Results 47,121-47,140 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: Pardon?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: That was very quick. The Bill will move to Committee Stage and then go the other House as well. We have two, maybe three weeks for the other House to get the Bill through which is good news.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Maritime Jurisdiction (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: The EU and its member states - including Ireland - have significant strategic interests in identifying and addressing security challenges linked to the coastal defence, and Ireland takes part in a range of EU initiatives in this regard. In October 2023, the European Union approved its revised European Union maritime security strategy and related action plan, aimed at addressing security...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Maritime Jurisdiction (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: Generally speaking, we need to be careful about the language that gets used in this domain. There is a lot of noise around the place about weakest links and all the rest of it. In terms of drugs, there was a very successful intervention last September involving Army Rangers, the Air Corps, the Naval Service, An Garda Síochána and Revenue. It was the largest cocaine haul in the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Maritime Jurisdiction (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: If I can return to the Deputy's earlier question on Europe, we had the Committee Stage debate today and some Members were in attendance. There has been a nervousness in this House about participating in PESCO, for example. Historically, Ireland's level of participation has been low. For the life of me I cannot understand this. Tomorrow in the Dáil we will have the debate on this. We...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 97 together. I wish to reassure the Deputy of my ongoing commitment, as Minister for Defence, to the removal of the blanket exemption which currently applies to the Defence Forces in the Organisation of Working Time Act. Significant progress has been made recently on this body of work. Earlier this year, I approved the final management position,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy may have missed an earlier answer to this. I have progressed this. I have got agreement with the defence representative organisations on an agreed military management position following discussions. It has been sent to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The legislative process has commenced. I made it a priority when I became Minister for Defence to introduce...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: We are progressing the legislation now. We agreed a position more than seven weeks ago; I would say perhaps two months ago.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: That is all done now.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: Apologies to the Deputy for interrupting. That is all done. That negotiation process is well and truly over for quite a while now. It has gone to the Department of enterprise. The next challenge is to make sure we get the legislation drafted and published and, with the co-operation of everybody in the House, to get it through the House. That would the desired objective, probably now in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: We dealt with this issue substantially, but I thank the Deputy for raising it. The report of the independent review group, IRG, established to examine dignity and equality issues in the Defence Forces, was published following Government approval on 28 March 2023. The Government agreed to progress the 13 recommendations contained in the report. Some actions have already been completed,...

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 am sorry, what was the last question? Do we-----

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: No.

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: This is voluntary opt-in. I want to say overall that "No" is the answer to that - an emphatic "No". We will be under no obligations. These are opt-in and on a voluntary basis, as I said, but I do think we need to. The Deputy suggested that she is objecting to the process here. Government has to take decisions in the normal course of events, and the Oireachtas has to take decisions. This...

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 the logistic hubs, we do not have to join any logistic hubs but we do see value here. Say we were on a peacekeeping mission and we had to evacuate quickly. The idea of having a hub, or being part of a logistics hub on the European mainland, could be advantageous to safe and more rapid evacuation. That is why, I think, our military personnel were anxious to join this particular project....

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: Yes, of course.

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: Of course, absolutely. I am talking generally about the noise that is around this issue.

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: That is well documented. The current strength of the Naval Service is 716 and the establishment is 1,941.

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 two. We have one permanently on the go.

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 have just been informed it is two. The surveillance of undersea cables is not all about ships, however.