Results 41,321-41,340 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Corps (7 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Air Corps, as at 1 March 2023, is 706 whole time equivalent personnel. The table below shows the breakdown requested. Personnel Stream Strength as at 01/03/2023 Qualified pilots 96 Cadets currently completing military training* 14 Young officers...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (7 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Naval Service is the State's principal sea-going agency and is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. The primary day-to-day tasking of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with the State's obligations as a member of the European Union. In terms of fishery protection the Naval Service is tasked with patrolling all Irish waters from the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (7 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 346 to 348, inclusive, together. As at 31 January 2023, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 563 whole time equivalent female members of the Permanent Defence Force out of a total WTE strength of 7,959. On the same date, 27 female members were serving overseas in addition to 1 female seconded to the UN. The requested breakdown of the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (7 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Reserve Defence Force (RDF) is comprised of the First Line Reserve, the Army Reserve (AR) and the Naval Service Reserve (NSR). The Government remains absolutely committed to the advancement of the RDF. The White Paper on Defence is quite clear that there is a continued requirement to retain and develop the Reserve and the Government remains fully committed to this. The strength of the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (7 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: It is Government policy to increase female participation rates at all levels of the Defence Forces, including the Reserve Defence Force (RDF), in order to increase capability and to better reflect the society from which the Defence Forces are drawn and serve. As of 31 January 2023, the effective female strength of the RDF is 187 members. In line with current policies and commitments, a...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Trade Fairs (7 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: There was no attendance from the Department of Defence at this event. I am also informed by the Military authorities that no Defence Force representative attended this event.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Official Engagements (7 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: To date, in my capacity as Minister for Defence, I have not spoken with the UK Secretary of State for Defence, Mr. Ben Wallace MP. However, I intend to engage collectively and bilaterally with international colleagues as and when the opportunities present themselves. In that regard, I look forward to an opportunity to speak or meet with the UK Secretary of State for Defence.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Expenditure (7 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: Investment in new equipment for the Defence Forces is provided for under various Subheads of the Defence Vote relating to defensive equipment, mechanical transport, aircraft, ships and naval stores, engineering, communications and information technology equipment etc. I am advised that the amount spent on purchasing military equipment from companies based in France and Canada in 2021, 2022...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Policies (7 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: My Department's policy is that all personnel be accorded equality of opportunity and treatment. The statutory provisions relating to the use of words importing gender are set out in section 18(b) of the Interpretation Act 2005. This provides that a word importing the masculine gender shall be read as importing the feminine gender and vice-versa. Primary legislation relating to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: Go bunúsach, is é atá i gceist ag páirtí an Teachta, Sinn Féin, ná a bheith ar gach taobh den scéal seo. Is é Tadhg an Dá Thaobh an teideal is oiriúnaí dá pháirtí ó thaobh chúrsaí tithíochta de. Labhraíonn an Teachta gach aon lá faoin ngéarchéim ina bhfuilimid. Cad a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: -----what did Deputy Ó Broin say?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: Where are they going to go next Christmas? What did Deputy Ó Broin say yesterday on "Morning Ireland"? What did the Deputy say in a Private Members' motion debate only recently? What did he say? He said we should end it at the end of the year, in December.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: Where is the honesty in that? Is the Deputy seriously suggesting that Sinn Féin would have allowed the rent ban to be lifted in December, days after Christmas Day? That is the kind of dishonesty-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: -----that I find reprehensible in terms of debating the housing crisis, because it is a crisis. Why did we decide to lift the ban?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: We do not want to make the situation worse. The Deputy spat out that the Government is interested in the landlords. I heard Deputy Ó Broin on "The Pat Kenny Show" this morning saying he talks to landlords all the time. It is the Tadhg an Dá Thaobh syndrome. The Deputy has been in here demonising landlords for the last three or four years.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: He wants them out of the market, but then-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: -----up comes Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson saying he is a very reasonable man, he will talk to landlords and he is even talking to developers. Deputy Doherty will come in and say we are all developer-led and corporate investment-led. The hypocrisy of it spews out of what he is saying-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: -----but it has nothing to do with the reality of delivering on the ground.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: The bottom line here is that we need supply.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: That is the fundamental way to deal with this crisis. In the context of the rental sector-----