Martin, Micheál

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions

The housing crisis is deepening and Government efforts are failing to impact significantly on it. The cost of housing is growing at twice the rate of average earnings across the country. Rent pri...

This, by any yardstick, is a litany of failure. Plan after plan has been produced and they have not worked in accordance with the targets set in each plan. There was an over-reliance on the fre...

There have been attempts to engineer a change from home ownership to rental. The current budget alone in terms of rental schemes is anywhere up to €900 million, an extraordinary figure. It is i...

Will the Taoiseach answer clearly when does he expect we will have a situation where children will no longer have to live in hotel rooms or emergency accommodation and will have access to public ...

The Taoiseach's comments regarding homeless children living in emergency accommodation are quite depressing. He said there was a slight fall in the number. I am not talking about the situation we...

At 68%, home ownership is at the lowest level since 1971. That is the reality. Despite what the Taoiseach said in terms of his stated position, the reality is there was a significant shift in t...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (Continued)

To date, they have not been dealt with in the context of people's capacity to afford to buy homes. The Taoiseach might indicate the progress that has been made in terms of the affordable homes sch...

Has the Taoiseach not had it?

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation

There are many challenges to the capital plan announced by the Government, particularly after the overspend on the national children's hospital and the national broadband plan. There is a huge dif...

The point I want to put to the Taoiseach is that there have been rumours to the effect there has been a major overrun on the cost of that project relative to the original estimate. We have table...

No, the only person to suggest that was Senator Jerry Buttimer.

That is very stilly stuff. The people want to know. This has been going on for ten years.

They do not want to know the rest. They do not believe in that silly carry-on. It is just because the Taoiseach's press office is on steroids.

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy

Duine agus polaiteoir den scoth ab ea Mark Killilea. Tírghráthóir a bhí ann. Duine a thuig tábhacht an ghnáthdhuine agus bhí Mark dílis dá mhuintir féin agus dá dhúiche féin. Bhí suim dháiríre f...

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (Continued)

He initially ran for the Dáil in 1973. In his own style, he said he was nicked of that seat when the Roscommon boxes came in. He lost by just 140 votes. In the great election victory of 1977, he...

Many among our younger generations will find it difficult to comprehend how hard it was to get a phone into a house in the late 1970s. There were extraordinary delays of months. Between them, h...

The early 1980s, when I was a student in UCC, were a traumatic and difficult time for politicians. There were three elections in 1981 and 1982. It was a time of great instability and trauma for...

In 1987, Ray MacSharry returned to Ireland from the European Parliament and Mark got his opportunity to become an MEP. He was returned to it in subsequent elections. It is fair to say that he s...

I mentioned that he was a gregarious individual. He developed great friendships in politics across all parties. That is a trait of parliamentarians that we sometimes understate. It is importan...

-----Mr. Paisley shouted in, "Will you give up drinking that devil's buttermilk?" Undaunted, Mark responded, "Come in and have one [yourself]." That was the nature of the banter and relationship ...

Mark always said that he could never have become a politician without his friendship and partnership with his beloved wife, Anne. They worked extremely hard as a team for their community. At ti...

All of the Killilea family will remember Mark as a great husband, a devoted father and grandfather, and someone who brought great love and fun to their lives. He was also a great public servant ...

Cabinet Committee Meetings

The Taoiseach will be aware that the Minister for Finance has explicitly ruled out the possibility of any Supplementary Estimate for the Department of Health later this year but, in contrast, when ...

I note that up to 2012 the HSE demonstrated a strong ability to deliver within budget but that changed due to a new political approach to service plans introduced by the Cabinet. The Irish Fisca...

I put it to the Taoiseach that whereas he talked about Sláintecare and some of the issues around thresholds, etc., that are doable, at the essence of the health service at the operational level a...

Asked the Taoiseach: the number of times Cabinet committee D, infrastructure, met in 2019.

Cabinet Committee Meetings (Continued)

I was referring to the HSE.

When the national development plan was launched early last year, it had already been the subject of the most sustained pre-publicity in our history. The work for the plan was completed about six m...

At the core of the national development plan was a promise that everything was costed and would be delivered within budget, and there would be full transparency. This was going to be assured by ...

The simple fact is the Government wants to continue advertising its original claims and does not want to acknowledge the impact of major overspending. There is a complete and irreconcilable gap ...

Last year, the Taoiseach was able to issue detailed tables of cost for projects on a regional and national basis. Why is he refusing to update these tables? There is a need for honesty with the p...

With the greatest of respect, people are fed up hearing about 2030 and 2040 and that the Government is going to do this and that. Many projects have been announced for the Cork region. The joke...

The Taoiseach did not respond to my question regarding the Dunkettle interchange either.

Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website.

Cork Mail Centre: Motion [Private Members] (Continued)

I wish to share time with Deputies Michael McGrath, Murphy O'Mahony and Aindrias Moynihan.

I welcome the opportunity to participate in this debate. In the first instance, I would say to the Minister as a representative of the State and the shareholder in the company there is a clear r...

I am not trying to score political points. I have been accused of being the person who is now responsible, according to Deputy Barry, for the centre's closure. I will not go there because there a...

We raised it.

Apprenticeship Data

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: if all new apprenticeship programmes developed since 2017 will receive the same allowances for apprentices attending college as apprenticeships developed prior to 2017; and if he will make a statem...

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: the number of new apprenticeships developed since 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: the number of apprentices enrolled per apprenticeship programme developed since 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Trade Agreements

Asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation: if she has discussed the potential Mercosur agreement with her other EU counterparts recently.

Postal Services

Asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment: when he received the report from An Post on the closure of the mail centre in County Cork; the analysis undertaken in his Department regarding the decision; and if he will make a statement on the m...

Asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment: when the report recommending the closure of the mail centre in County Cork will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment: when he and his officials were informed regarding the closure of the mail centre in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment: if he was informed of the deployment options for the staff in relation to the closure of the mail centre in County Cork; the location of the options; the likely uptake of same; and if he will make ...

Asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment: if he has been requested to meet a union (details supplied) in relation to the closure of the mail centre in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter.