Results 15,641-15,660 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: To be fair to the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Butler, about 5 million extra additional home care hours were secured in last year's budget. The waiting times went down and the flow through the hospitals was significantly improved and enhanced. The issue now is to get workers. The funding is there-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: You fast-track and accelerate the work permits system, and you liberalise it.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: Health is included in respect of that and bringing people in to meet the-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I will check that again. Three priority areas are health, construction, and technology.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy knows, the commission on the future of the Defence Forces is currently meeting to consider the organisation of the Defence Forces into the future. I will revert to the Minister on the question asked by the Deputy. There have always been exceptions pertaining to Defence Forces personnel in a range of areas because of the nature of their work and service to the State. I will...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue in the House. I am not aware of the background to this case. I will raise it with the Minister for Defence in the first instance and endeavour to get the background to the case, and ensure that justice is applied and fair and due process is applied. The allegations the Deputy has made on behalf of the individual are serious. The situation merits...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and his officials have been involved in negotiations with those representing community employment supervisors. What was considered a breakthrough was arrived at in the matter, and it was a significant advance on anything achieved before in respect of that issue. I will revert to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and alert him to...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: We have received advice from NIAC, which has been the system from the outset in respect of recommendations on vaccination. The European Medicines Agency, EMA, is recommending the five to six-month interval and nothing lower than that. The EMA has recommended that anybody over 18 may get it. In addition to prior recommendations, NIAC has recommended a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine in...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I know that. The intervals of five or six months are as recommended so far.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I take the points raised by the Deputy. The hospital currently employs staff of approximately 1,280.6 whole-time equivalents, with more than 200 additional contracted services staff. A significant overseas nursing recruitment campaign is being actively progressed by the Saolta University Health Care Group with the intention of having significant additional nursing resources coming into the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy is correct in saying Brexit is the fundamental cause of many challenges and remains problematic in causing supply chain disruption, increased costs and charges if products come from third countries outside the European Union via Great Britain, for example. People may not be aware of those costs initially. I have no difficulty with the Deputy's points and perhaps the relevant...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I agree with the Deputy's comments on the length of time it is taking to get planning decisions and major infrastructural works done in the country. To that end there is a major review under way and over the next 12 months something that would ordinarily take three or four years will be done in one year. That will be led by the Attorney General and take in the entire planning code in order...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: We are both agreed that throughout the pandemic we wanted to keep the schools open, basically for the health and well-being of children. Children are healthiest and it is best for their self-development when they are in a school setting with their friends. The public health advice is that schools are safe for children. On the wider issue of substitution, there is a very good reason for...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: There are challenges, and I am not denying that for one moment.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: Earlier I outlined the programme for the boosters. NIAC advises the Chief Medical Officer, CMO, who in turn advises the Minister in respect of who is eligible for a booster. It is an age cohort plus those with underlying conditions and those who are immunosuppressed. As of yesterday, those aged 50 and older are now eligible.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I see the need for the greater availability of maternity leave and paternity leave for public representatives more generally. In fairness, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, adopted a pioneering approach to that and the Government managed to facilitate it. Recently the Minister, Deputy Harris, took paternity leave, which is the correct and proper thing to do. I have not yet seen the Deputy's Bill.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: We will give the Bill due consideration and will look at it in a constructive light. I would have thought that at local level there should be more flexibility to facilitate maternity leave for councillors.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: The decisions we will be announcing will not be very impactful on employment. Working from home, as a practice, has been demonstrated in earlier parts of the pandemic to be achievable with minimal impact on the economic performance and productivity. I acknowledge it will be challenging for some employers and SMEs in particular. I do not believe there will be reduced employment as a result...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: On 19 October, we discussed the cardiac programme in Waterford. I received information from the Department of Health and the HSE which I related to the Deputy on that occasion. The funding has been provided. The policy decisions have been taken. I will check on what the Deputy has said today and will come back to him on it. The policy decision has been taken in respect of the expansion...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Micheál Martin: I am just telling the Deputy what the case is. More than 4,500 people have been recruited this year alone and 6,000 in the previous year