Results 17,401-17,420 of 50,297 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: It is wonderful that the Deputy can boil it down to one slogan, to one hashtag, but public policy never gets developed on a hashtag. It is time people realised that.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: That is the point. That is the bottom line.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: It is legislation, it is public service pay talks-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: -----it is working out entitlements. That is hard work. Negotiations have been ongoing with the union and the INMO in relation to a review of allowances. There is a review of allowances for first year, second year and third year students. It will end by the end of December and result in an increase in those allowances. There will also be a review of the fourth year payment and the nature...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 11, inclusive, together. Alongside the State's response to the Covid-19 pandemic and preparations and planning for Brexit, the Government has been working hard to implement the commitments in the programme for Government across a wide range of issues in all Departments. Departments are currently preparing strategy statements for the next three years,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: -----through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and other infrastructural initiatives in the West Bank and Gaza. Europe will continue to be supportive of Palestinians' human rights and of enabling them to build a state apparatus for themselves. That will continue. There is a balancing act in terms of the approach to these issues. Different member states have different...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: Dealing with Covid-19 on the island of Ireland is a priority for the Government and I have had regular contact with the First Minister and deputy First Minister on the matter. Furthermore, there is ongoing engagement on Covid-19 between the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and the Minister for Health in Northern Ireland, Robin Swann; between the Chief Medical Officers, North and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: I omitted a section of my initial reply. There will be a meeting of the Euro Summit which is expected to take stock of recent developments at Eurogroup on banking union and capital markets. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, will attend the Euro Summit in his capacity as president of the Eurogroup and a report on last week's agreement on finalising reform of the European Stability...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: -----the power of organised crime is such that it challenges the rule of the state. Indeed, it has penetrated the state in many instances in terms of influence and power, ultimately to the detriment of the ordinary citizens of the state. There are always balances to be struck in situations like this but I take the Deputy's point. There are issues around the performance of the Israeli...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on Europe oversees implementation of programme for Government commitments on the EU and related issues. It last met on 8 October 2020 in advance of the meetings of the European Council on 15 October and 16 October, when it discussed the agenda for that meeting, including climate action and the EU's...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: The allocation strategy was announced by the Government today. It is clear that residents of nursing homes will be first to be vaccinated, along with the healthcare workers. That is the sequence which we propose to follow. As I said earlier in the House, there will be many different proposals from different Deputies as to who should be accommodated before somebody else. We need to go with...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: As I said earlier, the allowances review will be completed by the end of December. The intention then is to act very quickly on that. The pandemic unemployment payment decision was made between the Minister for Health and the Minister for Social Protection and will be available to student nurses who cannot partake in normal part-time work because of Covid-19. That is where it things are at...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: As I said, we are looking-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: I certainly will pursue that issue with the Minister for Health, who is concerned about waiting lists for children in general, and in particular, for the types of specialised services that the Deputy has referred to.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: There we go. One restriction lifted leads to another and then to another and it goes on and on. In the first instance, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media is not discriminatory in respect of anybody. I speak as someone who did not achieve much in sport but enjoyed it immensely. I have an under-15 cup medal with Togher AFC, which I cherish very much. No...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: Yes, Deputy Kelly, I understand. There will be a return volley at some stage. We will examine that issue and the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has raised these anomalies, which occur from time to time. The essential point, however, between here and Christmas is that we want to minimise the level of activities generally because we want to keep the virus...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: I apologise. I will come back to the Deputy quickly with an updated position on it. I accept the seriousness of the matter.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: I will talk to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I do not know if the Deputy raised the issue with him or not. They share many similar views.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: I know the Deputy and the Minister share similar views on many issues.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Dec 2020)

Micheál Martin: I cannot intervene with a planning authority. I have made my views known but I am not An Bord Pleanála. An Bord Pleanála will exercise its functions in regard to the planning Act.