Results 17,141-17,160 of 50,297 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I will discuss this further with the Minister, Deputy Harris, and the Government will give broader consideration to it but I am conscious that the SUSI scheme is grounded in legislation and has parameters within which it must operate. I will revert to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy raises a serious and important issue because from 1 January, the United Kingdom has become a third country and therefore, it is subject to illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing legislation under the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission requirements. Castletownbere and Killybegs are the Irish ports designated for third country landings of fish for those purposes. That...

Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes: Statements (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: It is the duty of a republic to be willing to hold itself to account, to be willing to confront hard truths and to accept parts of our history which are deeply uncomfortable. This detailed and highly painful report is a moment for us as a society to recognise a profound failure of empathy, understanding and basic humanity over a lengthy period. Its production has been possible because of...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: I believe in the World Health Organization. It is an essential body that deserves the support of all the member states of the United Nations. It is regrettable that it has been refused entry into Wuhan. A team of investigators was due to go in there to try to identify the source and so on of Covid-19, not in a blaming sort of scenario but rather to try to understand fully where the virus...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: Obviously, I cannot pre-empt the allocation or distribution of this particular round of funding. That matter is being considered by the Minister in consultation with other Departments. Obviously, as the Deputy said and has been articulated by others, the case is a significant issue that needs resolution. I will certainly raise the Deputy's concerns with the Minister.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: One of the first meetings I had this year was with representative bodies of the fishing industry and the fishing co-operatives. We always knew Brexit was going to have a negative impact on our fishing industry, principally because of the high percentages, particularly of the pelagic stock, being fished in British waters and we were particularly concerned about our mackerel and prawn stocks...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for his remarks. I accept the impact of the activities by those who deal in illicit drugs and criminal activity on his community, which CAB has struck at. It is a scourge on our society and on communities up and down the country. We need to have a systemic approach to the allocation of funding to communities that suffer from such activities. By that I mean through the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: No. I am saying that the legislation that he is introducing in respect of Tuam can be applied to other sites as well.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: First, I want to sympathise with the family of George Nkencho on his very sad passing. This is a grave situation that merits investigation. The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, will carry out an independent examination of this matter and it is important that we not prejudice the outcome of a fair and independent investigation. The Garda works extremely hard to develop...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: I appreciate the Deputy's concerns in respect of children with special needs and additional needs. The Minister is engaging with all of the partners in respect of this issue with a view to facilitating a return in a safe manner. Those discussions and that engagement are ongoing. I acknowledge the enormous challenges for the families involved, most importantly the children. I will ask the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Government does not decide to close any institution in that manner.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: Yes, the HSE takes operational decisions. My understanding was that the HSE had a plan to invest significantly in St. Brigid's with additional and different services being applied there and that, initially, this met with some positive responses, but people-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: No, that is my understanding. People have reflected on that and have different perspectives on it. I do not have any difficulty engaging with people in relation to it, but we cannot ignore HIQA reports either in respect of particular institutions or facilities. I will engage again with the HSE in respect of the matter.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: That legislation had to be introduced in order to protect, save and preserve the records. The Minister's bona fides were absolutely correct on that occasion, and that should be acknowledged. If the Deputy reads the sixth interim report of the commission, it makes it very clear that the legislation was both urgent and necessary. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy on the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: The Derelict Sites Act 1990 is in place and the local authority should intervene. The Deputy would have been a very active member of the local authority up to quite recently when he was successfully elected to this House in the general election that took place nearly a year ago now. The Deputy knows well that the local authority can and has the wherewithal to intervene, particularly in the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: It was in response to many contributions in this House during the first lockdown and in discussing the impact of that lockdown on children with special needs that the Government bought forward a proposal to allow special needs children to come back to their special schools or special classes in mainstream schools. Indeed, we facilitated the consultation between the assistant national...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: I do not disagree with the Deputy on the need for this legislation. It is essential. There was considerable debate in the last Dáil concerning a legislative template around access to information and tracing. It proved impossible to get consensus in the House at the time to get that legislation passed. The Government has looked at this afresh and the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, as he...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: I empathise with what the Deputy has said. I spoke to one of the representative organisations some time ago on the Bessborough situation. Their main objective was that the burial site would be preserved. There was a view that people can identify. I agree that there first of all needs to be an examination and a proper and robust identification of the burial sites of all the children. I...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: I am somewhat surprised by that. I believe that it is 135 minutes each for the Minister for Education and for the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in respect of the issues under each Minister's responsibility. It is also important that the issues pertaining to third level students in the context of Covid are debated adequately and that questions...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jan 2021)

Micheál Martin: I do not think what the Deputy says is fair. I instanced that as an illustration of an important policy that we should continue with to have air that people can breathe so they can have healthy lives. That should be a fundamental objective of all of us in this House. It is not just about cities but also towns. Last year, the then Minister, Deputy Bruton, expanded it to quite a number of...