Results 14,441-14,460 of 50,297 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: Some 850 houses would be built there.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy has raised an important issue. Other Deputies have raised it in the context of the broad cost of insurance and the need to get it down across the board. The Deputy has specifically raised it in the context of the equine industry, particularly in terms of insurance for equestrian activities. As he pointed out, up to 14,000 jobs are created in the horse sport sector, predominantly...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Government is focused on a multifaceted approach, introducing different Acts and reform of PIAB. The personal injury guidelines that were recently introduced are already having a significant impact, as the Deputy and I said, but that has to filter down to the cost of insurance. The insurance companies have an obligation in that respect and they need to step up to the plate because the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: First, I would say that, yes, we have to support people and we are, right across the board, in terms of Covid-19 and in terms of very significant expansion of the PCR testing, for example, with 210,000 tests in the last week.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: It is all part of it. There is no silver bullet, and that is the point I am making.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: There tends to be every week, and that is the point I would make. As I said, there has been a significant expansion of the use of antigen tests, given out freely by the Government. At the end of Friday, 19 November, for example, about 61,000 fully vaccinated asymptomatic close contacts were registered for the delivery of free antigen kits, 100,000 were used by the Department of Agriculture,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: There is a scheme being developed but we have to get best value as well for the public purse. It is important that we just do not dive into it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: That will happen and we will bring the details to the Deputy. It is our intention to do that, we have indicated that and we will do that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I would again say, standing back from this, that the fundamental variables that will really change this are actually reducing socialisation, which people are doing, and the booster campaign, which is going to have an impact in terms of the prevalence and continuation of the disease. That is the key approach to this, in my view.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I believe the income thresholds in terms of eligibility for social housing should be increased. As part of Housing for All, that is being examined, along with other issues pertaining to social housing as well, because the Government has a very large social housing programme under its remit. We want to build record numbers of social houses through the approved housing bodies and direct...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I have no interest in that kind of carry-on - none - because this gets produced or this gets produced. The bottom line is that I want to get people housed. That is all I am interested in. I have said to the Deputy that I believe it should be increased. I do not think the Department is either, to be honest with the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: What we are interested in is getting houses built. Some 1,200 new tenancies for homeless people have happened already in terms of the Housing First strategy. These are people who had a history of rough sleeping and who needed additional supports. The Minister, to be fair to him, has kept a weekly oversight of the homeless strategy. Real progress is being made in regard to it and we will...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: We all have a duty in here to be honest with people and not to put forward ideas or proposals that do not have any credibility attached to them and cannot be done.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: That is more of the politics-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: Yes, we have been engaged on the matter.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: We have had a discussion across Europe. I want to make the point – if I could do so without interruption, as is a consistent habit of the Deputy opposite-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I want to make the point that we understand fully the pressures on households. The carbon tax does not apply to electricity bills. That is a separate issue. We are monitoring the situation in terms of household pressures. We did increase the fuel allowance. We did provide taxation measures in the budget to try to help people cope with the costs. The costs are global and are driven by...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: -----in terms of the response to Covid. We are going to see what we can do.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: Our main focus is not to try to come up with false ideas that would never carry, but rather to ask how we can get household bills down in the short term. That is where the Government's focus is. That is why we have used receipts from carbon tax to significantly increase the fuel allowance and increase the numbers of people who will be eligible for the fuel allowance, all to protect people...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: That is what we intend to do.