Results 16,541-16,560 of 50,297 for speaker:Micheál Martin

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

Micheál Martin: The draft NMPF was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 24 March 2021-----

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

Micheál Martin: -----and approved by Seanad Éireann on 19 April 2021. It is time for this House to get this country moving on a whole range of areas and stop trying to slow everything down and inject a paralysis into the affairs of the State-----

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

Micheál Martin: -----which is becoming a feature of what goes on here.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Apr 2021)

Micheál Martin: I will feed back the Deputy's comments to the Minister and Department. I think 60 is a significant increase. Funding for the NPWS doubled in the budget. This is an area in which I am interested. I want to support the Minister and Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, in respect of the NPWS to give it stronger capacity in future in terms of our wildlife, national parks and biodiversity. ...

Ministerial Responsibilities (28 Apr 2021)

Micheál Martin: I wish to notify the House that I have formally assigned responsibility for the Department of Justice to the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys. As I signalled to the House last month, this assignment arises in the context of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, taking a period of six months' maternity leave. She will, of course, remain a member of Government without...

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

Micheál Martin: On the taxi situation that has been raised, I have no intention of becoming involved in any operational decisions that have been made. The Government is very conscious of the difficult challenges that taxi drivers have faced as a result of the pandemic, and has provided a number of supports to taxi drivers. I accept that they may not consider them to be sufficient but we have provided them...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Apr 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Minister is doing everything he possibly can regarding the provision of housing. He does not interfere in county development plans to that degree and it is important that there are demarcation lines there in terms of-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Apr 2021)

Micheál Martin: -----the actual county development plans. There is a question that begs to be asked. A lot of land has been zoned over the years and a question must be asked about why that land is not being built on. I am not so sure it is all just about viability.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Apr 2021)

Micheál Martin: No, it is not.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Apr 2021)

Micheál Martin: It is not.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Apr 2021)

Micheál Martin: Lots of people have submitted planning applications. Why go through the expense of all that if you did not think it was viable from day one? I am not saying there are not issues with viability in respect of apartment buildings and density. We are prepared to examine all that. However, there are enormous amounts of zoning in the country and planning permission has been granted.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Apr 2021)

Micheál Martin: Many other people are building.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Apr 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this serious issue. Without question, the devastation in Killarney National Park over the weekend, which we all saw on our television screens, was absolutely devastating. It was heartbreaking to see such a beautiful area impacted so severely. It is estimated that about 2,500 ha, which is close to half of the terrestrial area of the habitat, have been...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Apr 2021)

Micheál Martin: Regarding the operational logistics the Deputy has raised in respect of various age cohorts, the HSE is working through that. It is clear, however, that we will have to get moving and get vaccinating with available vaccines as they come in. The HSE will operationalise the advice it has received. People are continuing to register and there has been good momentum with people registering...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Apr 2021)

Micheál Martin: We just do not have the number of vaccines to do that. We have to continue as programmed and that will continue to be the case. We have to get the vaccines out as quickly as we get them in. The HSE is examining the advice from NIAC and will come forward in the next number of days with its up-to-date plan on the operationalisation of some of that advice. Some of that is challenging, as the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Apr 2021)

Micheál Martin: One of the facts of the current situation with housing is the enormous amount of land that has been zoned and the number of planning permissions that have been granted but not acted on. There is no shortage of zoned land or projects that have received planning permission, but the projects have not started. There is a big issue there that needs to be dealt with from a housing provision...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Apr 2021)

Micheál Martin: To be fair, the Government has acted in an unprecedented way in intervening in the economy to support incomes, particularly through the pandemic unemployment payment. Some €7.3 billion has been paid out to date. We have made it very clear that there will be no cliff edge fall-off in the context of the supports. We stated, well in advance, that supports will continue until the end of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Apr 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising these important issues. Of course, it is extremely important to raise the vaccine question. Vaccines are a vital part of our overall strategy to keep the pressure on this virus and to protect people. First, to protect people's health and well-being and then to protect society and enable it to return to near-normal activities. The vaccines have been very...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Apr 2021)

Micheál Martin: The virus, Covid-19, has wreaked havoc and caused a lot of damage in many sectors of the economy, creating a lot of unemployment as a result. It is not the public health restrictions per sethat have done that, but the virus. The public health restrictions are there to protect people and society from the virus. That is the context. As a result of the virus and Covid-19, the Government has...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Investigations (28 Apr 2021)

Micheál Martin: Under the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004, I am the specified Minister for the IBRC Commission of Investigation, for which Judge Brian Cregan is the Sole Member, and the NAMA Commissions of Investigation, for which Judge John Cregan is the Sole Member. Both Commissions are fully independent in their investigations. From the date of its establishment in June 2015 to the end of March...