Results 47,981-48,000 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Enlargement (10 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: Ireland has always been, and remains, a strong supporter of EU enlargement, provided that the candidate countries meet the necessary criteria for membership. We believe that it is through EU membership that peace and prosperity can best be ensured across our continent. Furthermore, the change in geopolitical circumstances brought about by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Enlargement (10 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: There are currently nine candidate countries for EU membership. Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia applied for EU membership in 2022. Ukraine and Moldova were granted candidate status in 2022, and accession negotiations were opened earlier this year. The screening of the acquis for both countries is continuing. Georgia was granted candidate status in 2023, although progress on its candidacy has...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (10 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: On 30 April last, Government approved the proposal to draft the General Scheme of a Bill to govern overseas deployments into the future. Work on drafting those proposals, including consultations with the Office of the Attorney General, Government Departments and key stakeholders, has progressed, and a draft General Scheme has been prepared. It is Intended to revert to Government with the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (10 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: Over the past number of days, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) increased their activity in South Lebanon and breached the Blue Line in several areas, including in the vicinity of the Irish Battalion UN Post 6-52. These activities have included incursions of equipment and personnel to which the Deputy refer. These are violations of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. As of 8th...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Reviews (10 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: A review of the Department of Defence under The Organisational Capability Review (OCR) Programme, managed by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, was conducted in 2021. A range of staff and external stakeholder engagements took place between May and November 2021, including workshops and interviews. The Report was published in April 2022 (Organisational Capability...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I also take this opportunity to pay a very warm tribute to our soldiers in Lebanon for their professionalism, resilience and commitment to their peacekeeping role in Lebanon. Peacekeeping is the most noble work one can pursue and our soldiers are doing it in an exemplary manner. The safety and security of Ireland’s Defence Forces’ personnel stationed in Lebanon remain of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: It is a very serious situation. It is incomprehensible that Israel or the IDF would put UN peacekeepers generally in harm's way and in some incidents, as the Deputy outlined, UN peacekeepers were injured as a result of such activity. We will work in consort with the UN, with the force commander of UNIFIL in Lebanon. We will co-ordinate our approach. I believe that the international...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Defence Forces have advised that there are sufficient supplies of both water and food in Camp Shamrock as well as the availability of contingency food packs, and that further deliveries were made to Camp Shamrock over the last weekend. This is in addition to a contingency supply chain that is in place to allow all of UNIFIL to remain in place for up to 30 days. These contingency...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: There is a fundamental issue in terms of Israel's approach to the United Nations more generally. We might remember that UNIFIL is there as a result of the UN Security Council. In my view, Israel cannot continue to undermine UN agencies. We see what is happening in the Knesset in respect of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, UNRWA, for...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: In respect of the mandate more generally, the international community has put pressure on Israel in respect of the attacks and the firing on UN outposts. That is having some impact, and that needs to have impact, although, again, the Deputy made some important and valid points. What is happening in northern Gaza is quite shocking and reprehensible in respect of the ordering of 400,000...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Funding (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Defence Vote group comprises of two Votes: Vote 35 - Army pensions and Vote 36 - defence. The 2023 Vote 36 – defence net surplus surrendered to the Exchequer was €18.1 million. This figure includes surplus appropriations-in-aid of €9.1 million, which, as the Deputy will be aware, cannot be used to fund additional expenditure and must be surrendered to the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Funding (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: We have actually expanded expenditure. The bottom line is, in terms of capital expenditure, procurement is an issue in terms of the time it can take to procure, particularly C295s. The bottom line is we are committing to a lot of expenditure, which will come on stream. It does not necessarily fall in any given 12 months. I do not accept the Deputy's characterisation of the budgetary...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Funding (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: Every year it is put to good use. That is the point I made in my reply. In 2023, it was put to good use. It was used elsewhere across the Vote. That happens all of the time. We are down now to €9 million out of a budget that is close to €1 billion. We need to a sense of perspective here in all of this. I discussed the appropriations-in-aid, which is receipts that come...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, as it allows me to touch, on a high level, on the role of intelligence gathering for and on behalf of the State. As the Deputy will appreciate given the sensitive nature of such matters, I will not be commenting on recent media reports nor would it be appropriate for me to disclose the various briefings I receive as the Minister for Defence from...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: There is a national security committee which co-ordinates all of the work. I think there are issues in terms of an accountability chain to the Oireachtas and the Government of the day. That is why there is an examination under way. There needs to be work done on ensuring a proper accountability chain and a framework governing both military intelligence and intelligence activities more...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: We have good quality intelligence networks in the country. An Garda Síochána does a very good job, as does military intelligence. The Commission on the Defence Forces outlined significant reforms in respect of military intelligence and the majority of its recommendations were accepted by Government. These include strengthening military intelligence capabilities; the establishment...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I am not saying the Deputy has but, generally, people did in the beginning. People actually did. I was questioned in the Dáil as if it was a fact.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: It was not a fact.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: The military authorities have advised me that as of 31 August 2024, the latest date for which such information is available, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,426. A table containing the requested induction and discharges figures for each year from 2020 to 2024 will be provided to the Deputy. I have acknowledged in the past the recruitment and retention challenges in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I have been less than two years in this portfolio but recruitment is stabilising and turning a corner, with a narrowing of the gap, and this year may see the first time there will not be a net reduction. The figure is currently 7,426. We have looked at all the recruitment methodologies. We were not satisfied with them or the manner in which people were being recruited, and we have changed...