Results 14,921-14,940 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 15 together. The Government co-ordination committee last met on Monday and it is scheduled to meet again next Monday, 24 January. The committee reviews the activity of Cabinet committees and the agenda for the week's Government meeting, discusses political priorities and reviews implementation of a specified element of the programme for...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputies for raising the various issues. In the first instance, the Minister for Defence, Deputy Coveney, has been dealing and having engagements with the Women of Honour representative group. As Deputy Clarke said, I understand there will be further engagement shortly. Regarding the issues the Deputy raised, it would seem that on the face of the evidence and what has been put...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank all the Deputies for raising those issues. Deputy Richmond raised the issue of the North-South Ministerial Council. I agree with him. He also spoke about the need for co-ordination of the vaccination programme and around the whole Covid issue. I wish to make clear that such co-ordination is continuing between our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Tony Holohan, and his counterpart in the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Offices (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will follow that up and come back to the Deputy. On Deputy Paul Murphy's point, the Garda initiates its own investigations. Politicians do not tell it to do so, nor should they. The Government certainly should not be involved in how the law works. We do not engage in the operational activities of the Garda. Increasingly, we hear clarion calls that the Garda should do this and arrest...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Offices (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I know people can report, but then it is a matter for the Garda to decide.Eighteen months on, people are telling the Garda what it should do.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Offices (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I just think that is an issue. On the issue raised by Deputy Paul Murphy, as I said, the people involved have said what they did was wrong, and it was wrong. It should not have happened and was clearly in breach of guidelines. There is no question about that.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Offices (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I know but the people have put their hands up-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Offices (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----and apologised for what was an impromptu gathering, it seems to me. They were there in anticipation of a second vote in the Security Council. Ireland won on the first count. The previous Government had been campaigning for a seat on the Security Council and apparently on the first count Ireland was elected. The anticipation was there would be a lot of work required for the second...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Offices (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: -----in terms of giving greater choice to the students. That happened last August. A change has been made in the timing of the oral examinations and practicals to preserve another week for the schools. There is a meeting tomorrow between the stakeholders and there will be further engagement with the Minister and partners in education. The Deputy suggested there should not be competition...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Offices (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Cian Ó Callaghan spoke on the lack of places. I dealt with that earlier and agree with him. We need to provide more places and a better system to do it.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 13, inclusive, together. I briefly spoke by phone on Thursday, 2 December with the First Minister, Paul Givan, to discuss the evolving Covid situation North and South and the additional measures we had announced in light of the emergence of the Omicron variant. We agreed on the importance of ongoing North-South co-operation and communication in this...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Offices (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will address the last point. In situations like this, perhaps it might be better if the Deputy spoke to the Minister directly.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Offices (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy will then know that what he said regarding the Minister not being directly involved in this matter was not true.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Offices (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I do not want to have a row about this because it is an important matter and very serious issues are at stake, not least the capacity to get Richard O'Halloran back home to Ireland, which is my objective and that of the Minister and the Government. There has been state-to-state engagement on this at all levels. People at all levels of this State have communicated with their counterparts at...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: We have put a tax on wealth here but Sinn Féin has opposed it. Sinn Féin has opposed the property tax.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy raises a very reasonable point. He has outlined those who are benefitting. My understanding is that, subject to further clarification, if contracted by the HSE they will be entitled to that payment of €1,000 as well.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. It was raised earlier as well but Deputy Griffin has had a consistent interest in this. It is the intention of the Government to introduce a vacant property tax next year. The Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Act 2021 introduced by the Minister for Finance has enabled Revenue to collect certain information on vacant properties in the local...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I spoke earlier with Deputy Murnane O'Connor and indeed I referenced the Deputy in terms of her campaign for a refuge centre in Carlow. With the Ministers involved, we will work on that to follow it through. On the LPT, my understanding is that local authorities would be able to retain the surplus but I can get further clarification for Deputy Hourigan on that. On Deputy Sherlock's...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Offices (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive, together. The parliamentary liaison unit in my Department assists the Government in its relationship with the Oireachtas. It works with the Office of the Government Chief Whip on issues that arise at the Business Committee and the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform, including Dáil reform proposals and amendments to...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Jan 2022)

Micheál Martin: I will engage with the Minister for Justice on this. I am aware that there were issues around those raised by the Deputy but it is not for any want of effort by the Department of Justice. I will take the matter up with the Minister and the Department.