Results 47,621-47,640 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Corps (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained and developed. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government. Equipment priorities (including replacement capabilities as they near end of life) for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are considered in the context of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained and developed. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government. Equipment priorities (including replacement capabilities as they near end of life) for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are considered in the context of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I am informed by the military authorities that the number of Naval Service personnel sent to the US for specialist Naval Service training during the requested period is as follows: Year Number 2023 1 2024 to date 0

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Corps (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: It has not been possible to collate the requested data in the time allocated for PQs. I will revert to the Deputy when I receive the material.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 148 and 149 together. Since the events of 14th December 2022, in which Private Seán Rooney was killed and a number of his colleagues from the 121st Battalion were injured, I have consistently expressed both my and the Government's determination that all of the facts and circumstances of the incident are fully established and that no stone is left unturned...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: Over the last number of years members of the Defence Forces have benefitted from a range of pay increases associated with national pay agreements. In addition to these pay increases, members of the Defence Forces have further benefitted from specific recommendations arising from the Report of Commission on the Defence Forces (CoDF), which was established by Government in December 2020. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy is aware, in July 2022, Government approved the move to ‘Level of Ambition 2’ (LOA2), as set out in the capability framework devised by the Commission on the Defence Forces. This provides for a rise in the Defence budget to €1.5 billion, in 2022 prices, by 2028, as part of annual Estimates processes. One of the recommendations from the report, was that...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy is aware from my previous replies on this matter, the Government has decided that the site at Columb Barracks, Mullingar will transfer to the LDA. My Department has completed all the pre-contract paperwork to facilitate the transfer of the site as soon as the LDA is ready to accept the site.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: As Minister for Defence, I am deeply committed to the transformation of the Defence Forces into a modern fit for purpose organisation to defend the State and meet the challenges of today and the future. The Commission on the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment in the Programme for Government, and its report was published on the 9th of February 2022. The Commission...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 155 together. As of 30 June 2024, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,399 personnel and 213 personnel had been inducted. Induction numbers fluctuate from year to year. The military authorities initially projected an induction figure of 540 for 2024. I believe that the Defence Forces' recruitment target needs to be more ambitious. On...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: As Minister, I am deeply committed to the transformation of the Defence Forces into a modern fit for purpose organisation to defend the State and meet the challenges of today and the future. The Commission on the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment in the Programme for Government, and its report was published on the 9th of February 2022. There were 69 main recommendations...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy will be aware the provision of housing is a matter in the first instance for my colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and my Department assists in any way it can in support of such applications for housing assistance, when requested to do so. The Deputy may also be aware that it is a long-standing policy that long term residential accommodation is no...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Ministerial Responsibilities (23 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: Jennifer Carroll MacNeill T.D. is the Minister of State in the Department of Defence. She is also Minister of State for European Affairs and was appointed by the Taoiseach to these separate roles on 9thApril 2024. No formal functions of the Minister for Defence have been delegated to the Minister of State and full responsibility for Defence policies, the Department of Defence, and the Defence...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (18 Sep 2024)

Micheál Martin: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, this application was cancelled at the applicant's request and a refund will follow in due course. The Passport Service subsequently issued a passport to the applicant through the Urgent Appointment Service.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Artificial Intelligence (18 Sep 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Foreign Affairs has a policy on use of Generative AI written in line with advice and guidance issued by Government and the National Cyber Security Centre. All ICT related policies are available to all staff. For security reasons it would not be appropriate to disclose details of the policy.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Artificial Intelligence (18 Sep 2024)

Micheál Martin: My Department’s use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is grounded in its Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) Interim Policy. In line with guidance provided by the National Cyber Security Centre, the Policy states that GenAI systems should not be used to respond to correspondence such as Parliamentary Questions, or public representations. My Department is actively exploring...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (18 Sep 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 (18 Sep 2024)

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

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (18 Sep 2024)

Micheál Martin: I would refer the Deputy to the answer which I furnished in relation to this matter on 27 June 2024. As I have outlined previously, the Government intends to file a declaration of intervention in the case initiated by South Africa against Israel under the Genocide Convention at the International Court of Justice after South Africa has filed its memorial. South Africa initiated this case...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Air Navigation Orders (18 Sep 2024)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy is aware, the Minister for Transport has confirmed that his Department is examining the recent media reports regarding civil aircraft flights and the carriage of munitions of war. The Department of Transport is continuing its examination of these reports, and its ongoing engagement with the air carriers concerned. As I have said previously, it is important that the facts as to...