Results 18,661-18,680 of 50,297 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: There is a clear commitment in the programme for Government about recruitment of speech therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists, as well as other disciplines and professions. We hope to do some therapy through the school system by having a greater presence in schools, which is something I have been personally committed to for a long time. I think it is a better model for...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: A replacement should be provided for anybody who is on maternity leave and that should be automatic.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: It is a very difficult situation for certain sectors, particularly in hospitality and tourism. Travel agents are one sector which has had a collapse in revenue and income more generally. The Government took a decision to continue and extend the wage subsidy scheme to April of next year and there will be ongoing monitoring of the impact of that extension on certain jobs and enterprises. The...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I know the situation about sport. Public health advice on this has been consistent from the beginning. They are very concerned about crowds gathering

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: People have been attacking us all day about confusion, clarity and this that and the other. I know the Deputy is genuine in the position from which he is coming but public health advisors have a very strong view about toing and froing and households mixing in cars travelling to matches and congregating. The plan is to allow 200 in a stadium with over 5,000 capacity. In very large stadiums...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I did not just open it, as Minister for Health I made sure it happened and I worked with the people involved. The Deputy wrote to me and I read the letter last evening, but the reasons for the closure were not spelled out. I would like to engage with the Deputy on that. The original idea was that it was to be an addiction centre. Traditionally health authorities are against...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: On the local services, the Deputy might forward further details to me. A full audit of mental services is there. Recruitment of personnel at a psychiatric level and in child and adolescent centres is one of the challenges for mental health services.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: There are protocols there and the Mental Health Commission, which I established way back as Minister for Health, is there to provide oversight in terms of best practice and what is good and not so good in our mental health services.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I was not in government for the last budget. We were in Opposition and facilitated the budget under a confidence and supply agreement. Consistently under that agreement, we increased resources for mental health. Notwithstanding that increase in resources, mental health services did not seem to be in a position to convert those resources into recruiting the necessary personnel, both in the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: In terms of testing and tracing, the recruitment campaigns are already under way. These are not just plans. This is happening and the staff are being recruited. Those are the figures open and staffed now. They may not be exactly what is available. The Deputy will be aware that during the pandemic a significant number of acute care beds and critical care beds were made available.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: A surge capacity was created and that applies here as well.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I just wanted to give the Deputy the most up-to-date operational details as provided by the HSE for the number of critical beds available. There is ongoing work on procuring additional capacity on an initiative-by-initiative basis in terms of the private sector capacity to make sure we can get some elective procedures done and that elective procedures are not suspended as a result of...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I spoke to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and was also in touch with Electric Ireland. By the way, in terms of energy pricing more generally, the cost over the past six months came down. In terms of the renewable energy piece, the Government remains committed to that. That is where we have to go as a country. Our over dependance on fossil fuels-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: Our over dependance on fossil fuels will be a continuing catalyst into the future for an increase in prices.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: First, I thank the Deputy for raising what is an important heartbreaking issue for the families he met earlier and on behalf of whom he has spoken. The wider issue of bullying, in particular, cyberbullying, is doing a great deal of damage to people and undermining people's self-esteem, self-confidence and sense of well-being, and we need a far more robust legislative response to that. I...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: First, I fully empathise with what the Deputies are saying. Obviously, public health advice has been the key influencer of this situation along with risk management in specific hospitals and locations. However, I take the point that the public health advice in this area should apply nationwide.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I would instinctively think it should be nationwide but it may be that in different hospitals one has different settings and different risks. In some maternity centres, they may have different practices, etc. I will engage with the acting Chief Medical Officer and HSE on this. It is difficult and traumatic for people. It should be a celebratory moment for many couples. It is a...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy will be aware-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: -----in the earlier stages of the pandemic there were significant restrictions on people visiting hospitals which was difficult for them.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: First, the Deputy might send us the details of the individual case. 1 o’clock There are set processes and procedures for this. It is something that will have to be considered in our overall comprehensive Brexit planning. Invariably the decisions in these asylum cases are what is more fundamentally at issue. The Deputy says this person is due for deportation on Saturday. That...