Results 19,441-19,460 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: First, as I said yesterday, this act was wrong, in my view. I am very clearly of the view that such iconic historic buildings and locations should be preserved or, at a minimum, incorporated in whatever developments are taking place. I instanced the Moore Street development and the discussions that took quite considerable time and involved Deputies from all sides of this House, including...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: Yes, the Department of Education and Skills has, I understand, found two errors in the leaving certificate 2020 calculated grades. My understanding is that the Minister for Education and Skills will be making a comprehensive statement today on what has occurred, the measures taken to rectify that, the re-checking of that process and bringing in independent external evaluation. Above all, we...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: Our priority has to be the students themselves in terms of how they receive this information. Students may receive grade upgrades for some of their grades as a result of these errors, and they have to be communicated with first.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: The commission has a very wide agenda already and it would not have been correct to include defamation as well. Defamation in itself can be complex and needs a separate process involving the Department of Justice and Equality, the Minister with responsibility for media, Deputy Catherine Martin, and the Government as a whole. Defamation needs to be reviewed and we will follow through on the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: Yes but I just wanted to say that the commission deals with that. It also deals with the financial underpinning of media into the future and the changing media landscape. Public service broadcasting is still a very important part of that, as is local radio. We have seen the best of the media during the pandemic itself, which should reinforce our commitment to do something about the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I have the photographs here that the Deputy sent to my office during the week. They are quite shocking in terms of the appalling levels of dumping in which people are engaging. Illegal dumping is an attack on our society, our communities and our pristine landscape and there should be zero tolerance for that type of behaviour. The fines are quite...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy Kelly for his question and the issues he has raised. There is no doubt that the impact of Covid-19 on the economy has been very severe in 2020, and especially on the domestic side of the economy. Regarding the multinational sector, it is worth saying this, and the Deputy will acknowledge it and get it, but a lot of people in the House do not get it, that Sinn Féin and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: That will be considered. The scheme referred to by Deputy Kelly is being looked at. There is also the broader issue of how we sustain our hospitality sector over the medium term, acknowledging and accepting that Covid-19 will have a significant impact on our economy for the full 12 months of 2021. If we accept that it has a specific impact on the food, accommodation, beverage and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issues. A strong, vibrant and independent media on all platforms is central to our parliamentary democracy and to freedom of speech. The Future of Media Commission is platform agnostic in that sense. It is not taking a preferential view of one platform over another. It is being asked to look at public service broadcasting into the future and how that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy has a lot of talk and her party colleagues talk a lot, but what is absent, in my view, is any coherent plan in terms of employment, affordability or housing. They talk a lot about those things but, in my view, much of it is without substance. If one reads the ESRI report comprehensively, it uses the phrase "extraordinary fiscal interventions" in reference to the Government's...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: First, I think it is a good report by the ESRI. I want to say that, contrary to the pandemic increasing affordability issues in the sector, the ESRI is actually saying that, in the short term, affordability may have actually improved over recent months because of, to use its own phrase, "extraordinary fiscal measures [introduced by the Government] in the form of the Pandemic Unemployment...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Broadcasting Sector (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: In December 2019 the Government agreed the terms of reference for the Commission on the Future of Irish Public Service Broadcasting to be established by the Department of the Taoiseach. The former President of Dublin City University, Professor Brian Mac Craith was appointed as Chair of the Commission. The Programme for Government has expanded the remit of the Public Service Broadcasting...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 25 together. The Department does not engage third part media monitoring services. As part of the press office’s normal operation, both traditional print and social media are monitored for content of relevance to the work of the Department.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (30 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: The total amount spent by my Department on access to online and hardcopy media publications since May 2020 to date is €17,183 and €17,416 respectively.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Broadcasting Sector (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I agree with much of what has been stated by the Deputies. I did not quite catch the final point made by Deputy Bruton. Is it the balance between traditional media and-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Broadcasting Sector (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: When we say in "a platform-agnostic fashion", I think there is a view emerging that there has been a seismic change in terms of non-traditional media, such as those using online platforms. As Deputy Ó Ríordáin stated, that has impacted on the quality of life of journalists and the quality of the job itself. It is extraordinary that those currently working in journalism must...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Shared Island Unit (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: I am somewhat amused by some of the contributions from the Deputies opposite. Deputy Conway-Walsh said she did not want me to lecture her. I have no intention of doing so.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Shared Island Unit (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: Sorry now, I did not interrupt anybody. I would equally ask Deputy Conway-Walsh not to lecture me. Since first coming into this House I have had a commitment to North-South relationships and to the issue of the future of this island. That has been my principal interest. I have worked hard behind the scenes and as a Minister to develop collegiate arrangements with people of all political...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Shared Island Unit (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: If we shout "united Ireland" better than somebody else, we are more deserving of grassroots support.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Shared Island Unit (29 Sep 2020)

Micheál Martin: It is much more profound and complex than that.