Results 15,401-15,420 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Legal Cases (30 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: The European Court of Human Rights judgment in the case to which the Deputy refers was delivered on 18 November 2021. The Court declared the application to be inadmissible. No external law firm or counsel was retained by the State. The overall cost to the State is not yet assessed but is likely to be modest. The question of the applicants’ costs is a matter for the applicants to...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Freedom of Information (30 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: My Department is committed to providing a professional and consistent service in relation to the processing of all requests received under the Freedom of Information Act. The procedures for dealing with FOI requests used by my Department meet the legislative requirements contained in the Act and are in line with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's Code of Practice. My...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: First, I will revert to my officials on the issues raised by Deputy McDonald in respect of a specific school and the point she made that services have not returned. My overall commentary is that the progressing disability services policy or programme was developed nearly a decade ago. I was not in government at the time and I remember having concerns from the Opposition benches and speaking...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I just think work came back. We know from the returns in revenue that the economy has picked up very significantly throughout the summer. Thousands of people got back to work, which is a good thing. It is where people want to be. The changes we have made in the past week, in essence, bring the hours back to midnight. It is not ending any particular sector. Prior to this, intervention...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank all of the Deputies for the issues raised under this heading. Deputies Bacik and Boyd Barrett raised the issue of private healthcare. In an emergency and in a pandemic, it makes sense to use all capacity that is available within the country. In regard to the first deal, I was not in government then but, to be fair to everybody, it was entered into in the uncertainty of the first...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I did. The Department is working up proposals. I do not have a specific date. Deputy Boyd Barrett raised the issue of the private hospitals, which I have dealt with. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked about the well-being framework. The Department of the Taoiseach is overseeing the development of a well-being framework. It is along the lines of the late Bobby Kennedy's approach that...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 to 14, inclusive, together. Since 27 June 2020, ten new Cabinet committees have been established with specific responsibility for a range of issues to advance the Government's programme. Through the work of the committees, supported by my Department, a range of policy work has been advanced since June 2020, including management of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Climate Change Negotiations (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Bacik raised the issue of the publication of the more detailed action plans. In the course of her questions, she said she had been engaging with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications last evening. The Government has committed to publishing that detailed annex of actions, because it is important. I do not have a precise date here and now, but the Minister and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 11, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on health oversees implementation of programme for Government commitments on health, receives detailed reports on identified policy areas and considers the implementation of health reforms, including Sláintecare. The Cabinet committee last met on Monday, 8 November. It is intended that it will meet...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I responded yesterday to the issue raised by Deputy Farrell. We are confident of fulfilling the Government commitment to this, especially by providing more refuges, accommodation, supports and capacity. In respect of Deputy Ó Muineacháin's point, I understand a number of retained firefighters in Ballincollig have been successful in securing whole-time positions with Cork city...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Climate Change Negotiations (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. I participated in the world leaders' summit at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, COP26, in Glasgow on 1 and 2 November. At the action and solidarity round-table discussion for leaders on 1 November, I expressed Ireland's strong commitment to global action to deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement and...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: Fundamentally, as we have said there has been a significant increase in inflation across the world and it is driving pricing. Through taxation measures the Deputy opposed in the budget, we have made an effort to give some assistance to people, especially working people, in meeting costs. We did so also through social protection increases.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: That said, we are looking at other measures to get electricity bills down for households. We also want to build more houses because the best way for people to have affordable housing and reduced energy prices is for properly A-rated housing to be built, including public housing and so on.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: We need to allow that to happen. Every day we oppose big housing projects, we stop ordinary people-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: -----from getting access to housing-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: -----where they could live with a decent quality of life and with reduced costs. I have, of late, been in some of the local authority houses and approved social housing body houses that have been built-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: -----and from an energy point of view, they are working and costs are way down.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I will indeed. We have expanded neurological services. They need to be further expanded and I will work with the Minister for Health and the HSE to advance that.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: There are two points there. As I said yesterday and today, we are monitoring this very closely and working out how best we can help to reduce household bills for people in terms of electricity. We are conscious also of the huge pressures on hauliers that have arisen due the general global increase in pricing caused by the economic rebound resulting from the relaxation of Covid measures...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: We are very conscious of the pressures on University Hospital Limerick. Surge plans remain in place and are being activated as needed with the HSE's critical care major surge working group providing support to all hospitals. Very significant funding of €52 million was provided by the Government in budget 2021 to add an additional 66 beds in Limerick and the HSE has advised 42 of...