Results 16,621-16,640 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: We need to give credit to the health system. It stood up strongly to a difficult wave in the winter period. The investment in the winter initiative plan was key in enabling us to have a better flow through hospitals even before the wave came. November and December were better months than in previous years for flow through hospitals and the home care packages were key to that. The 5...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: This project has been ongoing for a number of years, from conception to the present state. It has been unsatisfactory in terms of the relationship between the contractor and development board. I am not in a position to give clarity around figures. The less bandying about of figures, the better, in relation to contracts and projects of this kind. That applies to everybody, including those...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: -----and others to be taken.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy Verona Murphy for raising this issue in respect of Rosslare. I hope I do have that common sense.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: Who could have as much common sense as the Deputy? In the context of Brexit, the importance of Rosslare Europort is very evident. It has given us capacity and flexibility in dealing with the Brexit situation. Another area in which there is potential relates to the development of port facilities to facilitate renewable wind energy generation offshore. We have now developed the maritime...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: That meeting is important because it can open the door and create a pathway for an application for significant funding, which would be backed by the State, from the CEF. The Department of Transport has been in touch with the European Commission seeking to negotiate changes to the criteria for this facility which would allow for EU funding for basic port infrastructure with a view to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: Arís, níl an fhírinne á insint ag an Teachta. Is léir sin agus aiféala atá i gceist aici. Deputy McDonald did not address the point I made. She is into sloganeering this morning because there is a by-election. She is into exploiting the housing issue for her own advancement and electoral advancement. On the ground, all she ever does is the same old Sinn...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: It is opposing to win votes locally and to court popularity. That is the same old Sinn Féin I have been watching for the last two years. It ruthlessly exploits the housing problem for electoral advancement and is pretty poor at coming up with substance or solutions to the housing problem. I asked Deputy McDonald about the 2,400 families that could benefit from social housing under...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: -----the old rhetoric and the nonsense. I have no interest in any fund, none whatsoever. It does not bother me. The only issue I care about is getting people housed. To get people housed, we have to have all hands on deck.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: We have to produce all forms of housing across the board.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: We need direct build affordable cost rental. That is what we have to do. It is about time Sinn Féin came up with solutions and stopped attacking and providing no solutions.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. He has been consistently raising it in the House. I agree entirely that workers across the economy, and without question our public servants and front-line healthcare workers, have made an extraordinary contribution to helping society deal with an unprecedented pandemic which has turned upside down all of our lives. Without front-line...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: As I said to the Deputy, the Government is committed to recognising the sacrifices that public sector workers, in particular front-line healthcare workers, have made. We are very conscious that across the board extraordinary efforts were made and continue to be made in respect of dealing with the pandemic by workers. The Government is actively examining this. We want to get the right...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: It is important that the proper balance and perspective is considered in this debate. The Government took measures to rein in vulture funds, or cuckoo funds as the Deputy calls them, and funds in general, in terms of competing with first-time buyers and to stop the type of activity we saw in Maynooth, which was the bulk purchases of housing estates in competition with first-time buyers....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: I did not say that.

Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence: Statements (6 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: Ba mhaith liom an deis seo a thapú chun déileáil leis agus caint faoin gceist ríthábhachtach seo. Is maith an rud é go bhfuil seans againn an t-ábhar seo a phlé. I thank the House for the opportunity to discuss this urgent and very important topic. Domestic abuse is an issue of concern across the Oireachtas, regardless of our political...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (6 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 19 together. The Government's shared island initiative aims to harness the full potential of the Good Friday Agreement to enhance co-operation, connection and mutual understanding on the island, engaging with all communities and traditions to build consensus around a shared future. I established a shared island unit in my Department to act as a driver...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (6 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: Research into the shared experience of Covid on the island, how the response could be improved and what lessons can be learned from the interactions that took place at the public health level is certainly an idea on which we can follow up. I am conscious of the fact that the chief medical officer in the North was very much directed from London and that part of that operation fell under the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Bodies (6 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: A lot of questions were asked. Deputy Kelly raised the decision unanimously agreed last evening by Dublin City Council. The Government has initiated a study in regard to this issue and will examine it. It will need to be examined in considerable detail because the implications are significant and dependent on the outcome of that evaluation in terms of productivity and what is best in the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Bodies (6 Jul 2021)

Micheál Martin: The workers are who we are primarily concerned about. We had a discussion about the situation, and SIPTU in particular raised the issue in regard to the Cork workers and the need for intervention there. Government will reflect and work on that with the social partners. Deputy Calleary is correct on the funding of the study in regard to a four-day week and social dialogue being a part of...