Results 17,281-17,300 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin
- An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: He could not have zero Covid quick enough about two months ago.
- An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: It is two months on. Of course there is an issue. There are consequences arising out of Covid-19 and the measures that we take to deal with Covid-19. Without question, aviation has been a significant casualty because of the virus and measures that have been taken which have not facilitated travel. That is simple and the correct position. You cannot have it both ways.
- An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: The Deputy cannot come into the House and attack the Government for not moving quickly enough on mandatory hotel quarantine, and I remember the debates well and the fervour with which those debates were articulated-----
- An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: -----and now, moving forward, say we do not have an aviation policy. We do and the Government will bring forward an approach to the travel issue that will be consistent with the European digital green certificate framework that the Commission, in parallel with the Parliament and the Council, has been working on. We will follow through on that. We have no issue with debating that in the...
- An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: Regarding the lateness of the hour this evening, the Chief Whip said that was at the request of the Business Committee, with members and other parties wanting to discuss the cyberattack on the HSE and the restoration of service as quickly as possible. I understand that was requested at the Business Committee.
- An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: Do Members want to drop that? That was what I understood the Chief Whip had said.
- An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: I think that is reasonable, given the gravity and seriousness of the attack itself. Deputy Tóibín raised the issue of hot meals in schools. An expanded scheme has been provided for that this year. I do not know whether that necessitates changing the agenda or not. We can get the Minister to respond to Deputies about that point. On the broader point regarding Covid, that is a...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue, particularly for the residents of the area and those who stand to benefit from the Kilcummin sewerage scheme. The sanctioning of the scheme is important. The Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, was very keen to allocate substantial resources to waste water treatment plants and to water infrastructure more generally because it is an...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: As I have said, the money is not the issue in funding water infrastructure. Very significant allocations were made in the budget this year. Deputy Kelly is endeavouring to interject. He might have some experience of this scheme going back. I will engage-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: I know that. We will work with Irish Water.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: Whose?
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: You are really calling on all the shots now, Deputy Healy-Rae.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: You are using every degree of leverage you can for this scheme. I have often gone through Kilcummin and we might be down there again in the summer, Covid restrictions permitting. I will talk to the Minister. We will talk to Irish Water, see what the issue is and see if we can get it resolved. You have made your point, which is valid.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: I belong to a party that, since its foundation, committed itself to the provision of social housing. It cleared the slums in the 1930s from Dublin, Cork and other cities, and has always remained committed to the provision of social housing. That is the party I joined. It is my commitment; it is my philosophy. The Deputy has falsely presented my ideology. My ideology is not the...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: First, I am allergic to bluster and political rhetoric as well. There is sometimes no shortage of it on Deputy Connolly's side of the House either. Furthermore, I have been committed to public housing all my life. All of my political life I have supported the provision of public housing in whatever capacity I have served, and in building local authority houses. In this Government that was...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: I said even during the last budget debate and, since I became Taoiseach, I have been very focused on the international cybersecurity threat. We have significantly increased funding for the NCSC and, within the HSE, both capital and current funding have gone up dramatically in recent years. Current expenditure has gone from €45 million to €83 million of ICT spend within health;...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: The overall point is we are consistently increasing funding. This is an ongoing battle, as the Deputy knows. Cybersecurity will not go away any time soon. We will constantly review increasing resources and capacity over coming years to deal with these criminals, who are fundamentally responsible for this attack on patients and our health service. It is important that all those with...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very serious issue indeed. The first point I will make is that this is an attack on our health service by criminals. There should be no truck or any quarter given to criminals of this kind who undermine patient safety, and seek, by their actions-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: Let us give these people no truck. There should be a collective national effort to articulate one single simple message. What you are doing is outrageous and wrong. It is morally wrong-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 May 2021)
Micheál Martin: -----to put patients at risk in this manner.