Results 17,901-17,920 of 50,353 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Economic Policy (17 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: The development of the National Economic Plan is progressing well and it is intended to be published over the coming weeks. The Plan will set a high-level framework of our priorities and policy objectives for a sustainable recovery, while signalling pathways and further workstreams over the year towards these medium-term goals drawing on the Programme for Government. The approach to the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Budget 2021 (17 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 149 together. There is no ring-fenced funding for domestic violence services in the Department of the Taoiseach's 2021 budget allocation.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Covid-19 Pandemic (17 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: Neither my Department nor any body under the aegis of my Department, incurred expenditure in respect of hand sanitising or other PPE products which were subject to a recall by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in 2020.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Climate Action Plan (17 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: Climate Action is a key priority for this Government and progress is overseen by the Cabinet Committee on the Environment and Climate Change, and the Senior Officials Group which supports it. The Cabinet Committee last met on 9 November 2020 and is scheduled to meet again on 7 December 2020. It is chaired by the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications and Transport, Eamon Ryan....

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Offices (17 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: My Department does not have any property lease arrangements.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Office of the Attorney General (17 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: I am advised by the Office of the Attorney General that since June 2017 the then Attorney General travelled outside the State on official business as detailed in the table. He was variously accompanied by officials including on occasion the Director General, Advisory Counsel or Special Adviser as required. Attorney General Travel outside the State 2017 – 01/02/2020 Year...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Official Travel (17 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: On his visit to Washington for St Patrick’s Day in 2019 the then Taoiseach was accompanied by the Secretary General of his Department, his Chief of Staff, an Assistant Secretary General, the Government Press Secretary, his Private Secretary, an advisor, an assistant, and a security officer, as well as by the Ambassador and relevant Embassy staff. The St Patrick’s Day...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: US Presidential Election (17 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: I spoke with President-elect Biden by telephone in the afternoon of 10 November to offer my congratulations on his and Vice President-elect Harris’s recent success in the US election. I also took the opportunity to invite the President-elect to visit Ireland after he takes office, and as soon as circumstances allow. I have sent letters of congratulations reiterating this message. ...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Strategy Statements (17 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: In accordance with the provisions of the Public Service Management Act, 1997 my Department is currently developing its new Statement of Strategy for the three-year period from 2021-2023. The Strategy will reflect the role of the Department to deliver the executive functions of the Taoiseach and Government and the range of commitments in the Programme for Government. The new Statement of...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Data Protection (17 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: My Department has not received any Data or Subject Access Requests in relation to the Report of the Inter Departmental Committee into the Magdalen Laundries which was published in 2013. There is a dedicated Data Protection Officer (DPO) in place to oversee my Department’s compliance with the GDPR. The DPO is assisted in this role by a number of Data Protection Liaison Officers in...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Budgets (17 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: No amount is set aside on an annual basis by my Department for contingent liabilities. Since 2016 my Department's Appropriation Account includes a note on contingent liabilities in references to ongoing legal cases which may generate future costs. My Department's Appropriation Account is published on an annual basis by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (11 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: The data on that will inform whether we might look at certain sectors as well and might moderate that. I did not get to everyone. My apologies.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Communications (11 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 10 together. I met the US ambassador, Mr. Ed Crawford, at Government Buildings on 21 September. The meeting was a courtesy call requested by the US embassy to mark my appointment as Taoiseach and to discuss matters of mutual interest to Ireland and to the United States. We discussed the Irish and American responses to the Covid-19 pandemic and its...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Communications (11 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: I would just say first of all to Deputy Paul Murphy that I do not accept the definition or description of Ireland as a "tax haven". We work with the OECD and with other countries on good and sound taxation global policy. We have continued to work on that basis, and also within the European Union framework, in terms of taxation strategy and taxation policy. We have for more than 50 years...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Communications (11 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: -----the sense I get from them is a set of strategies and policies that would undermine jobs and create thousands and thousands of vacancies or redundancies in our system. I do not think they have this well thought through in terms of how the global environment operates and in terms of competition out there.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Communications (11 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: The foreign direct investment here has not been just about tax. Ireland invested, from the 1960s onwards, dramatically in education. It will never get acknowledged by the far left. There is a very significant degree of state intervention in Ireland. The free second level education was a huge advance in Irish society that Donogh O'Malley and Fianna Fail brought in. The expansion of third...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (11 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: On the issue of student nurses, as Deputy Boyd Barrett knows, discussions have been under way for quite some time. The Government's priority is to protect and support the education of all students, including student nurses and midwives. We recognise the impact of Covid-19 on student nurse and midwife placements. The Minister for Health is currently considering proposals to revise the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (11 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: Hold on a second and listen. The decision was taken to suspend clinical placements for all students and to offer all undergraduate nurses and midwives temporary healthcare assistant contracts. At the same time, the salary level for fourth-year internship students was raised to the healthcare assistant rate. The cost of that was about €41 million. That worked on that occasion. ...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (11 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: I have hopes for the current discussions. It seems from what I am hearing about the negotiations that people are looking for different rates now than were agreed in April. I want those negotiations to be brought to a conclusion as quickly as possible and to protect the clinical placements for students. Deputy MacDonald referred to behavioural change and the vulnerable. At all levels,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (11 Nov 2020)

Micheál Martin: Briefly, I share Deputy Boyd Barrett's condemnation of the attack by Israel and the demolition of the 80 Palestinian homes. I am not aware as of now whether that money has been recovered. The EU provides very significant funding to support housing, education and social services in Palestine and to support the Palestinian people, as does Ireland, and we will continue to do that.