Results 141-160 of 49,824 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (2 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Cabinet Committee on Water Quality has been established in accordance with the commitment in the Programme for Government with a mandate to coordinate water quality improvements across all sectors. The membership comprises the Taoiseach; Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence; Minister for Finance; Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform;...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Meetings (2 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: Minutes of the meetings of the Department of the Taoiseach's Management Advisory Committee (MAC) are published on a quarterly basis and are available to view on www.gov.ie. Given the nature of the work of the Department of the Taoiseach, members of the MAC engage with me, the Tánaiste, the Ministers of State assigned to the Department of the Taoiseach, and other members of Government...

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: -----has been seen here every day.

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: Day after day, it has become harder to be heard if Sinn Féin wants to have a go. The strategy has been implemented by means of the rigid discipline and control of elected representatives which is unique to Sinn Féin. We saw this last week when Deputy Carthy left his usual place to sit near the back and co-ordinate disruptions with Deputy Doherty, who led proceedings at the front.

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: Having collapsed the business of this democratically elected Parliament, Sinn Féin then did what it always does; it played the victim and blamed others for the scenes it had planned and orchestrated. Having broken every rule governing behaviour in the Dáil and making it impossible to hear anything, the party is not only disputing the Ceann Comhairle's ruling, it also disputing the...

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: It should also acknowledge that the simple fact is that the majority of those in this Parliament supported the motion before the House, while the Opposition ignored every basic rule and democratic principle in trying to block it. It is important that everyone understands that this new aggression has been extended to other areas. Until the start of this Dáil, the tradition had been...

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: If we continue to see this extreme escalation in the rhetoric deployed in debating every issue, the change to our political culture will be permanent and deeply destructive. It is extremely sad that two parties which claimed to the electorate that they are centre left have been full participants in Sinn Féin's cynical strategy of escalating rhetoric and disruption. They cannot even...

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: Over the past few months, I have talked with many other European leaders about the growth of extreme politics, and the impact it is having on their parliaments. The disruptions we have seen here-----

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: -----and the attack on the Ceann Comhairle are very much part of a pattern where extreme parties have sought to undermine public faith in the idea that anything can be achieved. The one consistent message from every country is to stand firmly against this behaviour. If it is accepted as normal, it will be destructive of parliamentary democracy. This Dáil is still in its relatively...

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: We do not have the time to waste on this effort to remove the Ceann Comhairle because she would not bow down before an Opposition which demands that the minority have the right to veto our business. This attempt at what I would say is a strategy of aggression and disruption will fail. Those of us on this side are willing to make this Dáil work. There has to be a will on all sides to...

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Government is up for doing that and will work day and night to make it happen. We will then be able to get on with doing the people's business.

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Security (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: They do not have to protest at all. We had protests a year or two ago that were quite violent.

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Security (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I am not saying the Mothers Against Genocide protesters were doing that; they were not. However, everybody in this House railed against the Garda for not having operational procedures to ensure access to, and egress from, Leinster House.

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Security (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I did not interrupt the Deputies. Protestors do not have to block the gates of Leinster House.

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Security (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: What happened then was the Garda gave a direction under the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act. That is what the Garda formally did. There was no physical engagement; gardaí just gave a direction. I am informed that the individuals were given a period of time to adhere to the direction. That direction was not complied with and 11 people were then arrested for offences contrary to...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Security (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: It is a horrible assertion. It is a demonstrably false assertion and a misreading that is absolutely wrong. It should not be made.

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Security (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: Deputies complain from time to time about assertions made about them and others. That assertion is very fundamentally wrong. It speaks to a kind of philosophy and mindset that is about how they can blame the Government or Irish parliamentarians for what is going on in Gaza and not the Israeli Government.

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Security (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: Those Deputies' approach always seems to be, "Let us blame the Irish Government", rather than putting the blame where the fault lies. They are attempting to drive a wedge between the Irish people and the Irish public representatives who are not of their persuasion.

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I move: That Dáil Éireann has confidence in the Ceann Comhairle, Verona Murphy T.D. As we begin this debate, I hope members of the Opposition will allow others to be heard and will not engage in the systematic barracking we have seen in recent months. This is an extremely serious debate that goes to the heart of a range of fundamental issues about how this democratic...

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: Over the past 106 years, the Standing Orders and structures of daily business of Dáil Éireann have changed regularly and often quite radically. There has never been a requirement for all parties to agree a change before it can be implemented. There has never before been a debate as long and as disruptive as there has been on these changes - changes that will mean the Irish...