Results 15,781-15,800 of 50,294 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. It is of concern that the rate of violent crime and crime with weapons has increased, especially knife crime. The Minister for Justice is conscious of this. The Garda Commissioner is developing a strong community garda initiative. There are strong penalties upon conviction for possessing a knife in a public place without good reason or lawful...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: There have been challenges for specific amenities of this kind in terms of getting insurance, which is unacceptable. Insurance companies are pulling back from the market at an increasing rate. While I do not know the exact specifics, I take very seriously what the Deputy is saying. I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, to engage with the company.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: Táim buíoch den Teachta as ucht na ceiste. Aontaím go bhfuil sé tábhachtach go mbeidh seirbhísí faoisimh ar ais agus ar fáil do dhaoine, sna cásanna ina bhfuil géarghá ann ó thaobh na seirbhísí sin. I am satisfied to engage with the Minister in respect not just of Galway but of the entire country in terms of the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I agree with the Deputy. We need to move in terms of our towns first policy and in terms of rural development, and also, in my view, where we can, to incentivise people to reinvest or invest in buildings that are dilapidated or vacant, both for residential and entrepreneurial activities. It is something the Government is committed to. The key issue is to co-ordinate departmental work on...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I will engage with the Minister for Finance in this regard and perhaps the Deputy could bring some details to him. The rates seem punitive. I will certainly engage with the Minister for Finance on that point.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: There has been an issue around commodities globally and there has been an increase in costs in respect of building materials and fuel costs. Some of this is the recovering of declines, particularly in energy and fuel costs, where there would have been declines throughout 2020 on the 2019 prices, and some of that recovery is feeding into significant increases in prices now. However, there is...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy knows, we pursued this as part of the reopening of society. The gradual reopening of in-person driver theory test centres commenced from 8 June. The Road Safety Authority reopened test centres and introduced capacity to increase the number of tests from an average of 15,000 tests to 25,000 tests monthly to tackle the backlog and shorten waiting times. Capacity will gradually...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: Ar dtús báire, caithfidh mé a rá go bhfuilimid ag tabhairt lántacaíocht d'iascairí na tíre. Tá an Rialtas taobh thiar dóibh. Beidh mise ag déanamh gach iarracht chun na deacrachtaí agus na fadhbanna atá acu a réiteach. Cuirfear níos mó infheistíochta isteach san earnáil agus tabharfar cabhair do na...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: A no-deal Brexit would have been very difficult and the Brexit deal we have creates a capacity for us to try to seek to retrieve some of what has been lost.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Kelly is correct that the Minister for Finance announced this morning that the Government's intention is to sell part of the State's remaining 13.9% shareholding in Bank of Ireland over approximately the next six months through a trading plan. The State intervened more than a decade or so ago to rescue the Bank of Ireland. It protected the payments system, deposits, jobs and so on...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: It is investment.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: That report is deeply concerning in terms of the broader issue of domestic violence. The Department of Justice leads national policy and co-ordination of actions. Additional resources have been provided. We are fully committed to implementing the Istanbul Convention but also to providing additional resources to support the agencies and non-governmental organisations involved, and the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: -----domestic violence support services increased by more than 40% last year compared to 2019. That is deeply worrying. We are very conscious of the impact of Covid on this issue, and in particular the restrictions. During that period Tusla prioritised the delivery of front-line domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, DSGBV, services. Funding has been increased-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I know. We need to do more. We have increased funding.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I am not so sure international academic research backs that up. There is no compelling evidence that state-owned banks historically produced better outcomes or results for economies or societies. Invariably, state-owned banks in different locations around the world did not lend more or more cheaply than privately owned banks. No model is perfect, as we know from various crashes over the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: That is before disposing of these shares.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy Lowry for raising this pertinent issue. He makes a very fair point, one I am conscious of myself having been approached by a number of citizens who are working abroad in the Gulf region, in particular in countries such as the UAE. Of course, many of these people have been administered the Sinopharm vaccine and they are fully vaccinated. One of the challenges has been that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: The key motivating factors behind the decision to co-locate the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, with St. Vincent’s were safety, optimal healthcare and outcomes for women and babies plus the deteriorating conditions in the existing physical facility of Holles Street. Those were the key motivating factors in the decision, eventually announced in 2013 after ongoing...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for her contribution. I do not accept the argument the hospital group has put forward that the ownership of the site is essential for the safe, integrated system of care. One can deploy many mechanisms to ensure safe integrated systems of care between two hospitals. The ownership of the site is not critical to that. Given the hospital, in terms of the negotiations that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: As I said, the Minister is going to engage with the stakeholders involved-----