Results 13,561-13,580 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I have spoken to HSE again recently. There is a significant crisis across the health service because of the impact of this variant. It is creating huge pressures on hospitals because they have to isolate more and more patients, 50% of whom do not come in because of Covid but transpire to have Covid when they are in hospital. That necessitates isolation and other procedures which makes it...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy. It is an important issue and I will raise with the DAA the assertions the Deputy has made about having to be available 40 hours to do 20 hours. There clearly should be a more worker-friendly approach than that. I will follow up.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: Le fada an lá, agus i rith na mblianta, táimid tar éis an-chuid tacaíochta a thabhairt d’Inis Mór agus do na hoileáin ar fud na tíre. Bheinn sásta déileáil le muintir an oileáin arís ó thaobh seirbhísí agus an méid atá ag teastáil. Beidh an Rialtas ag déanamh teagmhála leo.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I have been talking to the Minister about this. I want to make it very clear to the Deputy that we fully appreciate the very significant difficulties the pig industry is facing right now. These are normally enterprises that are viable and productive, they have done well and they create about 8,000 jobs in the economy. We want to do everything we possibly can to be of assistance during what...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for the specific nature of the question, which is on the button, as usual, in terms of the research the Deputy does on these issues. As he knows, due to the prevalence of the disease, the possibility of further variants emerging and an increase in the level of travel, the Government extended the scheme until 30 June. To date, a total of 484,941 people have received an...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: You are fairly adept yourselves at tactical manoeuvres, but we will not comment on that. I answered the question earlier when Deputy Cullinane raised it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: It is the same question; it is the same issue. We have accepted the High Court decision. We brought in the Act, actually, and we are very committed to implementing it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I would think the preferred solution is one that consists of building a dual carriageway or motorway along the existing N20. This is good news. We have an awful habit in this country of turning good news into bad news very fast, and into the next controversy. The routes have now been selected. I am open-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I know, but we also want to get the balance right and the perspective right.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: Yes, but the Deputy has already indicated to me the next row that is coming down.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: If the Deputy wants my honest view, it is this: let us get on with it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am happy to engage with the school in regard to the processing of this. I am well aware of the situation. We want to do this as quickly as we possibly can.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy has been consistently attacking the leaving cert system over the past number of months. As soon as one of the most radical reforms of the senior cycle programme is announced, he is back in with a different tack, attacking it. Which side is he on? The reforms announced by the Minister are student centred. They have followed the most comprehensive consultation on reform of the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I have no remit for them.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Government has stepped in. There has been a 141% increase in investment in early learning and care services between 2015 and 2021. There has been a corresponding increase in places which grew nationally by 60%. Thousands of additional new places have been funded in recent years. Between May and August of this year, there will be an additional €78 million investment in the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: Obviously, because there has been no amendment in the House. Yes.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I seem to recall that their Deputy and her group opposed the legislation.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I think the Deputy opposed the legislation on Covid measures that we had to take at the time when it was before the House.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: This is not the most virulent variant; it is the most transmissible variant.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: That it has less virulence than other variants means is causing less serious illness. That creates a new difficulty for us in that we cannot justify the economic restrictions we had for a virus that is not translating into very serious illness, mortality or admissions into hospitals and particularly intensive care units. I acknowledge it is causing considerable disruption across society,...