Micheál Martin

For example, no aeroplanes are being facilitated to transport weaponry to Gaza or the Middle East. How dare people make the assertion that they are when they are not?

I have condemned-----

The Deputy said "airports".

That was deliberate. People have said that publicly as well. Deliberate attempts to create a misleading narrative on all of this are being made all over the place. Ireland has done more on this issue than any other country within Europe but we unfortunately do not have the power to stop Israel. We want Israel to stop. We have asked Israel to stop. We have asked the European Union to create leverag…

She is trying to drive a wedge between the Irish people and Members of this House. That is wrong and regrettable.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 9, inclusive, together. On 4 April, I chaired the first plenary meeting of the Labour Employer Economic Forum since the formation of the new Government. The LEEF is made up of representatives from the Government, employers and trade unions and provides for tripartite dialogue on economic and employment issues as they affect the labour market. The meeting disc…

The question is about the LEEF.

I think Deputy McAuliffe was the first contributor. He raised pensions and pensioners' input into their pension issues. It has been an ongoing concern for pensioners generally across the economy, particularly for public sector pensioners or those in agencies and so forth. There is a sense that once they leave employment, they lack any real influence over their pensions in the future. I will raise …

There is going to be a flow and a fluidity in this from year to year, but the overall picture of investment in the south east and in Waterford has been positive and will continue to be in terms of Government commitment to the county. Deputy Moynihan raised the very important issue of SMEs, and that is covered by the LEEF. Divergence in employment standards and taxation issues between North and So…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 20, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on health last met on 4 June 2025 and is due to meet again on 17 July 2025. It oversees the implementation of programme for Government commitments in relation to health, receives detailed reports on identified policy areas and considers health reforms, including Sláintecare and the reform of public health and he…

I will start with Deputy Sherlock's questions on the patient safety (licensing) Bill and cervical cancer screening. The patient safety (licensing) Bill came through Cabinet today and the Minister can go through the details with the Deputy in due course, in terms of specifics on safe numbers, safe staffing and so forth. A lot of it has been introduced without legislation in accordance with agreemen…

There is not a huge shortage. Thousands of people have been recruited. Let us be straight about it. The seven-day use of hospitals is something that should happen. It should not be dependent on more and more staff. The assets were not being used. Expensive diagnostic equipment was not being used optimally and the hospitals themselves were not being used optimally when there were five-day, nine-to-…

That is very unfair of Deputy Tóibín. He arrived late himself.

I am normally very generous, Deputy. Come on. I am normally very generous.

In the first grouping, there were many questions answered. I accept there are several questions in the third grouping. A lot of people did not turn up at all at the beginning. It cuts each way. All of the Deputies wanted this session------

-----but the number of Deputies who were absent at the beginning of this session left me surprised.

One of the most difficult decisions for any family to have to take is to place a loved one in a nursing home. It is a very difficult decision. The least people can expect is that the dignity of their loved one will be respected at all times and that their loved one will be looked after, cared for and not be subjected to the abuse, neglect and unacceptable behaviour revealed in the "Prime Time Inve…

In recent years the push has been towards home care but home care also involves privatised nursing care. People contract in people to help. I will come back to the final point I was going to make.

The interim report outlines a whole series of measures that were taken to enhance and strengthen the measures and powers of the chief inspector of HIQA, in terms of the legal timeframe for decisions by the chief-----

You are interrupting again, Deputy. I have had enough of that now. I have the floor now.

I will answer it but you have a tactic all the time-----

-----of interrupting every time I get to my feet and make a point.

I do not interrupt Deputies.

The fundamental power that HIQA has, particularly in the face of breaches, in my view, and it is one that should not be balked at, is cancellation of the licence. In my view, this is the teeth that HIQA has. Yes, we do need to review the methodology-----

-----of HIQA and it has said it itself.