Results 14,241-14,260 of 51,063 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Well it has been an extraordinary recovery. Employment is the best way out of low pay.

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

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 to 28, inclusive, together. As the House will be aware, the most recent Citizens' Assembly, on gender equality, concluded its work in June 2021. In the intervening period, circumstances pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic have meant that it has not been possible, until now, to arrange for the establishment and running of further assemblies. The recent...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: What is it?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: There was quite a range of questions. In response to Deputy Smith's question on MetroLink, as far as I am concerned, we need to get it going. It will happen. It could be subject to delays. If there are planning delays or judicial reviews, that will delay it, but some of those issues are beyond our control and people are entitled to exercise their rights, and so on. However, we should be...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: On Deputy McDonald's points on green hydrogen and offshore wind, the Government is of the view that offshore wind energy has enormous economic potential in this country. It could do an awful lot to redress the imbalance in economic development between the eastern and western seaboards. It will commence in a serious way off the east coast. Wind energy generation off the west and south-west...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----and that is what the plan we are publishing today will do. Today's Government decisions are significant. They represent a very significant ramping up of the retrofitting agenda. Deputy Devlin raised the issues of attic insulation and cavity walls, for which the grants are to be up to 80%. There will be a significant take-up. We will facilitate people to proceed on a phased basis....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: The key challenge for us, even in terms of the targets we have set, as alluded to by Deputy Duncan Smith and others, is on the skills front. That is why it is important that we map out how the carbon tax revenues will be used for the retrofitting programme. Approximately €5 billion in carbon tax revenue will be used for retrofitting over the next decade. That is what is enabling it...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is working on ramping up in respect of the skills requirements. We need to give the industry certainty and clarity regarding the roadmap and invest in-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan raised the issues of woodland and forestry. I accept the points he was making. I am uncomfortable with Coillte selling valuable woodlands of the kind in question given that, to me, Coillte, Bord na Móna and other State agencies must now be leaders in respect of climate change. To be fair to Coillte, it has done some fantastic work across the country.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: To be honest with the Deputy, we have an enormous challenge ahead of us to achieve what will be in those carbon budgets. We need everybody in the House to support this. We currently do not have the support, even in the House, to achieve the targets we have set.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 to 19, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on economic recovery and investment first met on 8 July 2020. It has met a total of 17 times, most recently on 13 December. The next meeting is scheduled for this Thursday. Membership of the committee comprises the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 10, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change last met on Wednesday, 8 December, and is next scheduled to meet on Monday, 21 February. This Cabinet committee oversees the implementation of the ambitious programme for Government commitments in relation to the environment and climate change. The key climate...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Again, the Government is looking at a range of measures in terms of dealing with the current inflationary cycle to see what we can do best to target particular people on low incomes who are clearly under pressure as a result of this price cycle increase.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: The public consultation is obviously on the strategy and that will impact on the refuges and places. In those counties that do not have any refuge centre or proper centre, work should proceed with the local authorities in those areas to see if we can do something in the interim.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: As I said to other Deputies, I am not going to go into specific measures but there will be a range of measures we are looking at, particularly for people who are on low incomes and people who are finding it very hard on a weekly basis right now, to try to help them in their current situation.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will talk to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage about that specific issue in Galway and I will come back to the Deputy.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: As I said earlier, my view would be that if the county council, for example Cavan County Council, and Tearmann services could combine and approach the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with a view to providing such a centre, these are the interim approaches we have to take while the strategy outlines the more medium term. I think we would be forthcoming in responding to...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: Again in terms of that report, it would have to feed into the budgetary process in terms of the next budget. Proposals will emanate from that and will fall due for consideration in terms of the Estimates for next year.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: As I said earlier, I am not going to go into the specifics. There is a number of measures under consideration by the Government in respect of this issue and we will be revealing those in the next couple of days.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2022)

Micheál Martin: These are operational matters for the Garda. I do not have the details of that specific issue here with me today, as the Deputy will appreciate.