Results 18,141-18,160 of 50,297 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna – Questions: National Economic and Social Council (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: On the climate Bill and a just transition, the Bill is transformative. It should be welcomed by the Opposition and Deputy McDonald's party, Sinn Féin, although I know they have issues with the climate change agenda, have taken a negative stance on the matter and are somewhat in denial about it in reality. As for the just transition, we moved in respect of the midlands. The Government...

Ceisteanna – Questions: Cabinet Committees (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 8, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on housing last met on 28 September and will meet again shortly. The committee oversees the implementation of the programme for Government commitments in respect of housing and related matters. Significant work is under way on the delivery of these commitments through Departments, agencies and...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I appreciate the point Deputy McGrath has made. Again, the difficulty with lockdowns is that they are crude and blunt instruments designed to reduce congregation and people gathering. Recommendations come from NPHET on the variety of measures that are required. We try to be as judicious, effective and compassionate as we can. One can always go through each individual setting. If we...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: Thank you for that lead-in, a Cheann Comhairle. First, level 5 is difficult and very challenging. It is a lockdown. Everyone says it did not happen in their place. I do not know where the virus starts. If one was to add up the list of all the places where it did not happen, one would be hard pressed to find where the virus begins. The virus spreads from people to people. Public health...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I have no doubt. I am not casting any aspersions on the people who ran them, in fairness.

Ceisteanna – Questions: National Economic and Social Council (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. The National Economic and Social Council is an independent statutory agency operating under the aegis of my Department. The NESC is a valuable forum where strategic policy matters relevant to Ireland's economic social, environmental and sustainable development can be analysed and discussed between a variety of actors and...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: My understanding is that the review will be completed soon and that the Minister will publish it. Co-living has not developed or taken off as was originally feared. There have been a lot of planning applications passed, but as a percentage of overall development, it is very low. In my view, of course it has the potential to become glorified tenement living given the nature of some of the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I will make two points. The Government did consider this issue earlier. I am desperately disappointed and sorry for all of the traders involved. At this critical time as they face into a lockdown, this is the last thing they needed. There are a number of schemes that we will activate to assist the traders and others in difficulty. Obviously, applications will need to be made. I cannot...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: Whatever the demand is in terms of what qualifies will be made available. Deputy Christy O'Sullivan raised with me that there has been some flooding in Bantry as well and that will need to be taken on board. There will be a further incorporeal meeting today to make sure that the measures for Cork and Bantry are included in that. The long-term plan is the OPW plan.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: The timeline has been thwarted because there is a judicial review of the plan. It has planning permission. I would have thought a lot of modifications have happened. There was engagement. In my view, there were a lot of changes made. It is a good plan and it should be allowed to proceed.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I was a member of the Government that led the opening up of all the secrets to do with the industrial schools and gave the survivors of those industrial schools their voice.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I did that. As chairman of the interdepartmental committee that led-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: -----to the inquiries, I spoke to the survivors. The Deputy should speak to the survivors, who will tell her how honestly I engaged with them.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: With all due respect, I do not take lectures from anybody on that issue.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I went beyond what most people wanted done at that time and did it-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: -----in the interests of the survivors of industrial schools. I put a historian into the Department of Education at the time to go through all of the archives and to make them available to survivors in regard to their personal records. Some of them only saw them for the first time when they went to Athlone to the Department of Education and Science.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: We are not going to seal these records either. That is not the agenda. Let us not try to undermine the good faith of people involved. The Minister is not trying to do that. Deputy Cairns knows there is an issue. The issue is if he does not act the records disappear for all time. That is his problem.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: That is the issue.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: The more fundamental issue is what one does with the records and how one releases them. The Deputy knows-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I have no agenda to try to suppress records. Please do not suggest that.