Results 1-20 of 45,936 for speaker:Micheál Martin

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

Micheál Martin: That is no secret.

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

Micheál Martin: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to present this Bill that will play a key role in driving the necessary transformation of the Defence Forces to the House. A number of high-profile reviews have been undertaken on matters relating to the defence sector in recent years. Key reports include those of the Commission on the Defence Forces and the Independent...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy is saying there are four additional classes required in the school.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I will follow that up with the Minister for Education. It is very devastating news for parents. It creates a lot of anxiety when parents cannot be clear or certain that their child will get a place next September. We have worked hard to try to deal with that in the first two years of Government. We dealt with the backlog and got new schools and new classes. The NCSE has approved more...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I commend the Deputy for raising this issue. We need to try to find a way now to resolve it and deal with it. It is a very serious issue. I have had presentations from people who have been victims of what the Deputy has outlined, which resulted in the loss of a child for a period by one of the parents. It is quite frightening that it happened. It needs perhaps the relevant Oireachtas...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: While we did announce our intention to do it, and legislation is being prepared and has been approved by Government, I cannot give the Deputy a guarantee that this is all going to be through both Houses between now and-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: That is a tall order. Inevitably in situations like this, when we announce new departures and new legislation, there will always be those who will be outside of the enactment of that legislation.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: It could be called the Carlow caveat or the Carlow clause.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue in a constructive way with a proposal to deal with the issue. I could not agree more that multi-agency working is essential. One of the great problems and challenges in public services is the silo mentality and the absence of a genuine cross-agency and multiple agency co-operation approach. I will refer the matter to the Minister for Justice and the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. It is important. Citizens Information offices are essential in terms of providing information to our citizens and have performed wonderfully over the years. The Deputy mentioned that an additional allocation was made to cover a pay deal this year. I will have to check with the Department of public expenditure and the Department of Social...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy is getting more bellicose as the elections are getting closer. Deputy Chambers is a fine Minister of State.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy seemed to indicate to me that there is a commitment to do it, if various sites have been looked at.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I am surmising that what the Deputy is saying is that sites are being rejected because there is no commitment to provide.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I will revert to the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers. Drogheda is a large town of 40,000 people. It is a fine town with great history and great heritage. It is an important resource for people.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I appreciate the constructive approach the Deputy has taken in terms of working with school principals and schools in the area to bring about an increase - 19, he said - in the number of classes. In the context of Sacred Heart, I will certainly intervene with the Minister to see if the needs of that school in terms of two ASD classes can be provided for.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Through the Chair, two or three years ago there was a lot of concern in the House about backlogs and delays in getting passports. The speed at which one can get passports today online is quite dramatic. It is tremendous all round. More staff have been recruited and we continue to do this. It is a good service and it is responding well. When there are individual problems it equally...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The real issue with passports is that we work with people and we can just get the procedures correct but there is always a security dimension. We have it in other debates in the House on other issues, where people are condemning the Government for the absence of security dimensions.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: There is an issue with disability services and CDNT teams. My view is that the progressing disability programme has not worked. The progressing disability policy was announced in 2013 and it simply has not worked and we need to change it. I have been working with the HSE and various education and equality bodies. Parents and children cannot wait any longer. This should not impede the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I cannot talk about an individual case but from what I understand, the position in this particular case is that the person in question sought international protection in Ireland and inquiries identified he had previously been an applicant in the United Kingdom. Under the arrangement in place since 2020 the United Kingdom agreed to accept his return and also advised that he had been convicted...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Justice has asked for a review of the case to be carried out.