Results 19,381-19,400 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: How are they getting from Carnbeg Hotel?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for his very positive comments on the facilities in Ardee. Carroll Village is a block of apartment-style independent living units housing mostly family groups. There has been no large-scale transfer of residents either in or out of the centre in recent months and they are entitled to travel, like anybody else, in whatever format or mode they so desire. It is also very...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue given the concerns locally. Protecting those living in direct provision accommodation centres from any Covid-19 outbreak has been an absolute priority of Government. A comprehensive programme of serial Covid-19 testing by the HSE has been completed across 66 accommodation centres. My understanding is about 3,300 tests have been undertaken...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: First, Fianna Fáil was not in power for the last decade. The Deputy consistently says that even when we were at 20 seats. She equates 20 seats with being in power. That is just an aside. It is immaterial and irrelevant. She keeps on with the propaganda and, really, we do not need that now in the middle of a pandemic of this sort. On intensive care unit, ICU, beds, there has been...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: -----to deal with this. I do not know why the Deputy does not believe the leadership team in the HSE. She takes umbrage at other situations, but she seems to disagree consistently with the leadership team in the HSE which consistently says to me, because I make it my business to check if they have capacity to deal with the current situation, "Yes." On testing, the supply at the moment...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: Unity of purpose on all fronts is essential in dealing with a pandemic of this scale and severity, including within this House. The Deputy has consistently sought in recent times to undermine not just the efforts of the Government but those of the HSE in the context of acute hospital care, testing capacity and so forth. The Deputy has now misrepresented the telephone conversation she had...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Ministerial Advisers (6 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 6 Special Advisers working in my Private...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Commission on the Future of Media (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: On Tuesday 29 September, Government approved the terms of reference and membership of the Future of Media Commission. Professor Brian Mac Craith has been appointed as Chair of the Commission. Other members of the Commission include: - Sinéad Burke, Director of Tilting the Lens, writer and academic active in social media, and member of the Council of State - Alan Rusbridger, Chair of the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Planning Issues (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: There is a recognised need for more comprehensive and holistic tools to better assess well-being as an aid to policy and budgetary decisions. We are committed to developing such new measures of well-being and progress as envisaged in the Programme for Government. Much work has been done in this area which we can learn and build upon. The Department of Finance has conducted research exploring...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff (6 Oct 2020)

Micheál Martin: My Department takes an active approach to managing sick leave consistent with the relevant Department of Public Expenditure and Reform sick leave circulars. These also set out the sick leave entitlements of staff across the Civil Service including various limits which apply. The most recent validated sick leave statistics for my Department relate to 2018.My Department's Lost Time Rate for...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: As I said, there is no security committee of Cabinet in the first instance. The main focus of the questions as they evolved is around pay, recruitment and retention. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Minister for Defence are engaged in terms of what measures can be taken, in particular to assist the Naval Service in its situation without creating issues for the wider...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: That is the intention. I am making it clear that depends on the company, as it looks at it. I do not want to pre-empt its work but, obviously, it has to be done in a timely way. The point is that students will have to be given assurances in terms of places they already have. A lot of work will have to be done with the third level colleges, the universities and the CAO system to assist...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: It is important that that be done. There is a set timeframe which the Minister will reveal. It is very, very regrettable. Believe me, it is not something about which I or anybody wanted to hear, least of all the students themselves. I know it will cause additional alarm and worry. The objective now is to reassure students in terms of the places they already have and, if necessary, in...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: No. The Department will make a presentation on that this afternoon publicly and comprehensively, which is the correct thing to do. The Department has carried out a series of further checks. It has identified no further errors in the coding and it has checked that the coding-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: There is no issue with the Minister coming in. She will present to the Dáil.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: That depends on logistics. My understanding is that a comprehensive statement will be made at 4 p.m., which is important.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: It will be made publicly such that students and everybody else can hear it. That is the intention of the Minister.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: Of course, the Minister will make herself available to come to the House and answer questions. The Department has contracted Educational Testing Service, which is a US-based non-profit organisation that specialises in educational measurement to review the essential aspects of the coding that underpinned the calculated grades system. The results data are now being rerun through the corrected...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 7 together. While there is no formal Cabinet committee dealing exclusively with security matters, I receive regular updates on the security situation and any relevant incidents and events. Ministers can also update the Government as necessary on security-related issues that arise in their areas of responsibility. In addition, the national security...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: We would.