Results 16,581-16,600 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: There has been an issue around commodities globally and there has been an increase in costs in respect of building materials and fuel costs. Some of this is the recovering of declines, particularly in energy and fuel costs, where there would have been declines throughout 2020 on the 2019 prices, and some of that recovery is feeding into significant increases in prices now. However, there is...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy knows, we pursued this as part of the reopening of society. The gradual reopening of in-person driver theory test centres commenced from 8 June. The Road Safety Authority reopened test centres and introduced capacity to increase the number of tests from an average of 15,000 tests to 25,000 tests monthly to tackle the backlog and shorten waiting times. Capacity will gradually...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: Ar dtús báire, caithfidh mé a rá go bhfuilimid ag tabhairt lántacaíocht d'iascairí na tíre. Tá an Rialtas taobh thiar dóibh. Beidh mise ag déanamh gach iarracht chun na deacrachtaí agus na fadhbanna atá acu a réiteach. Cuirfear níos mó infheistíochta isteach san earnáil agus tabharfar cabhair do na...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: A no-deal Brexit would have been very difficult and the Brexit deal we have creates a capacity for us to try to seek to retrieve some of what has been lost.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Kelly is correct that the Minister for Finance announced this morning that the Government's intention is to sell part of the State's remaining 13.9% shareholding in Bank of Ireland over approximately the next six months through a trading plan. The State intervened more than a decade or so ago to rescue the Bank of Ireland. It protected the payments system, deposits, jobs and so on...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: It is investment.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: That report is deeply concerning in terms of the broader issue of domestic violence. The Department of Justice leads national policy and co-ordination of actions. Additional resources have been provided. We are fully committed to implementing the Istanbul Convention but also to providing additional resources to support the agencies and non-governmental organisations involved, and the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: -----domestic violence support services increased by more than 40% last year compared to 2019. That is deeply worrying. We are very conscious of the impact of Covid on this issue, and in particular the restrictions. During that period Tusla prioritised the delivery of front-line domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, DSGBV, services. Funding has been increased-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I know. We need to do more. We have increased funding.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I am not so sure international academic research backs that up. There is no compelling evidence that state-owned banks historically produced better outcomes or results for economies or societies. Invariably, state-owned banks in different locations around the world did not lend more or more cheaply than privately owned banks. No model is perfect, as we know from various crashes over the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: That is before disposing of these shares.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy Lowry for raising this pertinent issue. He makes a very fair point, one I am conscious of myself having been approached by a number of citizens who are working abroad in the Gulf region, in particular in countries such as the UAE. Of course, many of these people have been administered the Sinopharm vaccine and they are fully vaccinated. One of the challenges has been that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: The key motivating factors behind the decision to co-locate the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, with St. Vincent’s were safety, optimal healthcare and outcomes for women and babies plus the deteriorating conditions in the existing physical facility of Holles Street. Those were the key motivating factors in the decision, eventually announced in 2013 after ongoing...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for her contribution. I do not accept the argument the hospital group has put forward that the ownership of the site is essential for the safe, integrated system of care. One can deploy many mechanisms to ensure safe integrated systems of care between two hospitals. The ownership of the site is not critical to that. Given the hospital, in terms of the negotiations that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: As I said, the Minister is going to engage with the stakeholders involved-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: It is not just about the church anymore; it is about trusts that follow in the aftermath of what was once religious ownership. That is happening on a number of fronts. It is about the capacity of such trusts to be in a position to manage and govern major tertiary hospitals of this magnitude and complexity into the future. This is an important moment because it sends a signal to any future...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: Things are changing and moving in a certain direction-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: -----and the negotiations here must reflect that reality. The Minister will be engaging on this.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: Ar dtús, táim den tuairim go mbeidh an t-ospidéal seo neamhspleách ar an eaglais. Táim den tuairim sin ón méid atá léirithe sna conarthaí go dtí seo agus ón méid a pléadh idir an HSE agus na boird éagsúla. Ní bheidh aon tionchar ag an eaglais ar an ospidéal seo. I am strongly of the view that there...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: It has been agreed that there should be co-location because that offers better outcomes for mothers and babies, hence, that has created a context to this issue.