Results 14,221-14,240 of 51,063 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: My understanding is the Minister is due to meet Deputies from the region.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: He has indicated he is looking forward to meeting Deputies from the area.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Yes, that is my understanding. I take the point about moving it on.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: There are limits to the NDP, even though it is a huge programme. My preference is to keep projects moving. Moreover, much land has been sterilised and people cannot use it because of routes being on the agenda.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Even if the routes could be narrowed and a selection process could be agreed, we would make at least that degree of progress and it would free up the situation for many people. The Minister understands that point and recognises the issue. His main concern is that the same progress is not being made in respect of public transport, because of the nature of the projects, planning processes and...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I understand that fully.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Yes, in my view, relative to other countries at this juncture, we did well, particularly in respect of mortality and severe illness. Similarly, ours was one of the most successful vaccination programmes globally. The booster campaign, too, was vital in dealing with the Omicron variant. I think we have placed sixth in the European Union in terms of lowest mortality rates. As for the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: We implement a security-by-design, defence in-depth approach to cybersecurity. We are very conscious of the need for ongoing engagement with experts, particularly in the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and the National Cyber Security Centre to ensure best practice operates as it relates to all aspects of cybersecurity and information security. In the Department of the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I do not believe the Deputy is speaking about any specific issue; I take it he is speaking more generally. Generally, due process and natural justice should always apply. The legal world is different from the political world in that there are different bars and thresholds. We have to take that on board also. The political world can be a very cruel world for people.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Yes.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Chairman.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Citizens' Assembly (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I welcome the comments made in respect of the biodiversity citizens’ assembly articulated by Deputies McDonald and Christopher O’Sullivan. I take the point that we need to do more in a review of the NPWS and indeed the agri-environmental scheme. We need to work on this as that is why the carbon tax is important to provide funding for that agri-environmental scheme. On the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Citizens' Assembly (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I answered that earlier. My own view on reconciliation on the island is that we need to engage at both political party and community level with different traditions coming together. I am not clear that a citizens’ assembly is the best model for dialogue and for the more consistent long-haul engagement that is required. This is the sort of long-haul engagement that was required that...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: The council, yes. It should have had more. Other local authorities are doing much better on the social housing front and in 2022 the target is 9,000 additional builds through approved social housing bodies and through the council. I am not clear whether the approved social housing bodies-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I am not clear whether the approved social housing bodies-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: We do not run too many councils these days. We have a healthy-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: We have the largest number of councillors across the country but, as the Deputy is aware, all councils are fragmented between different parties. It takes a collective-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: What I have known in many councils, though, is that a lot of parties to the left just keep opposing housing developments until the cows come home.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Paul Murphy raised the issue of retail and hospitality workers. Again, just on the minimum wage, ours is the second highest in Europe right now. Even if you take in purchasing power, we are the sixth highest within the European Union. I think we need balance. We are above the average European wage. Again, we support wage increases, particularly linked to productivity. We do not...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: That is an extraordinary recovery in our economy which one would not-----