Micheál Martin

There is a responsibility on the services concerned and on the agencies concerned to do this properly and effectively. The Government cannot run every agency. I will alert the Minister to the issues the Deputy raised here but there is an obligation on the services to do this and enforce and fulfil the law so that the penalties are applied and the consequences which flow from such penalties are giv…

I thank the Deputy for raising this. It is a very pressing issue for Cork educate together. I will engage with the Minister for Education and the Department to get urgently required clarity for the school and the school community and I will get back to the Deputy.

Déanfaidh mé teagmháil leis an Aire chun soiléiriú a fháil maidir leis na tograí sin sa Ghaelscoil agus sa Ghaelcholáiste. Más féidir liom freagra a fháil, cuirfidh mé in iúl é.

The figures I gave yesterday and the comments were from the Department of Finance presentation to me. I have asked that the business case be published. There was an FOI in relation to that. There was a suggested contribution from officials of €150 million, if there was a wish to go further. The Minister agreed on the €141 million. I will seek to reconcile the various notes the Deputy has with the …

I attended a meeting of the European Council on 18 December in Brussels. Substantial items for discussion included Ukraine; the EU’s next multi-annual financial framework, MFF; the situation in the Middle East; EU enlargement; and Europe’s competitiveness in a changing global context. Other items on the agenda were European security and defence; migration; the fight against antisemitism, racism an…

Having no clock is a gift to all Members of the House. Could I say at the outset, ar dtús báire, ní aontaím in aon chor leis an méid atá ráite ag an Teachta. Níl aon amhras, sa bhuiséad a bhí againn le déanaí, go raibh muid ag súil go háirithe leis na daoine is boichte sa tír. Is iad príomhaidhmeanna an Rialtais ná níos mó tithe a chruthú, fostaíocht a choinneáil agus an méid fostaíochta sa tír s…

As the Deputy knows, we have public service pay agreements, where we work with the social partners in agreeing on a regular basis. We have had effective agreements with the public service unions in respect of workers in the public service. We will continue to do that. Because of what have been very good outcomes in terms of the fiscal situation and surpluses that we have managed to sustain, that w…

I thank Deputy Bacik for raising a very important issue and for wishing me a happy new year. I reciprocate and wish her a very happy new year also. The showdown at the moment has been Russia versus Europe. That is the real showdown of substance. I do not like using the word “showdown” – it is conflict. It is an illegal invasion of Ukraine, which has been going on for four years, an appalling atta…

Ireland's unequivocal position is to support the international rules-based order and the United Nations. We want reform of the United Nations to make it more substantial and authoritative, particularly in terms of the under-representation of many parts of the world. In our view, Africa, for example, should be represented on the Security Council, and other major blocs should be as well. The Securit…

First of all, I thank the Deputy for raising the issue because it is a very grave and serious issue that the Government will respond to. In terms of specific prosecutions, as the Deputy knows, gardaí investigate any breaches of the law or any criminal activity, and the DPP decides whether prosecutions take place or not. I believe the public should report these incidents in the first instance to An…

The Minister of State, Deputy Niamh Smyth, has spoken very frankly and robustly to me in respect of this issue. She clearly has very strong views on it and how we engage both with the platforms and how we should legally respond. Because there are a number of different Departments with responsibility for different dimensions of this, we want to develop and formulate a co-ordinated response that wi…

I thank the Deputy for raising a very important issue and one which is under constant review and attention by the Government. Storm Éowyn was probably the worst storm we ever experienced in terms of severity - wind strength - and it had enormous impacts in terms of power outages and people being without water for quite a considerable period of time. An overarching review was undertaken by the Nat…

There are two things on that. I am instructing and driving Ministers to push and push to get many of these issues resolved because of the experience of Storm Éowyn. The legislation has been drafted. On the mutual aid agreements, we had very strong support from Europe, in fairness.

I would not agree, actually.

Many of them came very quickly to our aid, just as we go their aid. We might not have a formal legal agreement but there are strong informal agreements and they have worked. I do not want to go through the statistics. The impact of that storm was devastating but 70% of customers had their power restored after 72 hours, 90% after seven days and, in 18 days, all remaining customers. The issue is wi…

That is nonsense. Everything the Deputy has asserted in relation to that issue is absolute nonsense. Over the last year, since we came into Government, we have negotiated strongly on behalf of Irish farmers on a number of fronts, including securing an extension of the nitrates derogation, which is very important for the overall agricultural industry and economy. In respect of Mercosur, we have neg…

The Deputy is engaging in politics-----

-----to the detriment of Irish farming and the Irish economy more generally.

I disagree fundamentally with what the Deputy is saying. The new Act, which will be the most comprehensive Act in relation to asylum and immigration ever enacted in the history of the State, is important legislation that will offer a robust, procedurally efficient and effective framework for dealing with asylum applications. The majority of asylum applications are rejected. It is up to 67% after a…

-----and this will align with the European situation also.

I do not know where the Deputy's party is in terms of this issue either, to be quite frank. Does it support-----

Does the Deputy support a robust system that is procedurally sound, timely in terms of people not waiting for years and also one that facilitates legitimate applications and legitimate refugees fleeing conflict and war? When you have a situation where close to 70% are rejected there is an issue-----

It has gone on for years.

People are accommodated and so on. We want legal routes to migration in this country. Migration is a good thing. We have been very positive about it and it has been important in terms of the economy, but we do it through legal routes. We want to be very clear and send clear messages in respect of illegal applications for asylum.

As I said earlier, the prosecuting authorities need to proceed, and they will proceed if it is. I sought advice from the Attorney General in relation to the specific question the Deputy has raised and I am convening a meeting with relevant Ministers and the Attorney General, not just on that issue but on the issue more broadly.