Results 18,461-18,480 of 50,297 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Shared Island Unit (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: The essence of my party has been to unite Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter. We are of the Wolfe Tone persuasion. We are constitutional republicans who believe in the European Union.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Shared Island Unit (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I am delighted that the Deputies opposite came around to the European Union after opposing it for decades, as it opposed this State and its institutions for decades.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Broadcasting Sector (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 25 together. In December 2019, the Government agreed the terms of reference for the commission on the future of Irish public service broadcasting, to be established by the Department of the Taoiseach. Professor Brian MacCraith, former president of Dublin City University, was appointed as chair of the commission. The programme for Government has...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Citizens' Assembly (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy knows, it is a Fine Gael vacancy.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Citizens' Assembly (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I did not talk down the clock. The Deputy had as much time as I had.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Citizens' Assembly (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I say again to the Deputy that it is not fair to say the Government does not care about drug recovery or addiction. I have been involved in that work as a former Minister with responsibility for health. I worked very strongly at that and we made much progress in our time with a multidisciplinary response and the creation of new approaches. The momentum must continue, and it will. What I...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Shared Island Unit (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 8, inclusive, together. The programme for Government sets out the Government’s commitment to working with all communities and traditions on the island to build consensus around a shared future, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. A shared island unit has been established in my Department in support of this commitment and its work is now...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Citizens' Assembly (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: There is a difficulty with the citizens' assemblies in terms of timing, organisation and logistics because of Covid-19 and that has to be acknowledged. The existing Citizens' Assembly on gender issues has been delayed but it is meeting and engaging. I am open to working out the logistics of the range of issues that we want to put before citizens' assemblies, but we have to be realistic as...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: They should not be dismissed by the company and I will pursue it.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Citizens' Assembly (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. Under the programme for Government, the Government is committed to establishing a citizens’ assembly in 2021 to consider the type of directly elected mayor and local government structures best suited for Dublin. The work of the current Citizens’ Assembly on gender equality has been interrupted and delayed by the impact of...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: As I said earlier, the European Banking Authority, which is the European-wide regulatory authority, has essentially made the six-month timeframe in terms of payments being deferred. The position is that the Government met the banks yesterday and more tailor-made responses to individuals from here on is the more appropriate response. It is not a cliff edge although as and from the end of...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: First, I thank the teachers and SNAs throughout the country for their commitment and for making it possible for schools at primary and post-primary level to reopen. It has been the number one objective of our society collectively that our children would be back in a learning environment, because their life chances and development depend on it. That said, in terms of the primary school...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: There should be proper and meaningful dialogue between all involved in this particular dispute. There are legal frameworks governing this. There is no point in pretending there are not, because there are. I have spoken to some workers and, as I have said, I am not going to pretend that things can be done that cannot be done. I believe the law needs to be reviewed and changed especially...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: Iconic and historic locations such as this should be preserved or should be, at a minimum, incorporated into any new development. As Deputy Tóibín is aware, in terms of Moore Street there have been exhaustive discussions involving Deputies and Senators from both Houses. This has resulted in conclusions that could enable the dereliction to end and the locations to be preserved...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: Aontaím leis an Teachta. Mar a deir an seanfhocal, mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí, agus níl aon amhras faoi sin. Ar an taobh eile den scéal caithfimid a bheith macánta chomh maith agus níl aon leithscéal maidir leis na sluaite a bhí bailithe i lár chathair na Gaillimhe aréir. I agree. Nobody is knocking or criticising young people but,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The decision of the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland to uphold the decision not to prosecute 15 former British soldiers in connection with the Bloody Sunday killings will come as a deep disappointment to, and will be met with anger by, the families of all of those killed by the parachute regiment in Derry in 1972. Today's...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: Six hours are provided tomorrow-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: Six hours are provided for the Bill in tomorrow's business. The Bill is urgent. The issue has been going on for years. There have been serial objections on an industrial scale, which is not merited and is not fair.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I have no issue with people objecting. People are entitled to make an objection. All that the Bill is doing is aligning the issue of licences in forestry, felling and planting to the conventional planning system. It still allows for objections but it creates fees for those who want to appeal and so on, in line with normal planning situations. I agree with a broad-based forestry policy. I...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: -----with grants to do it, with an expectation they would be able to fell those trees in due course. The timber industry had expectations there would be a supply of timber to enable production and jobs and so on, and the supply of materials to the construction sector. All of this is threatened. The urgency is that by the end of October or November there will not be an industry and jobs...