Results 1-20 of 46,387 for speaker:Micheál Martin
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: I take the Deputy's point and his concerns in regard to the rising cost of house insurance. The Government has implemented a whole suite of reforms in relation to the insurance industry which is reducing the costs and the scale of rewards. It is time the insurance industry responded with keener pricing and reductions in some of the premia. We also need more competition in the market. Even...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy Cahill for raising the issue. I am aware that he has been very focused on raising this issue on a consistent basis and I am glad that progress has been achieved as a result of his advocacy in respect to the VAT rebate question for those in agriculture, and farming in particular. I will again speak to the Minister for Finance to ensure the meetings happen with the Revenue...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I will talk to the Minister for Health. I obviously do not have the specific details of the individual organisation but psychotherapy, and even the title It's Good 2 Talk, reflects well. I do not know the specifics as to why the HSE was not in a position to fund the organisation this year. However, I will raise the matter with the Minister.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: Sinn Féin is all over the place these days. Some 38,000 social homes have been added to the social housing stock, up to Q4 of 2023, since this Government came into office.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: I know. Some 12,000 social homes were delivered. Of these, 8,110 were built in 2023, while, yes, others were leased. Why was this? It was because the Deputy, and others, have come into the House and spoken, rightly, about homelessness and everything else. If we did not lease some of these houses, then we would have more homelessness. The Deputy is talking about 25 years' time. I think...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: It is evidence of us doing everything we possibly can to try to house people-----
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: -----who are homeless or are in significant difficulties.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: We will get more houses built.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: For 2024, about €2.7 billion is being spent on special education. This will allow for the opening of 400 new special classes and 300 additional special school places. We had a meeting last week of the Cabinet subcommittee on education and special needs education. The Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State with special responsibility for special education,...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: That work is under way.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: The Government is very committed to expanding Garda numbers all over the country, including in Drogheda. During Covid-19, with the closure of Templemore training college, there was a reduction in the number of gardaí coming through. The most recent Garda recruitment campaign, though, which ran in January and February of this year, has received a very strong response, with over 6,300...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: It is great to see so many people wanting to join An Garda Síochána, especially among people aged 35 to 50. We are determined to ensure that An Garda Síochána will grow to 15,000 members.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: That complement will then enable us to increase the numbers of gardaí in towns like Drogheda. That is the commitment. We are going to increase the number of gardaí but we have to recruit them and get them trained first.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: I studied archaeology in my first year in college and I have always had a strong affection for it ever since.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: I studied under the late Professor O'Kelly who was involved in Maynooth and discoveries in Lough Gur. I will talk to the OPW.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: In fairness, when people say they do not discuss sites publicly, this is meant in good faith because it can inflate prices if somebody thinks the State is going to roll in.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: It seems very exciting in terms of what the Deputy is suggesting-----
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: -----and I will talk to the OPW about it.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: I do not accept that the current embargo, as it is called, has caused this issue because 28,000 extra people have been recruited into the health service since 2020. One has to wonder why specific healthcare professional categories were not recruited with the same success as other categories have been. I have recently asked for data on audiologists because, as the Deputy knows, there are now...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)
Micheál Martin: I will refer this matter to the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly-----