Results 14,441-14,460 of 50,213 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: Sinn Féin has a different approach on a lot of issues North and South, but we do not have time to go into it here.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: Sinn Féin could have ended it a long time ago with Covid certificates, but it chose not to. Sinn Féin might have changed that last night after a long period. The point has been well made by Deputy Paul Murphy. I refer to Deputy Ó Murchú's point on the citizens' assembly. I have said that 1,000 people have already met in the shared dialogue, covering subjects from...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: That is why we need to be careful about presenting it as a cause célèbreand suggesting that it is the most important thing, because it is not. The most important thing is to get people engaged with each other. I have experience from many years as a public representative and I have learned a lot throughout that journey. I do not go into the sloganeering anymore. When I was...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: On the ESRI and National Economic and Social Council, NESC, reports, the research programme with the ESRI is focusing on aspects of health, education, enterprise and an all-island economy post Brexit, which NESC has worked on. Scoping papers for each research topic were published on 17 May. Final reports will be published in December and early 2022. They will be important reports....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: On the questions raised by Deputy Paul Murphy, we always provide consular support to Irish citizens in any sort of difficulty. I will check to see that the embassy will be represented in the courts tomorrow. Greece is a member of the European Union and we do not, ordinarily, interfere in the judicial process in countries but we will keep a very close eye on this. We support humanitarian...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: There was a discussion. Again, the bulk of discussion concerned whether there could be pan-European measures on pricing.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I launched the shared island dialogue series to foster inclusive, constructive civic dialogue on key issues for a shared future on the island underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. Over the past year, there have been seven dialogue events and two round-table discussions. I participated in the first dialogue event last November, hearing from young people on their perspectives for the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Risk Assessment (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: It should be clear who was there. Deputy Brendan Smith made a very fair point on the all-island approach to the pandemic. There should be an all-island approach. For example, it would have been far better if Covid certs were part of an all-island approach. The party opposite, Sinn Féin, opposed the Covid certs here and have opposed them in the North. A cross-Border approach to...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 7, inclusive, together. I attended a meeting of the European Council on 21 and 22 October in Brussels. The agenda covered Covid-19, energy prices, trade, external relations, migration and digital transformation. We also had a discussion on the rule of law in the European Union. We discussed Covid-19, with a particular focus on vaccination rates across...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Risk Assessment (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputies for raising those issues. In response to Deputy Paul Murphy, big tech companies meet Ministers regularly. They are responsible for thousands of jobs in the country, which should be acknowledged. I note the Deputy rarely acknowledges it in correspondence. That said, there must be meetings with such companies and they should be transparent. There is no issue, in my...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: In response to Deputy Browne, first of all the degree programme is vital. It has been the most transformative thing we did in terms of professionalising the EMT profession, and I was involved in it. The professionalisation of the sector is the most effective thing we have done in terms of pre-emergency care. As I said, I have heard what people have said in terms of individual examples...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Risk Assessment (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. The national risk assessment provides an opportunity to identify and discuss significant risks that may arise for Ireland. Since it was first published in 2014, it has provided an overview of strategic risks and has highlighted risks such as Brexit, housing and pandemics. The process is designed to ensure a broad-based and...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: The overall public health message is to reduce socialisation more generally in society and not in any specific way. We can all give instances when one is questioned about hundreds of different types of events and so on. The bottom line from the Chief Medical Officer, CMO, and NPHET is to reduce socialisation. Some hundreds of thousands of people under the modelling could get Covid-19 in...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: Yes, Deputy, and I was not able to pick up everything that he said. We want to get extra bed capacity into Limerick and I will engage with the HSE in respect of any blockages. It will have to be built or developed which will obviously take time.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I will talk to the HSE in respect of that because historically there has been an issue in Limerick. It got its new accident and emergency department but it needs-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I am answering the question. The hospital needs additional bed capacity. We are willing to provide it. Funding is there and we need to get on with it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: My view is that the entire senior management should be concerned about voids and vacant housing. Is that the issue? Fine, but it is much more than just having a vacant housing officer. The entire corporation and local council should be seized with the need to get houses back into service as quickly as they are vacated. That is why we provided substantial funding in the July stimulus. We...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: As the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, is in the House he will deal with this matter.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Carthy has omitted to point to the fact that this went the whole way to the highest court of the land, which took decisions which resulted in the situation that we are in now. Court decisions and litigation have led us to this unsatisfactory situation in respect of the importation of peat. I accept that it does not make any sense on any yardstick that peat should be imported. I have...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy is aware, we have expanded use of antigen testing. Close contacts are issued freely.