Results 46,221-46,240 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I am aware of the deeply troubling reports of the case referred to by the Deputy. My officials are continuing to closely follow issues of arbitrary and administrative detention and conditions in detention. This is consistent with calls made by Ireland in its bilateral engagement with the Israeli authorities as well as at the United Nations. Ireland has repeatedly called on the Israeli...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Passport Service has issued over 460,000 passports to date this year and is on track to have issued half a million passports by the end of this month. Virtually all complete passport applications are being processed within advertised turnaround times. All passport applications require supporting documentation to some degree, whether it is a photo uploaded online for an adult's...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 6 together. There are certain passport applications for applicants resident in Ireland that require forms to be witnessed by a member of An Garda Síochána. The witnessing of these forms is a vital element of the identity verification process for the Passport Service, as it provides initial assurance that the person in the photograph is the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (15 May 2024)

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. FBR applications are currently being processed within the normal turnaround time of 9 months...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued passports to the applicants.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued a passport to the applicant.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: My Department provides support to two recognised Veterans Associations. These Veterans Associations, which represent all former personnel, are Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann (ONE), the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel, and the Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA). My officials and I meet regularly with these recognised Veterans Associations to...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Commemorative Medals (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The awarding of medals is a matter for the military authorities. As the Deputy may be aware, Defence Force Regulation (DFR) A9 sets out the qualifying criteria required to be awarded such Defence Force Medals. It also delineates the procedures for the awarding of those medals to members of the Defence Forces. As previously stated, the review by the military authorities on the process of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: As of the 31 March 2024, the latest date for which such data is available, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,510 personnel. As one of the recommendations from the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, Government approved a move, over a six-year period, to a level of Permanent Defence Force capability equivalent to Level of Ambition 2. That would require an...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Government approved a move to Level of Ambition 2 (LOA2), as recommended by the Commission on the Defence Forces in July, 2022. As part of that decision, the Government committed to increasing the funding allocated to Defence to €1.5 billion (at 2022 prices) by 2028, through the annual Estimates process. Delivery of this objective will allow the required transformation and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: At the outset, I wish to assure the Deputy that the safety and security of Ireland’s Defence Forces’ personnel is of paramount concern to this Government. As Tánaiste and Minister of Defence, I remain in ongoing contact with the Chief of Staff and the Department of Defence is kept apprised of all developments in those areas in which Defence Forces’ personnel are...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Emergency Planning (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: As Minister for Defence, I chair the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning (GTF) supported by the Office of Emergency Planning (OEP) in my Department. A subgroup of the GTF produced the first guideline document on critical infrastructure resilience in February 2019. This document was subsequently revised and updated in July 2021. While the primary responsibility for safeguarding...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Under the UN Charter, the UN Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Extremely regrettably however, no new peacekeeping mission has been approved by the council since 2014. The five permanent members of the council can use their veto power to prevent the Security Council from taking decisions, including those related to the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I am unclear as to what the Deputy means about the Oireachtas committee. Is he saying that members are speaking more outside of the committee as opposed to speaking in it? I thought the debate in the committee during the week was reasonably constructive. There was no outcry, as such, within the committee anyway, but there was a conversation and people had different perspectives. What...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: We should take the opportunity to congratulate the Chief of Staff, Seán Clancy, on being elected by his peers as chair of the European Union military committee, which involves a role in co-ordination and consultation across EU militaries in respect of peace enforcement, peacekeeping and conflict prevention. That reflects well on the Defence Forces and needs to be said. When the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Ireland’s active engagement in EU battle groups demonstrates our commitment to the development of EU capabilities in the area of crisis management and contributes to our overall credibility within the Union. It enhances our capacity to influence the ongoing development and evolution of the rapid response capacity of the EU, in particular, the role battle groups can play in reinforcing...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: This is the first time ever that there has been a change in terms of allowances and supports for participation in an EU battle group. As I said, in the previous ones there were no allowances as such and this represents progress. The nature of the participation in the battle group is somewhat significantly different from that, say, in a UNIFIL mission or other mission abroad. There is a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I was pleased to attend the PDFORRA conference yesterday in Cavan. We had a good exchange and a good discussion. They acknowledged a lot of progress in the past 15 months and I appreciate the Deputy has as well in respect of a range of issues, not only pay and allowances but the progress we have made on the working time directive, the retirement age, etc. We have made further progress...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Naval Service (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The establishment of the Naval Service is 1,094 personnel and the strength, as at 31 March 2024, was 722 personnel. The military authorities have advised that the strength of the Naval Service stood at 936 personnel in 2019, 902 in 2020, 875 in 2021, 798 in 2022, and 725 in 2023. The report of the Commission on the Defence Forces approved a move, over a six-year period, to a level of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Naval Service (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy made a number of points. There is no lack of capital investment in our navy either in Haulbowline, which has undergone significant infrastructural investment and will have more, or for the purchase of ships and so on. In respect of enhanced patrolling of the Irish Sea and surveillance, monitoring subsea cables in our exclusive economic zone is very important. We have seen what...