Results 13,581-13,600 of 51,015 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: On Deputy Sherlock's point, I do think that we can reach the 5 GW by 2030. The Government has been in office for about a year and a half or a bit more. In that time, the marine planning framework has been published. The Maritime Area Planning Act has been enacted. There have been very significant developments, particularly in respect of the development of wind energy to give certainty to...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: We have a very ambitious goal to have 80% of renewable electricity by 2020. That is Ireland's goal in the climate action plan. That depends on harnessing offshore wind in particular. It is at approximately 43% of electricity generated now. In that context, the development of a new regulatory consenting regime for the offshore renewable sector in Ireland, including the introduction of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will work with the Ministers involved in the extension of the nautical limit. The practice the Deputy identified of the dumping of so many fish at sea is shocking. Deputy Boyd Barrett spoke of the privatisation of our resources. I am not clear. Is he saying that the State should collect all the offshore wind itself? Is that what he is basically saying?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I do not think that the State has the capacity to do that.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: There is a lot of expertise out there. We have to have partnership between the State and the private sector. ScotWind has really moved quickly in harnessing wind energy off Scotland. We want to get to 5 GW before 2030-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----and we want to become a major exporting nation after that.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I know that. It is being worked on. There is a whole-of-government delivery system being created. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, is developing that.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: Well, I hope it does yield jobs and benefits, the biggest being to climate. I am not clear what the Deputy is proposing as an alternative. I have not heard that.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy got his chance. The same applies to natural gas, which costs 400p per therm today on international markets compared with 40p per therm last March. Gas prices have soared 220p per therm over the past week. We are going to face a very difficult situation. I gave the figures on wages, which have increased over the past while. In terms of the Government's response, we have...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: In respect of the situation in Aer Lingus, as I said earlier, the Government supported the workers in Aer Lingus through the employment wage subsidy schemeand supported the company, along with other companies in aviation. Many people in the House were calling for that and we did it. The workers should be treated fairly and, in my view, on a par with UK employees in the same overall company.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: We support the end of mandatory retirement. The Pensions Commission has reported on that and it will come back to Government.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 to 25, inclusive, together. I participated in the One Ocean Summit in Brest, France, on Friday, 11 February. Around 20 international leaders attended in person for Friday's high-level segment hosted by President Macron. This event was held in the context of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, with the support of the UN and in...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I said that this morning.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: In response to Deputy Tóibín, I have not seen the report. His question related to the economic division in my Department. Suffice to say that throughout the Covid period there was, unfortunately, a retrenchment in services. We have provided additional resources to the HSE in respect of the hiring of occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists. I...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I know. It was about TEN-T funding, but that is not the core funding. The core funding is in the national development plan in respect of roads and public transport. A sum of €165 billion is being provided over the next ten years for investment in infrastructure in the west. The Deputy referred to the development of renewable energy in particular. The western seaboard will receive...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: Yes, that has been included in the all-island rail strategy review that the shared island unit in my Department is helping to fund in order to identify the potential in that regard. There has been very significant investment in the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, programme by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, in respect of many...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Bodies (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputies for raising the issues. In respect of Deputy Boyd Barrett's question in terms of the Amnesty report, Amnesty International is a respected NGO. I value the role it has played and the role other civil society organisations have played in relation to the Palestinian question. The Department of Foreign Affairs is currently examining the Amnesty report in respect of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Bodies (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: We have raised this at European Union level and at United Nations level. Indeed, the Secretary General of the United Nations has commended Ireland - he said it to me personally-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Bodies (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----in terms of its consistency in raising the Palestinian question as a member of the UN Security Council.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Bodies (2 Mar 2022)

Micheál Martin: That remains the case. Other colleagues across Europe have different perspectives on Palestine - the Deputy knows that well. Some are for historic reasons and others have different perspectives.