Results 1-20 of 49,960 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy raised a very legitimate issue in terms of the testing backlog, which has been there for quite some time. I will speak to the Minister again in terms of talking to the Road Safety Authority. Decisions have been taken on reform of the driver testing aspect and responsibility for that. I will talk to the Minister again, given the urgency of this.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: We come to the House and we talk about value for money for taxpayers and everything else. I respect the IPU. It has a job to do, which is to advocate for pharmacists, but just because it says a certain figure, do we all just say that is the figure?

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I know all of that.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: The HRT product was offered free to people. The IPU said it wanted a dispensing fee. There has always been a dispensing fee for other medicines and so on. It falls to negotiation between the Minister for Health and the IPU. The Minister for Health has offered €5, plus €1,000 for signing up. In my view, it is not a bad deal at all.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: If we are going to arbitrate every negotiation in the House, it will be no basis for negotiating with professional bodies or businesses and so on. Pharmacies have a key role to play. We need to roll out the service for women. I have concerns about how this is being arbitrated.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I understand from a certain perspective why the Deputy is concerned about it. My understanding is that it stems from an EU directive in respect of grants for fossil fuels essentially, for installations that have a fossil fuel dimension. However, I will examine it. I understand there is some leeway in terms of purchasing second-hand boilers and so...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: It is a very sad and shocking situation for the family of Aoife Winterlich. I believe a full and comprehensive apology should be given in respect of this. My understanding is that this has been in the courts as well.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: There would have been a full assessment of this during the court process. In my view, when something like this happens, the response should be fulsome and it should be without conditions.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: Very significant work was undertaken by the last Government and the Minister, Deputy McEntee, in respect of gender-based violence. Indeed, I would have launched the first strategy as Taoiseach with the Minister, Deputy McEntee. The Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, is absolutely committed to continuing to progress this agenda in government. The programme for Government is very clear in...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. Perhaps he can send me a note on it. I presume the Minister for Finance is aware of the case. I will speak to the Minister for Finance in respect of the content of the Bill and in terms of the inclusion in the resolution office of all outstanding issues to which the Deputy has alluded.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: First of all, I never used the phrase "where it was gone". I never used that phrase.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I made the point that it was now April, €20 million had been allocated to Cork City Council and the city council was saying the €20 million was all gone. My view is that there have been issues around the operation of the tenant in situ scheme nationally and they have to be dealt with. Fundamentally, we have to target it at those who are in danger of homelessness because of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: There is an issue here and it is not just in Cork. The scheme was brought in in 2023 and it has been very successful and very effective. We want to continue to ensure it is effective.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: The Meals on Wheels service is outstanding for a number of reasons in terms of the food and nutrition made available and the contact and engagement in the neighbourhood or community. The Minister of State, Mary Butler, has done exceptional work in substantially increasing the funding to Meals on Wheels. The funding allocation for the service has increased by close to 80% in the past three...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: The amount of users and also the costs I accept have gone up, but 80% is a fairly significant increase. The programme for Government commits to further increased funding for the national Meals on Wheels network and to developing a plan to ensure that we support providers in every town in the country. Then, €10 million was made available in capital funding for community capital...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: If the Deputy is saying the LDA has identified the sites, I will talk to the LDA about where current plans and progress are in terms of advancing housing on those particular sites. The whole idea of the housing activation office is, if there are issues with the sites in terms of water, grid or whatever, to unblock those at a local level. I will certainly pursue that. Existing cities and...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: My understanding is a lot of work happened during the time of the last Government. It would have been, I think, the Department of children at the time. I will ask the Minister for Justice to examine the issues the Deputy has raised. I presume he or other people have written to the Minister.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: If the Deputy is suggesting there are irregularities or whatever, I am not familiar with those and I cannot comment on that. I will raise the issue with the Minister.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue in the frank and honest way he did. I wish him personally the very best as he responds to the condition of MS. It is very important that we create national awareness around this issue and related conditions. Is it 150 km the Deputy is going to do?

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Apr 2025)

Micheál Martin: That is fair going. The best of luck on that. I will talk to the Minister for Health. I think it is her ambition to complete all the neurorehabilitation units. This is very important. Neurology has been a challenging area for quite a while in terms of neurologists. We have made a lot of progress in the past couple of years compared to where we were. Neurology and neurological...