Results 19,241-19,260 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. From my own perspective, the situation with regard to mother and baby homes represented a very dark period in our history and an appalling approach to the treatment of women and mothers and, at the time, the separation of child from mother. I accept the norms of later years but as an individual and as a parent, the separation of child from mother...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Future of Media Commission (13 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 6 together. On Tuesday 29 September, Government approved the terms of reference and membership of the Future of Media Commission. In line with the standard approach to establishing a Commission of this nature, members were appointed by Government with regard to the particular mix of skills and experience that the Government considers appropriate to the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Contracts (13 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: My Department has no contracts with consultants or Public Relations agencies. The Citizens’ Assembly, which is staffed by my Department, has engaged Q4 Public Relations to provide media liaison and communication services incurring costs of €16,394 to date in 2020. Its remit includes raising public awareness of the Assembly’s work; managing media attendance at face to...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff (13 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3, 10 and 12 together. Details of my Department's organisational structure and its senior management team (including their names and a description of all individual roles from Secretary General to Principal Officer level) are available on the 'whodoeswhat' website available at the following link: A copy of my Department's organisational chart is available on...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (13 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4, 5 and 9 together. The Government has established 10 Cabinet Committees, with membership as shown in the table below. Cabinet Committees are established by the Government to assist it in carrying out the responsibilities of Government in the areas indicated by their titles. They meet as appropriate according to their work schedules. Other Ministers or...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Citizens' Assembly (13 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: The Programme for Government provides for establishment of Citizens' Assemblies to consider matters relating to the type of directly elected mayor and local government structures best suited for Dublin; drugs use; biodiversity; and the future of education. The timing of each of these Assemblies has yet to be worked out but it is expected that the Assembly to consider the type of mayor...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Question Heading (13 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: The following table details the figures requested by the Deputy. Online Advertising 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 - to 30th June €0 €0 €436,823 €12,281 €900,216 Broadcast Advertising ...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Parliamentary Questions (13 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: The grouping of parliamentary questions for reply is a routine administrative process carried out by officials in Government Departments, including mine. As the Deputy will appreciate, it is frequently the case that Members ask similar or identical questions on a given policy area or topic. These questions are generally grouped together for reply in order to ensure that as many questions as...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council Meetings (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputies. They caught me by surprise there. I thought there might be more. Deputy Ó Ríordáin was first regarding the position on Brexit. It was a brief discussion. I met the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on the Thursday. It was a very good meeting. She reaffirmed EU support for Ireland on Brexit and emphasised the importance...

Pre-European Council Meeting on 15 and 16 October: Statements (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I will attend a meeting of the European Council next Thursday and Friday, 15 and 16 October. It is expected that the agenda, which has yet to be finalised, will include Brexit, Covid-19, climate change and EU-Africa relations. Depending on developments, further items may be added in due course. Before addressing the upcoming meeting, it might be helpful for the House for me to report...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council Meetings (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I attended a special meeting of the European Council in Brussels on 1 and 2 October at which we discussed the health and economic impacts of Covid-19 and agreed the need to strengthen our co-ordination especially as regards the development and distribution of a vaccine at European Union level. The response to Covid-19 also formed part of our consideration of our agenda item on the Single...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: To respond to Deputy Boyd Barrett, the Department of An Taoiseach is not a huge Department in terms of numbers given the range of co-ordinating work it does across so many other Departments. There is a bit of a myth about this. The Deputy made comments about this earlier. The public service works extremely well and has worked particularly well during Covid-19. Many senior civil...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I will address Deputy Boyd Barrett's question on the film industry first. I have not seen that dossier and cannot really comment on its substance without having seen it in the first instance. I do not know whether the Deputy has submitted it to Revenue or to other authorities which may be in a position to investigate it, if there was wrongdoing. I am not clear on the status of the dossier....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: Okay. We are hoping the unions will come back and there have been talks with ICTU on this. We understand where it is coming from in that regard. On public service reform and more particularly about the CE scheme supervisors Deputy McDonald mentioned, I will point out that Fianna Fáil have not been in government since 2011 and I certainly have not been in any executive position...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: The requirement for specialist policy input and advice is a matter for each individual Minister to consider having regard to the area of responsibility and the support in place in the relevant Departments. I have put in place a range of appropriate advisory supports to support me in my role as Taoiseach and Head of Government. At present there are six special advisers working in my private...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 9, inclusive, together. The role of the social policy and public service reform division is to assist me, as Taoiseach, and the Government, in delivering programme for Government objectives, and public policies and services, which help create a socially inclusive and fair society. Specifically, the division assists the work of the Cabinet...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I do not know the reason those applications were refused. I have spoken to the Minister, Senator Hackett, and we had a good discussion around the need to strengthen the organic sector within agriculture. I appreciate the Deputy embracing that sector as an important area for growth and development into the future. I have a passionate interest in terms of promoting and developing it and,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: Many ICU beds across the country are occupied because we want them to be in terms of ongoing non-Covid treatments. That is part of the overall plan in terms of the resumption of non-Covid services in our health system and that will continue. In respect of specific hospital allocation and provision, in the first instance, the allocation and prioritisation of resources is a matter for the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, brought legislation to the Cabinet last week regarding the retention of records pertaining to mother and child homes. I do not believe he brought a report, specifically, to last week's Cabinet meeting. That Bill will be published and, to be fair, the Minister has engaged with all involved and is anxious to work to help survivors and families of all those...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (7 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: The flu vaccine programme is under way and there are specific categories of people who will receive it. I will talk to the health authorities about the Deputy's suggestion. By and large, the vulnerable sectors of the population are the first priority and there is also a specific programme for children, unlike last year. We are looking for a far more expanded programme and a higher...