Results 161-180 of 49,824 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Security (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank all the Deputies who raised the issue. I will make the fundamental point that the establishment of the national security council is about creating a proper structure to ensure democratic accountability on national security matters, and proper co-ordination between all Departments and between An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces. As Taoiseach, I will chair it, and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Emergency Planning (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: More recent plans are much more towards broadleaf trees and a proper mixture. We need commercial forestry as well. Deputy Murphy called it for-profit forestry. We need timber. Timber-frame housing is more climate friendly than cement. We need a better balance. We cannot just ridicule forestry for profit. We need a commercial forestry sector. We also need greater biodiversity and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Security (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 to 24, inclusive, together. The programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future, sets out a number of commitments relating to our national security and defence. The programme acknowledges that we live in a time of geopolitical upheaval and challenges to democracy and the international rules-based order with threats and challenges arising from a...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Emergency Planning (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: Are we eating into the time for the next questions?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Emergency Planning (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: Deputies have asked a lot of questions. I welcome them all. To reply to Deputy Dolan on the review and the response, there will be a review. At the most recent meeting of the Government task force on emergency planning on 11 March, it was agreed that a review of the response to Storm Éowyn would be submitted to Government by the summer. That will be led by the Department of Housing,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: More and more hotels are decanting in respect of IPAS and the beneficiaries of temporary protection, BOTPs, over the last while. Obviously, we will do everything we possibly can to increase numbers. There are significant issues globally in terms of confidence in the world economy - that may be a factor playing out - but again, it is early days yet to be writing off the tourism industry....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Emergency Planning (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 13, inclusive, together. The National Emergency Co-ordination Group is the central Government platform, established as part of the response to a threatened or ongoing national level emergency, under the strategic emergency management framework. All Government Departments, local authorities, emergency services and agencies are represented on the NECG....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is fair to say that over the past three decades, there have been very extensive inquiries into sexual abuse in this country in almost all settings and it continues. We have to evaluate that experience as well. There have been very extensive inquiries. There has been horrific abuse, which has visited trauma on thousands of people in different...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I pay tribute to An Garda Síochána for the outstanding work it does to keep us all safe and protect society and our citizens. I pay tribute to the Deputy’s family on their distinguished contribution to An Garda Síochána. We are recruiting more and more gardaí. As we recruit more, we will be in a better position to...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: This has been an ongoing issue. I am aware that Deputy Paul McAuliffe led on this, and legislation was passed at the time. Implementation is very important. I will ask the Minister for Justice to engage with the Garda Commissioner. As the Deputy knows, the deployment of gardaí is an operational matter. We are told that repeatedly. If you establish more units, you reduce the number...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. My understanding is that number has been reduced, but 9,000 still waiting is too many. What happened was that the scheme was expanded to accommodate everybody. When the Minister paid out what the Deputy suggested, he made advance payments. Some of them were over what people might have been entitled to, and then people were concerned about having...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: The situation in relation to Daniel is unacceptable in many respects. I have read the article. My understanding is that there is engagement, and the clinical nurse specialist is engaging with the family today.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: No, but there has been engagement. My understanding is that there is a pathway, but I would obviously prefer if the team in CHI communicated with the family. My understanding is that prior to coming in this afternoon, progress was made in respect of the case. I will follow up on this, and I know the Minister is here as well. There is a pathway, hopefully in the shorter term. In the first...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: Those are wrong assertions. It is important that the Deputy engages properly on the issue and finds out the facts.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I will go through it here. I have just been on to the Department about the matter. It is not accurate at all that the increase is related to Gaza, and it is wrong to assert that. It is just plain wrong to assert that. Basically, the Department did see an increase in applications for exemptions from October 2023. However, these were representative of an increase in applications for...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: There was no connection to the United States military or to Israel. Correlations have been drawn between the initial Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 and the increase in applications for exemptions from that month. The two are unrelated. Applications for exemptions predominately fall into one of two categories, namely US civil air operators contracted to carry US military...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: That case has nothing at all to do with Gaza or America. People just deliberately jump to conclusions to paint the wrong picture about the objectives or intentions of the Government. That is wrong.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I met with the President von der Leyen last week in Paris on the margins of the meeting on Ukraine. At the EU summit the previous week, I also met her to discuss the matter. On Sunday, I had a phone call with President von der Leyen to discuss it further. As stated, we have not had the EU's substantive response yet because the tariffs are only due to be announced tomorrow. On bourbon,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Tánaiste has been in touch with Secretary of State Lutnick. That communication will continue.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I agree with the Deputy that tariffs are bad all round. Essentially, they represent a tax on people. They will be a tax on people's groceries and medication in the US. Europe will not respond prematurely or in a knee-jerk way. Europe will engage in a strategic response. The objective of the European Union's response will be to encourage the United States to the negotiating table in order...