Results 16,101-16,120 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: The whole aviation package is about the country. It not about individual airports but about facilitating travel and getting our capacity back up. The number of people travelling into Ireland is a fraction of what it was before the pandemic. The airports and airlines have sought a meaningful aviation package and Deputies from all sides of the House have asked us to do more for aviation. We...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: The survey by the Alliance for Insurance Reform was published this morning. I understand it shows that the average business insurance renewal price was over 15% despite the new personal injury guidelines. The work of the PIAB demonstrates that the cost of the awards has decreased significantly as a result of the guidelines introduced. The Government continues to have good engagements with...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: We accept that some businesses' premiums are going up. They should be going down in light of the PIAB report.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: I am sure that the Deputy will agree that the administration of vaccines has to be a clinical issue. We are not experts in this House. I know what we would like. I have concerns about the healthcare workers. I would like them to get boosters but I have to defer to the expert advice of NIAC. We have done this throughout various vaccination programmes before the pandemic. If you stand...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: If I understand it correctly, Deputy Tóibín wants a debate on Covid-19 and what he describes as "a disaster and a failure of government". That language is completely wrong and inappropriate. We were designated number one in the world for resilience in respect of Covid in the Bloomberg report. It is for it to determine that we are number one.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: That report was on our entire handling of Covid-19 and places to live during Covid in terms of the resilience of society. It had a whole range of factors, from the economy to vaccination. I know enough about a global pandemic to know that it can come back to bite at any time. We have noticed that different countries have different phases of the pandemic, which manifests itself differently....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: -----was virulently against - and in terms of masks and other issues where appropriate and practical. By the way, I do not have an issue with a debate. All Members agreed to the Order of Business and the schedule for the week.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: I know. The trajectory went kind of wrong over the last two weeks. As I said earlier, the timelines are not of the Government’s creation. Covid-19 does not respect our parliamentary schedule. That is the point and because it does not respect our parliamentary schedule, the Government is open to facilitating a debate, although not today. Thursday could be an opportunity if the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: ------through all the deliberations that we have been through. University Hospital Waterford is commencing the recruitment of the required staff right now for the second catheterisation lab in the coming months. That is a massive improvement. The Deputy knows the arrangement for intervention cardiology and diagnostic elective procedures between UHW and UPMC in Waterford and the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy is talking about and creating a narrative of partisan investment in different parts of the country. There is huge investment committed to, announced and allocated to Waterford in terms of the physical infrastructure of the North Quays, investment in the hospital and the new technological university, which will be very beneficial to the region.

Death of Sir Davis Amess MP: Expressions of Sympathy (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: On behalf of the Government, and particularly my colleagues Deputies Varadkar and Eamon Ryan who cannot be here and have asked me to speak on their behalf, I join with the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and all Members of the House in expressing our deepest sympathies at the untimely and tragic death of Sir David Amess. Sir David was so needlessly murdered while meeting with and serving his own...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: When I was a history student, the first thing I was told was that one should always endeavour to be objective in terms of one's historical narrative, to try to see all sides of the story and the equation and not to view things through the prism of one's own narrow perspective or partisan view of things. I recall that when I was the Minister for Education and Science, many of the institutes...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: We are going to dramatically expand cardiac provision as Deputy Shanahan knows. It is provided for and-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: We need to get the second cath lab built and staffed. That is how to progress it and get a 24-hour service. You have to progress it. The Deputy knows that at this stage-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: NAMA represents the taxpayer. It had a responsibility, with regard to the loans it took over, to yield a return for the taxpayer, whom this Oireachtas represents. As I said earlier, NAMA has offered housing stock to local authorities already. As I said, in the coming period, the utilisation of NAMA's activities in respect of further housing provision is something that is under ongoing...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: We are providing social housing.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: We are not doing it at €500,000. The State is going to build-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: The State is going to build social housing. We will provide 11,000 social homes in 2022. That is what we are going to do. We are going to do an average build of about 9,000 every year. In addition the State is going to build and help to facilitate the building of a whole range of affordable houses, and cost rental ones also.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: That instruction cannot be issued in the manner articulated by the Deputy and he knows that well. The legislation underpinning NAMA is very specific. That Act sets specific objectives and functions for NAMA, which are well established. NAMA has facilitated the construction of housing. There is an issue in terms of how, going forward, we interact with NAMA in regard to the provision of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Oct 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy has made a very true statement there, in that we cannot put all of the eggs in the vaccination basket alone. In fact, that is what the Chief Medical Officer, CMO, said to us last evening. He made that very point. Vaccination is a game changer, of course, but we need additional non-pharmaceutical protections to be in play as well to keep the virus at bay, particularly during the...