Results 1-20 of 396 for drugs speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: ...of 25% in childcare costs. More than half the population is now entitled to free GP care. We abolished hospital inpatient charges also, as well as other charges. We reduced the threshold in respect of the drug payments scheme. We brought in a rent tax credit. An unprecedented number of measures have been taken to try to ease the undoubted increase in costs that people have...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: ...this year. There is also a whole range of urban renewal and rural community development funds that are putting money into towns across the length and breadth of the country, including Clonmel. On drug dealing and addiction generally, we have a challenge in the country and not just in Clonmel. It is an area on which we need renewed focus. We need a multidsiciplinary response to the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: ...Analysis and Operations Centre Narcotics, MAOC(N), which is an international maritime intelligence centre supported by the European Union, requested a Naval Service ship to assist with maritime drug interdiction operations. Although Ireland is a strong supporter of the centre and was, in fact, one of the founding members, consideration could not be given to deploying a ship given there...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: National Security (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: ...is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with our obligations as a member of the EU, it also carries out a number of other non-fishery related tasks including maritime surveillance, drug interdiction, search and rescue, and maritime defence and security operations (MDSO). As such any Naval Service patrol should be viewed as a multi-faceted activity. The Naval...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council, UN Matters and Individually Tailored Partnership Programme with NATO: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (14 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: ...the member states and the UK in respect of activity in international waters or suspicious activity with certain ships and there is a lot of exchange of information. When it comes to dealing with drug traffickers and so on, there is a lot of co-ordination on an intelligence level and our new C295s now give us tremendous capacities from the air in terms of maritime surveillance and...

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: ..., I am strongly of the view that the provisions outlined in this section are proportionate to protect the apolitical nature of the Defence Forces. Section 12 relates to the programme of random drug testing for members of the Defence Forces that has been in place for several years. Sections 14 and 15 make technical amendments to sections 177 and 177A of the Defence Act 1954 that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: ...Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (Narcotics), which is an international maritime intelligence centre supported by the European Union, requested a Naval Service ship to assist with maritime drug interdiction operations. Although Ireland is a strong supporter of the centre and was in fact one of the founding members, a ship could not be sent given that there would be no UN mandate...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Apr 2024)

Micheál Martin: ...approach to this. As the Deputy knows, the Road Traffic Bill has passed Committee Stage. That is important in the context of the new priorities, such as penalty points system reform, mandatory drug testing at the scene of serious collisions and so forth. On the sharing of collision data, I agree with the Deputy one hundred per cent. It is not satisfactory that the inability to share...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Apr 2024)

Micheál Martin: ...€40 million was invested in national cancer services. That brought in new treatments for cancer patients and has reduced waiting times to access diagnosis and treatment. Funding of €70 million for new radiation oncology facilities in Galway has been provided. We can look at the example of cancer drugs. We put in an additional €30 million for additional drugs at the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Naval Service (21 Mar 2024)

Micheál Martin: ...among various countries and agencies. This is what happened recently when a major intervention took place. The Defence Forces successfully landed on a ship and intervened to carry out the largest drugs seizure in the history of the State. Maritime surveillance is not solely carried out by Naval Service ships. We also have aircraft, namely, CN-235s and, now, C-295s. We are far greater...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (21 Mar 2024)

Micheál Martin: ..., Procurement and Recruitment/Retention. Our Naval Service is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles, including a fishery protection service and a number of other tasks including drug interdiction, search and rescue, and maritime defence and security operations. The Naval Service is currently operating a three ship model, with two ships operational and another ship on...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2024)

Micheál Martin: In fact, €98 million of new money has been provided since this Government came in for new medicines. I refer to 148 new medicines in the past three years, as well as 39 new drugs or new uses of existing drugs with an orphan designation. By orphan, we mean drugs for rare diseases and they are termed orphan drugs because of that. We spend €3 billion a year on medicines. That...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2024)

Micheál Martin: In the last three years there have been about 61 new drugs or new uses of existing drugs for use in oncology alone for cancer patients. It is a very rapidly moving area, particularly in terms of immunotherapy drugs and so on. The funding has gone up exponentially over time. We need a system to evaluate this and make sure we get best value for money. In principle, I am disposed to getting...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2024)

Micheál Martin: .... In the last three years, this has amounted to €98 million, with 148 new medicines approved. The total expenditure in that basket was about €327 million, to the end of 2023. We also made €30 million available this year for new drugs. There has been €20 million in new Government investment and the HSE has been requested to identify €10 million in...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (28 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: There are three anti-malarial drugs in use by the Defence Forces, namely Lariam (mefloquine), Malarone and Doxycycline. The choice of medication is a medical decision made by Medical Officers in the Defence Forces, having regard to the specific circumstances of the mission and the individual member of the Defence Forces. A Working Group reviewed the Defence Forces approach in relation...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: ...of access to free GP care in the history of the State, to 500,000 more people. That means that up to 60% of our population is now eligible for a GP card or medical card. We have reduced the drugs payment scheme cost. We have significantly funded diagnostic scans for patients. We introduced free contraception for women up to the age of 31. For the first time, we have providing funding...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Official Engagements (14 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: ..., the dynamics of the Total Peace initiative and the EMC dialogue process. We also discussed ongoing police cooperation, including how this could be further developed, approaches to tackling organised crime and drug use, the use of models of citizen engagement, and police reform. My meetings with the OACP were important to deepening understanding of Ireland's guarantor role in the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: ...in a particular location for maybe good, benign or innocent reasons or not so innocent reasons. There is that kind of collective effort where people will alert people. Likewise, in the context of drugs and so on, there is obviously Interpol and forces that combine. I was in Colombia recently. We have a superintendent in Colombia attached to our embassy who works with the Colombian...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: ...and being very struck by their backgrounds, their life journeys and where they are now in life. They are making very significant contributions to society. One of them is working in the area of drug addiction and acting as a counsellor working with the HSE to support people in difficulty, as well as others. I am sure the military would be equally responsive to this type of approach too....

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: ...indicated that nerve pain and pain generally is the area people are suggesting for expansion. It certainly is an area that could lend itself to the use of medical cannabis. At the moment, the drug is used for severe, refractory epilepsy, spasticity as a result of multiple sclerosis and nausea as a result of chemotherapy. We need a stronger evidence basis for its clinical efficacy. Now...