Results 16,341-16,360 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: She has been a long-standing activist on public and social issues. I think the people of Dublin Bay South recognised that and reflected it in their affirmation of her role. I have no doubt from her previous parliamentary experience that the Deputy will add value to Dáil Éireann. I also pay tribute to her party for its success in the by-election. No doubt we will have the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Reviews (13 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Cabinet Handbook requires that Memorandums for the Government should indicate clearly the impacts of the proposal under a number of headings, including employment; gender equality; poverty or social exclusion; people with disabilities; and rural communities. In addition, when conducting a Regulatory Impact Analysis, the impact of the legislative proposal, including the costs and benefits...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (13 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: My diary for quarter 2 of 2021 has been published and is available on my Department's website.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Legal Cases (13 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Department has identified three legal cases which have been brought against my Department during the period in question. All three involve proceedings brought in relation to decisions made by my Department on foot of requests received under the Access to Information on the Environment Regulations. For completeness, the Department has sought confirmation from the Office of the Chief State...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Citizens' Assembly (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: I would be broadly in agreement with the Deputy's point that the world has changed and society has changed. It is not just the church and education and social services; it is also what happens post the church leaving certain sectors of society. I am particularly conscious of the disability sector and section 38 organisations more generally, capacity issues and relationships between the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: I agree with Deputy Boyd Barrett that what is going on in terms of the discrimination against Palestinians is unacceptable. There is no question about that. Ireland continues to call out Israel in respect of that.

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: We consistently seek to get an alternative approach.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Citizens' Assembly (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 18 together. The Citizens' Assembly on gender equality was established in January 2020 and submitted its final report to the Oireachtas on 2 June. The assembly agreed 45 priority recommendations covering a wide range of areas set out in its mandate. These include recommendations on politics and leadership, care giving and childcare, domestic,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: I take Deputy Brendan Smith's point on Russia. There was a good meeting and a good discussion including at a prior Council meeting for some time. The point has been made that the five principles that govern the EU's approach in the relationship include the full implementation of the Minsk agreements and strengthening relations with eastern partner countries, which was reiterated at the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: All I see, however, is sloganeering, having a cut and objecting to this, that and the other in the midst of a housing crisis.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: Take Shanganagh. Does Deputy Boyd Barrett not accept any bona fides? The Government has just approved the Shanganagh proposal, which involved social, affordable and cost rental housing. This year we will have the first major cost rental initiatives and scheme. I want to expand that so people can rent quite significantly below the market rate, enhancing affordability in the rental market...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: There were a lot of questions, though. I want to try to do justice to-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: May we have an extra five minutes?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: When I spoke in the Dáil I said - I still hold to this view - that a limited degree of leasing has some importance. That was the exact statement I made, which no one has quoted, for obvious reasons. In the long term it is not great value for money for us not to own the property at the end. That is my view. I have said that to the Minister. The Housing for All strategy will deal...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: Generally speaking, lots of projects have not been developed at all and at the moment show no signs of development.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: As for the entire environmental approach in respect of compact cities, for example, the agenda there would be to activate brownfield sites to create housing opportunities within cities. However, the costs are proving particularly difficult, and the constant refrain from the sector is that they are not viable from a cost perspective, yet from a public transport perspective and a services...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: I am just saying what people who are in the field building are saying. They say they cannot do it. I do not know whether they are right or wrong. They say they cannot and those sites have not been built on. That is the reality of brownfield sites. We have not had the development recently that we would have wanted. We will look at how we can get a town centre first approach in towns, but...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Deputies have to listen too to people who are out there in the field trying to get projects off the ground because all I hear is-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: Yes, people will build to make profit. We need a private sector as well.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: We will not get to 30,000 or 40,000 houses a year if we do not have a balance between State-driven social housing, State-supported affordable housing and private sector development.