Results 15,221-15,240 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: I again put on the record of the House the Government's deep appreciation for all those in the emergency services who are doing so much across the country to protect life and limb, especially in the south west at the moment, in helping our communities to cope through Storm Barra. Our emergency services, ESB staff, council employees and community workers are all doing so at considerable...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: I have had a number of recent contacts with the President of the United States. I most recently spoke to him by phone on 14 November. I spoke to him in person in the margins of the World Leaders’ Summit at COP26, when he reaffirmed his full commitment to protecting the Good Friday Agreement, and I expressed my appreciation for the strong position he has taken in that regard. As part of...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: Energy usage in the Government Buildings complex, which includes the Department of the Taoiseach, is administered by the Houses of the Oireachtas. Energy usage in the Department is incurred for lighting, heating, air-conditioning, hot water, office and IT equipment. The amount expended by my Department on lighting and heating in the past five years is set out in tabular form as follows: ...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Properties (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: My Department will continue to comply with latest public health advice and the Work Safely Protocol in relation to attendance by staff in the workplace. Most staff are working from home unless it is necessary to attend the workplace in person. The Department is maintaining its regime of COVID measures in the workplace to ensure the safety of staff who continue to attend, including...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Protected Disclosures (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: My Department has received no protected disclosures from serving or former staff of the Department or the National Economic and Social Development Office, the only body under the aegis of my Department, during the period in question.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Social Enterprise Sector (7 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: There is no provision in my Department’s budget allocation for the promotion and support of the social enterprise sector in 2022.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Kelly was first into the fray in terms of the overall rent situation and the potential for multiple increases for those who did not increase rents over the past while. First, we should acknowledge there are landlords who did not increase rents. We will reflect on this, but the point is that we can incentivise increases very quickly by not accepting the bona fides of those who have...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: It is true.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: I am answering the question. I am illustrating to the Deputy there are no magic wands. The Deputy should know that from his experience.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: No.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: Sinn Féin has been in government for the past decade in Northern Ireland. I have been in government for close to two years.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: I have been in government for a year and a half. We have identified the housing crisis as a key priority. We have to build more houses. All I see in Sinn Féin's policies is policies to win votes and not policies to provide solutions.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: What Sinn Féin is advocating would depress supply. We need more supply. We do not need measures that would depress supply. That is my view. Supply is key. The Minister has made efforts and has introduced legislation to deal with this. We have been hit with a current wave of inflation-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: No, come off it - in terms of what has happened-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: We are going to respond to that. The Minister has been responsive and nimble in that particular issue. On the social housing income thresholds, I have indicated they are under review. I have sympathy with the position of the Deputy on it and we will continue to bring the matter to a conclusion. Deputy Murphy raised the issue of retrofitting houses. We also need to get on with it....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: If we give councils the resources, they will do more of it. We need to get on with it because it will help with energy costs, better quality housing and so forth for tenants. I hope the case mentioned by Deputy O'Callaghan has been referred to the Garda, because it should. I take his point. Obviously over recent years, to be fair to everybody concerned, there was a need to ramp up...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: In my view, it is important that the Deputy be transparent in terms of his position in regard to public health and as a Member of this House.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: I just rhetorically put the point in response to the questions he asked, which I think are a distortion of what has transpired over the past while. Ireland's overall response to the pandemic has been, relatively speaking, much better than that of many others. We had an example of that yesterday with the presentation by Emer Cooke, director of the European Medicines Agency, EMA, in terms of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: We have to keep things in perspective as well in regard to all of this. The overall objective is to protect lives and public health. That is what we are all here for. Regarding Deputy Kelly's points, I made my comments in terms of the EWSS. In regard to gender-based and domestic violence and so on, the Ministers for Justice, Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and Children,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Micheál Martin: We would end up coming back to a much higher rate of 23%. We would end up with 23% if the Deputy had his way. We cannot do that.