Results 16,281-16,300 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Conway-Walsh spoke on open access to college. She needs to think that through. I do not agree with it. It would create mayhem overnight. We do not have the capacity to do that, nor is it necessarily the right thing to do. We need to have a wide provision over time so people can access courses, modules and so on to take the urgency out of the leaving cert and to remove the idea...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: On Deputy Crowe's point, I am not sure whether the schools have applied to the Department, but he should engage with the Minister for Education. He has made a fair point on the broader issue in the town and the two schools needing expansion or a new plan for post-primary provision in Shannon. I will work with Deputy O'Sullivan. We have already opened two new special schools this year,...

Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions: Motion (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: I move: That, notwithstanding anything in the Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, setting out the rota in which Questions to members of the Government are to be asked, Questions for oral answer, following those next set down to the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, shall be set down to Ministers in the following temporary sequence: ...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 9, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on education oversees implementation of the programme for Government commitments in the area of education, including preparing for post-Covid education. The Cabinet committee last met on 13 May and discussed topics including special education policy in schools and increased demand for places at third...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: I accept the Deputy's point. There is without question an issue with work permits, visas and ensuring we have an adequate labour supply in the market right now. One dimension of it was discussed earlier in terms of upskilling and providing a range of skills, which is being done to an unprecedented degree. The other aspect we have to urgently review, and this is now under way in the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Christian Brothers should not be selling off those playing fields. They should be made available to the people, clubs and young people in the area. That is the proper thing to do. Do I have the legal power to enforce that? I do not believe I do. I will certainly follow this matter up with the Minister for Education to see what persuasion can be applied but in situations like that,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: I cannot. We do not run a dictatorship.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Government remains focused, calm, flexible and in solution mode on the protocol and on the relationship between the EU and UK. There must be political will on all sides. There cannot be unilateralism, which is the opposite perspective to that of the Good Friday Agreement. Unilateralism is the opposite type of impulse than that represented by the Good Friday Agreement. My sense, until...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: Bank of Ireland is a private institution and it makes its own decisions. The Government has decided to focus its work through An Post and through other initiatives such as the remote working hubs and enterprise centres, plus the Housing for All and Town Centre First strategies. We are using our mechanisms on a number of fronts to revitalise towns and to get investment back into towns. When...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: This issue is not acceptable but it will need change. That is being pursued on a number of fronts, not just in the context of the case the Deputy has identified but it has wider implications for other cases as well and that has to be corrected.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: The NDP is fundamentally about the allocation of capital funding, which dovetails and aligns with current policies and programmes that individual Departments and the Government collectively have identified and prioritised. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, in particular, has identified the requirements for childcare into the future in terms of the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: Last year about 7,000 people were waiting and that has been reduced to 1,300 now.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: One of the issues facing the sector is getting enough skilled workers into the home care sector. That is our biggest challenge now. More than €5 million was allocated last year which has had a dramatic impact on reducing the waiting times and also had an impact on the flow through hospitals. The issue will be getting personnel to work in the sector.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: Obviously, it is the Government's intention to get the legislation passed through the House and that will affect the timeline for the subsequent election to take place. It really depends on getting the legislation through.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: I cannot give that right now.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is working on the ratification process. In the meantime, we are allocating substantial resources across the board in respect of children with special needs, both in education and in the healthcare area. More critically, we must work on facilitating people with disabilities to work in the workplace as well-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: -----which is an important point. We are not doing enough either in the public service or more generally to facilitate people with disabilities to work.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: As I have said, the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, will work on that. If the Deputy wants my honest perspective on things, one can ratify conventions, but we need the system and we need people to work and deliver. That is the most pressing issue for me right now.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thought the Deputy was against wealth taxes given that he votes against most of the taxes on wealth when they are introduced in the House. However, to be serious for a moment, the Ministers, Deputies Michael McGrath and Donohoe, are working on the recognition of front-line healthcare workers-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

Micheál Martin: -----and will come back to the Cabinet in respect of that issue, and then will bring it before the House.