Results 41-60 of 46,387 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: In terms of focusing on just one aspect of this challenge, we should focus on the broader picture. There are two fundamental challenges, digitalisation and decarbonisation, which we must try to reconcile. Whether we like it or not, data centres are a necessary infrastructure for many of the services we now take for granted, including technological advances such as cloud computing, quantum...

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

Micheál Martin: I acknowledge the sincerity with which the Deputy has approached this matter. That he comes across situations such as these is evidence of his diligence at constituency level. This is not the first case about which he has articulated concern due to his diligence on the ground. I indicated that a full review of the SNA contract is on the way as part of the SNA workforce development plan....

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

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I know he and many other public representatives are strong advocates for Clonmel. Councillor Siobhán Ambrose regularly gets in touch with me about the well-being of Clonmel. It is a lovely town, and I like Clonmel.

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

Micheál Martin: It has considerable potential and has grown and expanded significantly over the past two decades. There has been significant investment in the town. I appreciate the Deputy acknowledging the investment in the university hospital. As far back as my time as Minister for Health, we invested significantly in Clonmel University Hospital. There is a challenge here on which we need to...

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

Micheál Martin: A new 50-bed community nursing unit is being built at a cost of €13 million and will be completed 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...

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

Micheál Martin: I did mention sick pay.

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

Micheál Martin: I said that from January 2024, the number of statutory sick leave days has increased from three to five.

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

Micheál Martin: There has not been a decision on the next phase, but there is a review.

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

Micheál Martin: That is not a decision. Let us be very clear-----

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

Micheál Martin: There is an issue. The most fundamental thing is to create employment opportunities in our economy. Most people want to be at work. The Deputy nodded in affirmation that the hospitality and retail sectors have been on to him. The first people to lose out if costs become unsustainable are those very vulnerable and low-paid workers he was talking about, because it will mean fewer people...

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

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. When I was Minister for Education in 1998, I took a decision and brought a related memorandum to the Cabinet providing for the employment of SNAs for the first time in mainstream schools. It was a watershed decision and I can recall how dubious Department of Finance officials were about my protestations to the effect that the measure...

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

Micheál Martin: It is noticeable from his reply that the Deputy avoided any response to the fundamental problem-----

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

Micheál Martin: Through the Chair.

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

Micheál Martin: There are 550 first-time buyers each week now buying their first home. Mortgage drawdowns by first-time buyers reached a new peak at almost 26,000 in 2023. That is the highest annual level since 2007.

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

Micheál Martin: Listening to the Deputy one would be forgiven for thinking that none of that is happening. What has been important in that is the expanded help-to-buy scheme of €30,000 to support home ownership.

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

Micheál Martin: More than 45,000 first-time buyers have benefited and the Deputy's party wants to take that support away from those who want to buy their first home.

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

Micheál Martin: The first home scheme and the shared equity scheme was opposed by the Deputy.

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

Micheál Martin: The Deputy also opposed the grants for the vacancies and so on. Housing supply is growing very significantly.

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

Micheál Martin: It is very interesting that as I endeavour to respond to the Deputy; I did not interrupt the Deputy once-----

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

Micheál Martin: I have known from the Deputy that most people like a bit of melody, but with Deputy Pearse Doherty it is a cacophony all the way with shouting, roaring and noise as if the decibel levels reveals the Deputy's rightness-----