Results 2,981-3,000 of 50,134 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Chief of Staff has assured me it will be fully staffed and this is what I expect.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: Around 175 or 180 personnel will be involved as things stand now.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I must reassert the point that there is no connection between the triple lock and our military neutrality. Our military neutrality means that we are not members of a military alliance and we have no plans to be a member of a military alliance. The triple lock refers to a three-stage process to approve the deployment of troops on a peacekeeping mission. At the moment, this involves the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: We would then have de facto Dáil and Government approval. We are conscious that no peacekeeping mission has been approved by the UN since 2014. The legislation is being prepared at the moment. I cannot provide a timeline, but I doubt it will be ready before the recess.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: The draft general scheme was approved by the Government on 30 April. We are still engaging with the Attorney General, other Departments and key stakeholders. I will come back to the Government before the summer recess.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: My officials will have to get going. There is only a week and a half to go. There is an intention to get back to the Government. We will see. I will keep driving it. However, it will then go to pre-legislative scrutiny by the committee.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: There will be pre-legislative scrutiny.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: We will see. If the committee is willing to work through August, I would be-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: If the committee is willing to work through August, I would be very appreciative.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I will be honest. The intention is to get it to the Government before the recess. I am conscious that the Oireachtas recess is only two weeks away. We may make that, but it is tight. If we do not make that, it will be the first week of September. However, we have Government meetings until the end of July so I may make it before the summer recess in that context. In any event, it will...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: On my last visit to Lebanon about a month ago, I met the minister for foreign affairs because I am not happy with the progress being made on this case. The legal adviser to the minister for defence was at the meeting because the minister for defence was ill in hospital and could not be there. I have since written to the Lebanese foreign minister because of the case again being postponed...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: We have five personnel involved in that. It is not a huge number. Our purpose on that is to make sure that there no illegal weaponry or arms are going to the forces in Libya. That is the primary function. It is a European Union military CSDP operation-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: At present, it is primarily tasked with supporting the implementation of the UN arms embargo on Libya. The operation is important. The secondary tasks involve implementing UN measures against illicit exports of petroleum from Libya and capacity building and training the Libyan Coast Guard and navy in disrupting the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks. In any event,...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: In an earlier period, relationships with local communities in Tebnine and places like that were very strong. However, our troops are no longer stationed in these areas. In the past, a different approach was adopted in terms of the configuration in barracks and so on. It was almost a community-based approach. Hezbollah has heightened tensions deliberately, in our view, in terms of its...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: There are approximately 1.5 million Syrians in Lebanon. That is creating tensions. I have been to Lebanon on a number of occasions in the past year and invariably the issue is raised by the foreign minister that the European Union and others are saying that Syrians in Lebanon are not in a position to go back to Syria because it is not safe for them. The Lebanese counter by saying it is safe...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: You have a lot of militia groups, the government of Syria, a lot of proxies and various neighbouring countries with significant interests such as Iran, Israel, the US or, dare I say it, Russia. It is very challenging. The situation seems to be a long way from any kind of stable resolution. Türkiye is another neighbour that has interests there. Everyone is protecting their own...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy mentioned evacuations. UNIFIL will make a decision on that, although we should remember that this is a very difficult scenario. UNIFIL is there to keep the peace - not to flee at the first moment of trouble. That is the challenge. We have had previous episodes globally that led to horrors when there was either a premature or unplanned evacuation. I am conscious that modern...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: The following motion has been placed on the Order Paper for Dáil Éireann and was referred to this committee: That Dáil Éireann approves Ireland's participation in the following: (i) two Permanent Structured Cooperation Projects in accordance with the Programme for Government commitment: (a) Network of Logistic Hubs in Europe and Support to Operations, and (b) ...