Results 14,221-14,240 of 50,297 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: I am answering the question. I am illustrating to the Deputy there are no magic wands. The Deputy should know that from his experience.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: No.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: Sinn Féin has been in government for the past decade in Northern Ireland. I have been in government for close to two years.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: I have been in government for a year and a half. We have identified the housing crisis as a key priority. We have to build more houses. All I see in Sinn Féin's policies is policies to win votes and not policies to provide solutions.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: What Sinn Féin is advocating would depress supply. We need more supply. We do not need measures that would depress supply. That is my view. Supply is key. The Minister has made efforts and has introduced legislation to deal with this. We have been hit with a current wave of inflation-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: No, come off it - in terms of what has happened-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: We are going to respond to that. The Minister has been responsive and nimble in that particular issue. On the social housing income thresholds, I have indicated they are under review. I have sympathy with the position of the Deputy on it and we will continue to bring the matter to a conclusion. Deputy Murphy raised the issue of retrofitting houses. We also need to get on with it....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: If we give councils the resources, they will do more of it. We need to get on with it because it will help with energy costs, better quality housing and so forth for tenants. I hope the case mentioned by Deputy O'Callaghan has been referred to the Garda, because it should. I take his point. Obviously over recent years, to be fair to everybody concerned, there was a need to ramp up...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: In my view, it is important that the Deputy be transparent in terms of his position in regard to public health and as a Member of this House.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: I just rhetorically put the point in response to the questions he asked, which I think are a distortion of what has transpired over the past while. Ireland's overall response to the pandemic has been, relatively speaking, much better than that of many others. We had an example of that yesterday with the presentation by Emer Cooke, director of the European Medicines Agency, EMA, in terms of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: We have to keep things in perspective as well in regard to all of this. The overall objective is to protect lives and public health. That is what we are all here for. Regarding Deputy Kelly's points, I made my comments in terms of the EWSS. In regard to gender-based and domestic violence and so on, the Ministers for Justice, Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and Children,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: We would end up coming back to a much higher rate of 23%. We would end up with 23% if the Deputy had his way. We cannot do that.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: We all have a duty to be a bit more straight with people in respect of this.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: On Deputy Paul Murphy's point, there are a range of protections that have been provided through successive legislation brought in by the Minister, who keeps the legislation under ongoing review in the context of the pandemic and will continue to do so. Deputy Boyd Barrett raised the situation of private security workers. Obviously, there is an industrial relations process that is under...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: Yes, but the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform obviously has a role as well. I will check that with the Minister of State. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked about accessing education and the well-being framework. In the engagement with stakeholders, equality of opportunity, equality of access and equity will be key elements of an eventual well-being framework that will be...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: That is problematic in terms of school developments and so on. I will talk to the Minister to see what we can do, particularly in terms of the ASD provision, which is urgent for the children involved.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 to 24, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on housing has met eight times to date in 2021 and will meet again next week on Monday, 6 December. The committee works to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the delivery of programme for Government commitments regarding housing and related matters. The focus of recent meetings has been on progressing...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: Where is this?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: How many?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: In response to Deputy Tóibín, I have never actually heard him support public health measures. Does he? Every time he comes in, he is always trying to undermine the fundamental public health messaging, which is fairly basic, straightforward and appropriate.