Results 19,501-19,520 of 50,453 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: The European Banking Authority has clarified the matter of application of interest in cases of payment breaks that people have received from banks. It is worth pointing out that approximately 140,000 payment breaks have been issued in respect of approximately 78,000 mortgages. These are popular initiatives and many people have availed of them and found them very helpful. The Minister for...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising what is a serious issue, namely, mental health services in general, but specifically mental health services in Clonmel and the rest of Tipperary. There are two dimensions to mental health services. One is obviously physical facilities. I refer to acute capacity — in other words, acute beds — in particular facilities. The south east in general,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: First, I do have the will to deal with this issue. Second, as I said, the Minister of State will work with the Deputy on this. Every region needs acute capacity but the Deputy should not underestimate the importance of strong community-based mental health services. In my view, a continuum is needed. The better and the stronger the community health presence, the less the need for acute...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I think the Deputy was very disingenuous and dishonest in her presentation. I was not in government in 2015 and I have not been in government over the past number of years. We have been in government for one week. That is the reality, unlike the great political untruth and mantra that the Deputy and her party have been peddling for quite some time. It is disingenuous and it does a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: It is in the programme for Government that there is a commitment to legislating-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: -----in respect of the separation of property from trading entities that is being used. The Tánaiste and Minister will be examining that legislation. That will happen but it is not going to deal with the Debenhams workers' plight, and the Deputy knows that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: It is important that when we are dealing with workers who have gone through a traumatic situation, it is not to try to raise expectations unrealistically and blame everybody else when it is the company that is fundamentally at fault in its behaviour towards the workers.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: It was not the previous Government's fault and it is not this Government's fault, but what the Government certainly can do is look at the legislation in dealing with it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for his question and presentation. I agree with him, particularly on the contribution that front-line health service staff and those in the background have made to the fight against Covid-19, effectively contributing to the suppression of the virus for now and to a very low level of community transmission. I also share the Deputy's admiration for the work of Dr. Tony...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: Portiuncula Hospital has had a net reduction of about eight beds because, as the Deputy said, of the impact of Covid-19 and the desire to prevent the spread of the virus throughout the hospital, and to have sufficient isolation facilities for suspected cases and any particular case the hospital has of a patient with Covid. The Deputy is correct that the number of presentations at emergency...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and the question in regard to the Debenhams workers. My response yesterday was not lacklustre and it was not equivocal in terms of how Debenhams has treated its workers in Ireland. It has treated them very badly and very poorly. The State will do everything it can to support the workers who have been made redundant by the company in the manner...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (7 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: How much time do I have?

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (7 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: Do I have ten minutes after that?

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (7 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I will go back over all the notes.

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (7 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: We will have to work with organisations such as Threshold to be in a position to have the capacity to support people who could be in difficulty in the months ahead with either rent or mortgage arrears, or with evictions. There is currently a moratorium on evictions and a freeze on rents. As restrictions have been lifted, issues with those will arise. As I said earlier, the ESRI report will...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (7 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I echo the Deputy's comments regarding Dr. Tony Holohan. I am on the record as having recognised his outstanding contribution, which has assisted the country in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, his calm delivery of messages to the public and his understanding of the gravity of the issue. He conveyed that very effectively. We offer him and his family our best wishes at this difficult time.

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (7 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I will examine the issues raised by Deputy Harkin and revert to the relevant Departments on them.

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (7 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: I endorse the Deputy's comments regarding the value, importance and centrality of the CSO as an independent data-collection body. Its agenda for the coming year includes a census on agriculture and a population census. I will examine the Deputy's proposal that, if I understand it correctly, the Government should consider increasing the level of funding available to the CSO in respect of...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (7 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: One of the fundamental pillars of Government intervention to date has been the wage subsidy scheme to which all parties agreed. It will be continued. The Government has made clear that there will not be a sudden cliff edge for those coming off the subsidy. Work on the wage subsidy scheme and the pandemic unemployment payment is under way n the context of the job stimulus package to be...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (7 Jul 2020)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy is correct that there has been a major increase, of €20 million, in respect of the public communications campaign around Covid-19. That has to be accepted because in a pandemic, particularly a global pandemic of an unprecedented kind, comprehensive communications are vital at every step along the way. That was done and I think it worked. It needs to continue as long as we...