Results 16,881-16,900 of 50,297 for speaker:Micheál Martin

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Government is motivated primarily and solely by the needs and concerns of the survivors, and to do right by them. That is informing the Government's policy and its response to the commission's recommendations. The Government is focused on delivering on those recommendations, as is the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, particularly in the context of the information and tracing Bill, which we...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: During Private Members' business, Members can bring forward legislative proposals. It could have been brought forward, published or engaged on last week. What is important is the Minister's statement regarding the retrieval of the tapes and the potential for the tapes to be available. There is more work to be done. In my view, the bona fides of the Minister cannot be questioned with...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I am open to the House in relation to the timelines for the Bill. I understood this was an agreed process and that people were anxious to get this through but the Whip may want to discuss the issue with others. I am not going to be accused of guillotining legislation of this kind but there is a time pressure on this. Let us be honest about that. People may have different views on the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: There is pressure on it, of course there is.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: Immediately after the legislation is passed, we will have to work up the regulatory framework and get it up and running. The legislation is key to enabling one to do that. With regard to Deputy Paul Murphy's point, there is no blind eye being turned to meat plants. That is not the case at all.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: We debated this on Leaders' Questions and the Deputy's view is that there should be a longer lockdown. That is what he would prefer, without question. This week, the quarantining legislation is the priority. Last week, the Minister for Health and his Ministers of State were before the House. Every week, issues pertaining to Covid have been debated in the House. My understanding is that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I know the Minister is anxious to progress the legislation, resolve this issue, give capacity to local authorities to use the latest technologies, with respect to the right to privacy, to deal with illegal dumping, and use the full range of anti-dumping measures available to the Government. Working with community organisations across the country, additional funding was allocated through the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: As I said last week, the timing of business and the amount of time the House sits are not determined by the Government. They are determined by public health advice. That was made clear last week, and health and safety-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I am talking about the length of time the Dáil sits. There are constraints on what can be debated and what can be facilitated within the time constraints provided as a result of public health advice in the context of Covid-19 and the health and safety advice that the Oireachtas provided - not the Government, not my office, but the Oireachtas. Also, I understand there were...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Health will be in here all week on the quarantining Bill. The demand from - maybe not Deputy McNamara - most Members of the House has been for this Bill to be introduced and for this issue to be dealt with as expeditiously as possible because people want a mandatory quarantining regime to be put in place from a legislative perspective.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: There is no excuse for poor communications between a nursing home provider, management and staff, and the relatives of residents. That should be an obligation of the provider. The provider should ensure there is such communication. Part of the HIQA inspection framework will encompass that dimension of that. That is important. We need answers in relation to the specifics here in this...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy Naughten for raising the issue. I acknowledge his long-term interest in this issue and the measures he has taken in the past in different capacities to deal effectively with it. The Deputy is correct in saying that illegal dumping is a scourge on the landscape and offenders should and must face the full rigours of the law. Penalties for illegal dumping are significant....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I support the introduction of it but the Deputy and everyone in this House agreed that we would take on board expert advice and public health advice. Those authorities have not been as enthusiastic about it because they believe polymerase chain reaction, PCR, testing is the gold standard. The Deputy knows that and I know that as the Deputy has been briefed on that in public health meetings...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: Antigen testing will be undertaken in the path ahead. We have been doing serial testing for quite some time. I do not know why the Deputy is suggesting that we are not-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: We have been doing serial testing in all nursing homes for the last year. We have also been doing it in direct provision centres and meat factories for periods. As we have been doing serial testing in different settings, the concept of serial testing is there.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: We did not do it in schools because it was not advised to do so but we have been doing serial testing consistently and we will expand it again where the public health advice deems it necessary. Sick pay has also been addressed in the context of Covid-19, as the Deputy knows. It is a bit populist and wrong to speak about 2,000 Brazilians coming into the country in the way the Deputy did....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: People leave and come back in but there will be a need for mandatory quarantining.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: We have provided for mandatory quarantining for those from Brazil, South Africa and other countries, as designated by the public health advice.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and I offer my sincere condolences to the families of all those who were bereaved at Ballynoe nursing home. I understand that the particular outbreak the Deputy is referring to commenced on 8 January, which resulted in all 47 residents and 29 staff testing positive for Covid-19. Tragically, 21 residents died associated with that outbreak. As the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Feb 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Government will build a number of ladders in terms of creating opportunities for young people who are caught up in a rip-off rental market. We want to liberate young people from that scenario and give them opportunities to buy homes and be in a position to afford houses that will be built. The new equity scheme is targeted and aims to do that, along with the further proposal of a new...