Tag Archives: An Taoiseach Micheál Martin

The President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, has led tributes to Ennis resident and former Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Tras Honan. Mrs Honan, who is the only woman to have served as Seanad Cathaoirleach since the foundation of the state, passed away in Waterford on Saturday, aged 93. Mrs Honan was a Senator between 1977 and 1992 and was elected as Cathaoirleach twice. When her sister, Carrie Acheson, was elected to Dáil Éireann in 1981, they were the first sisters to serve as Oireachtas members at the same time. “As President of Ireland, I am sure that I will be only one among many who will have heard with sorrow of the passing of Tras Honan, former Cathaoirleach of the Seanad,” said President Higgins. “Tras Honan was a proud Tipperary woman who broke many barriers in a long and distinguished career, notably as the first and only woman to be elected as Cathaoirleach of the Seanad. “Having moved to Ennis, …

A Quin-based terminally ill cancer patient has paid tribute to the late CervicalCheck campaigner, Vicky Phelan for leaving a legacy that will save lives in future generations. Ms Phelan, (48), who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2014,  died early on Monday morning in Milford Hospice, Co Limerick surrounded by her family. The Kilkenny woman, who had moved to live in Limerick, exposed the controversy around the national screening programme CervicalCheck, where she and other women were not informed that cervical cancer smear test results showing them to be in the clear were actually inaccurate. Speaking from Milford Hospice on Monday, John Wall said while family and friends knew Vicky would die at some stage, they could never be prepared for losing someone who has left such an indelible mark on peoples’ lives. In the first instance, he said Vicky would be remembered as a great mother, wife, sister, who had left a grieving husband, Jim, and her children, Amelia …

THE long-awaited transfer of Shannon Heritage sites to Clare County Council hangs in the balance after Chief Executive, Pat Dowling told councillors he was informed by two senior government officials a funding package estimated to be €15 million over three years would not be approved. While some councillors who attended a two-hour briefing behind closed doors to the public and media on Wednesday are adamant that no final decision has been taken by the council, this latest bombshell represents a major setback to the proposed transfer. An Taoiseach Micheál Martin gave a vague response about the future of this deal when questioned by Deputy Michael McNamara this week. Speaking in the Dáil on Wednesday, Deputy McNamara recalled the Taoiseach had told him on Tuesday he had met Mr during his recent visit to the Shannon Industrial Estate and the CEO had identified there was a funding gap from the council’s perspective. Deputy McNamara said the Taoiseach also stated, “I have …

A CLARE TD has asked that the Irish State provide support to a French-based Cratloe woman whose son was taken from her by armed police in May, following a court sitting that she claims to have been unaware of. The two-year-old boy was subsequently taken to Malta by his father, meaning 36-year-old Sarah Jane O’Brien has not seen him since, other than through photographs and video calls. The matter was raised in the Dáil on Wednesday by Deputy Cathal Crowe. A translation of the judgement from the court sitting, which took place in Marseilles in early May, stated that the boy’s father had reported the international abduction of his son in January. The judgement stated that the boy’s father “had indicated that the family, who usually reside in Malta, had come to spend the Christmas holidays in France, but that at the end of their stay on January 6, 2022, Sarah Jane O’Brien fled with the child in her father’s …

ACCOMMODATING Ukrainian refugees who are fleeing their war-torn country will be “challenging” for the country, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin has admitted. Speaking outside Analog Devices Limerick at a jobs announcement, Deputy Martin acknowledged it wouldn’t be easy to source accommodation for Ukrainian refugees in view of the huge mass movement of Ukrainians from their own country. “There are no easy solutions. We have to reach out and do everything we can to ease the pressure on the citizens of Ukraine. “All of us are very touched by the stress and trauma that is being revisited on families and children arising from this conflict, having to leave their homes in very stressful circumstances. “The mass movement of people from Ukraine is heart-rending. We don’t have ready-made solutions for the scale of the numbers who are going to arrive. But we will do the best we can to step up to the plate.” Asked if he envisaged European countries could put pressure …

In the wake of last week’s jobs announcement, Owen Ryan spoke with Ei Electronics CEO Mick Guinee about the company’s evolution and expansion THE TAOISEACH visited Shannon last Friday, officially opening Ei Electronics new Group Headquarters, with the company planning to hire another 200 people over the coming year. The development comprises a 10,000m2 facility, with additional manufacturing capacity along with Research & Development and office space. It underpins its long held strategy of maintaining 100% of manufacturing in Shannon, in addition to the co-location of other key functions on a single site. The Taoiseach was full of praise for one of Shannon’s greatest industrial success stories. “I’m pleased to be here to witness first-hand the continued expansion of Ei Electronics, one of Ireland’s largest and most successful manufacturing and electronic companies. For over five decades the company has made a remarkable contribution to Shannon and the Mid-West region and its ambitious plans for future growth and job creation are …

OVERCROWDING surged again in University Hospital Limerick this week close to record levels following recent calls for an independent inquiry into why this continues to be a problem at the region’s flagship acute hospital. The number of patients on trolleys increased from 63 on Tuesday to 89 on Wednesday after 78 patients were waiting for a bed on Monday, according to the INMO’s Trolley Watch. An Taoiseach Micheál Martin has pledged to ask Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to set up an independent inquiry into chronic overcrowding in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) after two record-breaking days of trolley numbers last week. Surging admissions, which resulted in 97 patients languishing on trolleys in UHL on Tuesday, January 25 and 111 on Wednesday, January 26 have prompted calls for an independent inquiry into overcrowding. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Taoiseach to commission an official independent inquiry to establish “what is the problem with healthcare in the UHL Hospitals’ Group”. The Taoiseach said there …

HEALTH Minister Stephen Donnelly will be asked by An Taoiseach Micheál Martin to set up an independent inquiry into chronic overcrowding in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) after two record-breaking days of trolley numbers, writes Dan Danaher. Surging admissions, which resulted in 97 patients languishing on trolleys in UHL on Tuesday and 111 on Wednesday, have prompted calls for an independent inquiry into overcrowding. Speaking in the Dáil on Wednesday, Deputy Michael McNamara said the new 96-bed unit will only deliver 48 additional beds as the remaining new beds will replace existing ones. (See Champion story here) “I would accept that any amount of new beds isn’t going to meet the exponential growth in numbers on trolleys in UHL. I don’t know is there a problem with the way admission and discharge is done in the hospital, or one of the other hospitals in the group needs to be upgraded to a Model Three hospital.” I have called for an independent …