Results 201-220 of 45,704 for speaker:Micheál Martin
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: I am aware of the issues and I have spoken to the Minister for Health generally in respect of the recruitment issues to see if a resolution can be found more expeditiously on that. I will speak to the Minister again. A very significant investment has been made in Nenagh in respect of the community nursing unit where, I believe, up to €20 million has been allocated to it under the...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: We have ramped up the school building programme over the past two years and additional allocations are to be made in respect of the national development plan, NDP, as outlined by the Deputy. I expect all of those issues to be resolved very quickly so, therefore, we can hopefully have progress on the schools referred to by the Deputy.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: I cannot give that commitment today to the Deputy. I do not know how long the committee sat for. It was probably nearly a year where it deliberated upon a very complex issue. Deputies in my own party participated in that and commented on the report with regard to the comprehensive work that went on, the consultations that took place and the hearings that happened. The Government should...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: If the Deputy knows of specific cases, I ask him to bring them to the Department's attention. I will speak to the Minister for Education after this session and will raise the fact that a number of Deputies have raised this issue. I know the objective is to provide places for children when it is appropriate for them to progress to primary or secondary level schools.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: As we know, referendums can be very complex.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: The first row will be about the wording.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: I make the point that we now have a national State body in public ownership. There is no question of the privatisation of Irish Water or water supplies at all-----
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: -----other than the group water schemes, which are private schemes delivered by local communities. It is simple to propose referendums, but we have all learned the complexity involved in-----
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: -----formulating a referendum proposal and delivering one through-----
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I acknowledge a long-term Covid diagnosis and the existence of the Covid sick pay scheme is a very serious issue. I will talk to the Minister of Health on this matter. I will also raise with the Minister for public expenditure the fact that it has been raised and there have been discussions. I will see what the situation is and revert to the Deputy.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: Yes. It is the ESB's job to make sure the meters work. The Opposition obviously does not think I am a man of many talents, but fixing smart meters is not one of them anyway. I have to confess it is not my area of expertise. I take the Deputy's point on the policy, however. There is probably room for moving the time, although it should be kept away from peak time as much as possible, but...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: What stage is it at?
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: Has it gone to design?
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: Some progress has been made. I will talk to the Minister in respect of where that project is and how we can expedite it.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: The fishery has been closed on scientific advice to make sure stocks can recover. Can the Deputy be a bit more honest in his public debate on these issues? He presents it in a certain way-----
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: -----and with a certain spin. Is he saying we should ignore scientific advice? Is he saying we should now enter into a new era where we simply ignore all advice that we get, just do whatever we want, allow the stocks to be depleted and then some fine day people will turn up and there will be no fish to fish? I am advised that the fishery has been closed on scientific advice, with reducing...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: Come off the stage.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: The Deputy calls our honesty into question every single day.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: Come off the stage.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (21 Mar 2024)
Micheál Martin: I think the Deputy is talking about the special education teacher model and its organisation. There are about 14,600 special education teachers supporting mainstream classes in the 2024-25 school year. That is an increase of about 1,000 since the end of the 2021 school year. It is the highest number of special education teachers ever in our schools. The model has been in place since 2017....