Results 1,921-1,940 of 50,909 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: Please, I did not interrupt the Deputy. I am just making my point. I am talking about other European countries, and many do. President Trump's involvement in that phase was critical. From an Irish, European and global perspective, we must keep focusing on a step-by-step approach and consolidating getting the second stage of the ceasefire over the line and then ensuring there is a massive...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: Our embassy and consular staff in Cairo have been extremely helpful to many people. If the Deputy sends on the details, I will follow this matter up and come back to her. To respond to Deputy Boyd Barrett, there have been different perspectives across the European Union, to put it mildly, in respect of the Middle East. Germany, because of its history and the Shoah, the Holocaust, has...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I know, but I am just saying to the Deputy that the realities, in terms of German politics, are such that there has always been that sense I already referred to. Former Chancellor Scholz said that the raison d'être of the modern Germany, post-war Germany, was to ensure the survival of Israel. That is what Chancellor Scholz said time and again, and he is not the first German politician...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I only say that by way of enlightenment. That is how people see it from their perspective. Deputy Martin Daly made a key point. First of all, I would not say the US has disengaged quite yet. Different things are happening and things are getting said. I do not think we should do a running commentary given the changes occurring. President Macron's visit yesterday was interesting....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank all the Deputies who have raised issues in respect of this committee about to be established. Ireland has taken a very consistent approach in terms of the Middle East, believing in a two-state solution. Deputy McDonald, I think, raised the question. She is not here yet, but I will just make the point that our fundamental view is that Palestinians are entitled to their homeland....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank all the Deputies who have raised issues in the context of the heath committee. Deputy McDonald raised the issue of access to general practice and primary care services in Dublin 1. Deputy McGrath raised it in respect of Cork and Deputy Moynihan in respect of Dublin Mid-West. The outgoing Minister increased significantly the number of places for the training of GPs. My...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: If we go forward to the budget for 2025, the initial allocation has been set at €25.75 billion. That is an increase of approximately €1.2 billion on last year. These are huge sums of money. That is why I am surprised by strike action in that context.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: There is absolutely no moratorium on staff. There will be an increase in staff of over 3,500 whole-time equivalents in the health service. We have to also look at innovative ways of getting value for that money. People spoke earlier about scanners and so on in an art gallery and created a huge stir - rightly so - over a figure of about €100,000. We are talking about €25.5...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: There absolutely is not. There is an issue, either in terms of the management of all of this or getting value for money for all of this. There is a role for the Oireachtas as well because people will condemn, give out and criticise but, equally, people then also look for more money. There are a number of strands to this. Deputy Bacik raised the shortage of public health nurses. Again,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I cannot pre-empt what HIQA will recommend. It will depend on the recommendation because I know there is a lot of demand for additionality in the mid-west more generally. On Deputy Cahill's question, there is a great team at University Hospital Kerry. His proposals are fairly significant in terms of investment and capital. We will engage with the HSE in that respect, particularly to...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 to 40, inclusive, together. The Programme for Government 2025: Securing Ireland's Future, recognises the importance of Cabinet committees to the policy development and oversight work of Government. The Cabinet committee on EU and international affairs was established by the Government on 18 February 2025. Its role is to oversee implementation of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the large number of Deputies who tabled questions on this issue. Quite a substantial number focused in on the nitrates directive to begin with, for which I thank Deputies Cleere, O'Meara, Dolan, McCormack, Cahill and Scanlon. The establishment of the Cabinet committee demonstrates the Government's commitment to addressing water quality improvements across all sectors. Obviously it...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 to 29, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on health has been established and is due to meet soon. The Cabinet committee will oversee: implementation of programme for Government commitments on health; receive detailed reports; identify policy areas; and consider health reforms including Sláintecare, reform of the public health system and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: Or we could just join you in prayer.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: I agree with the Deputy. Every effort is being made by the various State agencies to restore services. I have met with most of them - Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, EirGrid and so on - in the context of getting power restored as quickly as possible and also in terms of the restoration of communications networks. More than that, we need to invest in areas in terms of the social and human...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: Glacaim go bhfuil deacracht ann gan amhras. Nílim cinnte gurb í stailc an tslí is fearr chun é seo a réiteach. Bhíos ag labhairt leis an Aire, an Teachta Calleary, faoi seo ar maidin. Bhí an tAire ag Ard-Fheis Chonradh na Gaeilge i rith an deireadh seachtaine agus bhí daoine ag caint faoi. Beimid, agus tá súil agam go mbeidh an...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy has raised this issue previously. Again, I do not intervene in every single case. The Minister with responsibility obviously assesses the situation in different locations. I will certainly alert the Minister that Deputy Lawless has raised the matter.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Bill is being currently. Some 450 homes are under construction or being refurbished at the moment.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: Yes, but there are 450 under construction. That is a significant number. We have to keep ensuring that there is momentum behind this in terms of getting houses refurbished, rebuilt or whatever. This is a hugely resourced scheme. The Government has committed enormous sums of money towards it, and correctly so. If the Deputy is saying there is an insufficiency in terms of the scheme,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Micheál Martin: It is my understanding that there is a High Court action, in which the judge-----