenskyy was very clear in stating that more needing to be done, certainly in the context of sanctions. The big debate has been on oil, gas and coal. We in Ireland have been...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: In the first instance, I will say that the most immediate focus with regard to this matter at the DAA has been on reducing the inconvenience caused by long queueing for the public at large. The DAA has recruited more than 100 staff and is actively recruiting more. It is responsible for staffing and recruitment and for the terms and conditions of employment of staff. The Minister of State,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: I appreciate where the Deputy is coming from, but I make the point that, as I said, the hotels, the guest houses and all those facilities are essential. You cannot put hundreds or thousands of people into accommodation without resourcing that. We are very appreciative of the voluntary pledges that came in. More work is needed in the first instance to go through those pledges as quickly as...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: We saw that in Belarus last year when it put pressure on Lithuania, Poland and other countries-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. We need balance and perspective in the debate. I fully accept that the cost-of-living increases are having a significant impact on people. These are caused by a war and caused by a pandemic. Without question, the pandemic and the war have caused extraordinary increase in energy prices globally. This is happening now all over the world, not...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----in wind energy, for example, and in other issues such as conservation and the preservation of bogs etc. I put it to the Deputy that we have to play our part as a country. The young people of this country want us to play a part.