Results 16,741-16,760 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: We are doing that. We are looking at all that.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: This issue has been raised on numerous occasions in the House. In mid-May, the HSE advised that it had conducted a review of compliance in maternity hospitals units based on national guidance around visitations.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: At that stage, 14 of the 19 maternity hospital units were fully compliant with the guidance. Last week, that number was 16 and I understand from a note I have to hand that the three remaining hospitals were to be fully compliant with current guidance by 21 June, last Monday. Consequently, we are being told they are all compliant. If the Deputy knows of hospitals to the contrary, I will...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: We have given an answer repeatedly on the services that will be available in the new national maternity hospital. All services women are entitled to avail of in this State will be available in the new hospital, without question.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: That is a clear assertion I am making and it is based on agreements going back over two to three years, most recently in the documents the HSE and others have engaged on. On governance, I have made my view clear on that and the Minister is engaging with stakeholders on stronger public interest representation on the board of the new hospital. That is important for a range of reasons.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. There has been a substantial increase in funding to health, particularly the winter initiative last year. There was a total of over €4 billion, the largest ever budget. It has yielded results, including 5 million home care packages over the winter period into this year. That has facilitated a greater flow. We have higher levels of activity...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: My only concern and motivation is to protect people. I do not want to close anything down. Why would I or anyone want to close anything down? The reason is obvious: there is a pandemic and it has devastated people's lives.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: Nothing ever added up for you during this pandemic.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: If we had taken your advice from the beginning, there would be far more people sick and dead as a result of the pandemic.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: You have been in denial since the beginning of the pandemic.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: Your approach is the Bolsonaro and Trump approach. Denial after denial of the existence of the pandemic is your approach.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: That is your approach.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and I accept fully the importance of the LEADER programme in respect of regional economic development. Since 1991, I have been a great advocate for it and it has played a huge role in the development and enhancement of rural areas, particularly through rural economies and entrepreneurship. With co-financing from the European Union, LEADER has created...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: With regard to Deputy Canney's point on LEADER, I will engage with the Minister again to see what can be done. With regard to the TAP scheme, the vaccination programme has been very effective in nursing homes and very effective overall in terms of those aged over 65. The prospect has been raised that if we have very high volumes of infection as a result of the Delta variant in the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Finance is very clear on this in relation to the story in terms of an official in the Department of Finance warning the Government that exempting apartments bought by investment funds from a tax increase would make it impossible for first-time buyers to enter the market. We all know in terms of policy development, and for healthy policy development, that a range of opinions...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: I agree with the Deputy that housing is the single greatest social issue facing the country, and particularly for generations of our young people. It is absolutely essential that we do everything we possibly can to build houses, get supply up, and to provide social and affordable housing: houses that people can afford to buy. The Minister has brought in a range of measures, and is bringing...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy is great for motions, but motions will never build a house. That is all that goes on here, motion after motion. It will not build a house. Once we get the Land Development Agency Bill through and once it is on a statutory footing, the agency will build houses. Up to 4,000 homes can get started fairly quickly-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: No, I am not talking about individuals, I am talking about across the country. We can get State land working to get houses built, with social houses and affordable houses, for people. The majority of such lands will remain in local authority ownership post development. There is a portfolio of nine sites already waiting to go that can provide 4,000 houses. The difference really is that to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: We want to get on with it. We want to get houses built. We urgently need to do that as a country.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2021)

Micheál Martin: There is an element here of turning on NPHET or its modelling. The results of the modelling are not something we all welcome. It is difficult and challenging. Therefore, I think we did the right thing to pause and delay the reopening of hospitality in light of the stark advice. Surely we have learned something from the past year and a half about this pandemic. I never underestimate this...