Results 18,601-18,620 of 50,297 for speaker:Micheál Martin

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: When last week?

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: While I may be wrong and we need to clarify this, my understanding is that it was Friday evening.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: It is not. Deputy Cullinane is messing.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I am willing to co-operate with the Opposition. It is, however, very difficult at times to ascertain if Deputy Cullinane is being genuinely constructive or deliberately using every available opportunity to undermine. I am willing to engage but the invitation went out on Friday evening to the people on NPHET, to those in the HSE and to the CMO and others. I am willing to clarify if that is...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: We offered Members a debate but they called a vote.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: Yes, that is fine.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: On Friday, everybody was supporting the regulations and the measures we were taking. That was the public stance of Sinn Féin and all the other parties.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: As political parties and people were briefed on Friday evening, everybody was supportive of the very same regulations. They are akin to what is in level 3 of the plan, as everybody knows.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: My suspicion is often that Sinn Féin wants to undermine regulations, not support them. That was the nature of Deputy Mac Lochlainn's presentation. He had a go at the testing and tracing system, which we debated again last week in the House. That is a robust system compared with other systems in Europe. To describe it as woeful, as the Opposition has on the Sinn Féin side, is...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: Relatively speaking, the testing and tracing capacity in this country is higher than most across Europe and we are constantly seeking to increase it. In the plan, there are significant and specific measures to increase that workforce to 3,000. It is well documented and detailed. Despite efforts to say there is nothing in the plan about testing and tracing, there is, and it is very...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: People want to debate everything every week and I do not mind.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: If the House wants to meet on Friday, I am available to do that. I have no issue with debating the plan. We debated regulations two weeks ago to give additional powers to the Garda, which Deputy Mattie McGrath opposed, as he is entitled to do.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: We had a vote on them. Gardaí have to take operational decisions on the ground. The Oireachtas cannot seek to influence or interfere with the operational work of the Garda. If the Business Committee wants to meet and discuss the plan, we will provide time for a discussion on the different levels and so on. I have no difficulty with that if it is a desired objective.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: Is the Deputy referring to the regulations or the testing and tracing strategy?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy. I agree with her on the need to underpin and support principals in schools as they navigate and manage an unprecedented public health pandemic. It is to their credit, and to the credit of teachers, SNAs and all staff within a school, that they have worked extremely hard to make the reopening of schools, and their continued opening, possible. I salute and affirm the work...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. These are very important points. The Deputy said it took five days to get a test. That is not acceptable. I would like that checked out and the details followed through because it is not in accordance with the national average - that is not just waiting to get a test but right through - which is about 2.2 days. Some 85,000 tests were done last...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I spoke to the HSE earlier and my understanding is that the UPMC Whitfield facility is being used by the hospital. I got that assurance an hour before I came into the Chamber. I will double-check on that, to make sure that facility is being used. The Deputy and I both know one has to be careful of full independent reviews in terms of their analysis and what they might bring to bear. In...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for his questions. I know his commitment to this issue, about which we have had a number of discussions. In terms of the broader issue of model 4 hospital funding, an ongoing assessment will be undertaken that will include the question of funding for Waterford and its needs and demands. I will revert to the Deputy in that regard. As the Deputy is aware, the programme...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: As I said earlier, originally 600,000-odd people were on various pandemic-related schemes but that is now down to 200,000. Many people got back to work as the economy reopened during the summer. In addition, 213,000 people are on the basic jobseeker's allowance. A range of others are getting different social protection payments. One must be fair to all concerned as the horizon lengthens...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issues. As I said earlier, the changes to the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, last July were designed to give sustainability to it. It was originally designed as a 12-week scheme when it was rushed into the House and introduced as an emergency to underpin incomes. The new rates approximate closely to what people would have been earning prior to being...