Results 42,041-42,060 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Travel (9 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: Ireland enjoys strong and warm bilateral relations with Portugal. 2022 marked the 80thanniversary of diplomatic relations and saw a range of activities and visits undertaken, including a successful State Visit to Ireland by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa last October. Engagement between our two countries continues to grow. Two Ministerial visits to Portugal have already taken place in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (9 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 133 together. My Department is currently in the busiest season of the year for processing passport applications, as citizens prepare for their upcoming summer travel plans. Thanks to operational and staffing plans implemented by my Department, the Passport Service is successfully responding to the current high demand, and has issued over 403,000...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (9 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship. Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (9 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, this is a paper application which was received on 6 April 2023. The turnaround time for paper applications is 8 weeks. The Passport Service will contact the applicant's parent directly in relation to the application.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (9 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship. Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. The...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: My Department provides support to two recognised Veterans Associations which represent all former personnel of the Defence Forces, namely the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (ONE), and the Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA). My Department engages on an ongoing basis with these associations and has entered into Service Level Agreements with them. An annual grant of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Foreign Policy (9 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: EUNAVFOR MED Operation IRINI is tasked with “contributing to the implementation of the UN arms embargo on Libya,” and “within its means and capabilities, supporting the monitoring of the implementation of the UN measures to prevent the illicit export of petroleum from Libya”. It does not have a humanitarian search and rescue mandate. The inclusion of a humanitarian...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Information and Communications Technology (9 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: I can confirm that officials from my Department are not using this application to conduct business and that no official meetings were held regarding the use of this application by officials. The Department of Defence requires that all applications must be used in line with the Department’s policies and procedures and advice that has been received from the National Cyber Security...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Legislative Reviews (9 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: Section 66 of the Defence Forces (Evidence) Act 2022 provides for a review of the operation of Parts 6 and 7 of the Act not later than 6 years after the commencement of that section. None of the other Acts passed by my Department since 2000 have review periods.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 161 to 164, inclusive, together. As the Deputy may be aware it has been a long standing policy, in line with other public sector employers, to discontinue the historic provision of tied housing to serving personnel. Single living in accommodation is provided for operational and transient use and by its nature it is not designed for long stay...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 to 168, inclusive, together. Based on the most recent data supplied to my Department by the military authorities, the information sought by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Details in relation to the ranks of those occupying the premises are not readily available within the Department, as the allocation of such accommodation is decided upon...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Inquiries (9 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 170 together. As the Deputy will be aware, I am currently progressing a comprehensive programme of actions to address the extremely serious issues identified in the Report of the Independent Review Group (IRG). As I said in my initial response to the Report, a completely honest appraisal of the problems and a comprehensive plan to address them...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for the question. I think this is the first time he is asking questions in his capacity as spokesperson on defence. I congratulate him on his appointment and look forward to ongoing engagement. My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained to the greatest extent possible so as to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: I certainly have.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: I appreciate the Ceann Comhairle's intervention and the Deputy's query. Regarding the Deputy's reference to the then Minister, Deputy Coveney's statement, I do not see anything in it that requires a correction of the Dáil record. The two important points we have consistently made in terms of national security is that everything we do as a country is in line with our military...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: I am sure the Deputy has read the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. It is there for the public to read. We have limited capabilities to monitor or intercept foreign aircraft in Irish skies. We are a military neutral country. Given our size and so on, we have limited capabilities. That is not a secret. It was well documented by the Commission on the Defence Forces. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government has agreed to progress as a priority the 13 recommendations of the independent review group, IRG, including the setting up an external oversight body - on a non-statutory basis initially - to increase transparency and accountability and to drive necessary culture change throughout the Defence Forces. I moved quickly on the establishment of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Government has to act. I became the Minister for Defence in the context of the Commission on the Defence Forces and have been repeatedly asked and criticised in the House over the lack of momentum and progress on its recommendations, even though we have implemented many of them. I am not going to have the same complaint made in respect of the IRG's recommendations. I wanted to show...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: I hope to meet with the Women of Honour group again and I will do so. At the last meeting, we circulated draft terms of reference for a statutory inquiry. It was quite an amicable meeting and I was a bit surprised by the subsequent press statement. The press comments have tended to be very adversarial with regard to the actions that the Defence Forces and I are taking. We are doing this...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: The military authorities advise that, as of 31 March 2023, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,807. The current establishment of the Defence Forces is 9,500. Sanction has recently been received for 100 extra positions to facilitate the implementation of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. This is in addition to the pending appointments of a civilian head...