Results 48,101-48,120 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: There were a number of issues that I picked up there on the neurological services.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: Was that about disability? Yes, that is signed.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I signed it. I will double-check on that but I think I signed it yesterday. What else was there?

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I will go back to the Minister of Health in respect of that and will come back to the Deputy on it. On Deputy Andrews's point, I am not so sure that we are the puppy farm capital of the world or of Europe but I will talk to the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, with regard to the Deputy's comments on an appeal. There are many guidelines there and there is a significant legislative framework...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: A great deal of progress has been made and I do not accept that we have a lousy record on this. We have to appeal to the citizens-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I will speak to the Minister, Deputy Humphreys in that regard.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: -----which were being evaluated was such that its Deputies in here said they wanted the project to get done and asked why we were delaying it. The Dunkettle interchange is an example. It is an exceptional piece of work from an engineering perspective on the way into the Jack Lynch Tunnel, but I recall that when we went back to tender to get better value for money compared with the original...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I wish to reassure the Deputy that, as Minister of Defence, I am fully committed to the removal of the blanket exemption which currently applies to the Defence Forces in the 1997 Organisation of Working Time Act. As the Deputy is aware, working time legislation falls under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), Peter Burke. Following my...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Properties (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: Since 1998, my Department has been engaged in an ongoing disposal programme for a range of properties that were identified as surplus to military requirements. The majority of these disposals in that period have occurred as a result of the re-organisation of the Defence Forces. Once surplus properties are identified, my department is required to determine if the Land Development Agency,...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: At the outset I have to state that, in the time available, it has not been possible for me to get a definitive list of functions formally performed by members of the Defence Forces which have been outsourced since 2020. I have requested this information from the Defence Forces and will revert to the Deputy with a response once the information is available to me. I am aware however of a...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 16 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: In line with the target set down in Action 28 of the Strategic Framework which I published last year, a final management position on the implementation of the Working Time Directive across the Defence Forces, was submitted to me last December. Following interactions with civilian-military management and the Representative Associations, I subsequently approved that position. As the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: 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 to ensure that those responsible are brought to...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 20 together. As I informed Deputies earlier, the military authorities have advised that as at 31 August 2024, the latest date for which such data is available, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,426 personnel. In terms of recruitment targets and plans for 2025, Budget 2025 has provided a record €1.35 billion for the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: Retention, of course, as the Deputy will be aware, is not influenced by a single factor, but rather that there are multiple, interconnected factors, which are responsible for retaining people in any organisation. In common with other international militaries and while in a buoyant economy, the Defence Forces is facing a challenging environment at present. Pension entitlements cannot be...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Official Engagements (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I welcomed the opportunity to attend and speak at RACO's Annual Delegate Conference (ADC) on 3 October last. At the Conference, I acknowledged the ongoing serious situation in Lebanon and the wider region, which remains very tense and unpredictable. I outlined the Government’s commitment to continually monitor the situation closely, along with our partners in the UN and the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: EU Bodies (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: On the 17th September last, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced Mr. Andrius Kubilius as the EU Commissioner-designate for Defence and Space. All of the Commissioners-designate will have a confirmation hearing with one, or more, of the European Parliament's committees. In the case of the Defence and Space portfolio, that confirmation hearing will be with...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Middle East (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 26, 28 and 45 together. I believe the Deputy may be referring in his question to a recent report of planes transporting weapons to Israel through Irish airspace. In the first instance, I would like to clarify that the Department of Transport holds the authority and responsibility for overseeing matters related to Irish airspace. As the Deputy is aware, my...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: National Security (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: A key priority for me as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the capabilities of the Defence Forces are maintained, developed and enhanced in order to ensure that the Defence Forces can carry out all of the roles assigned to it by Government. Against the backdrop of the complex and volatile global security environment, it is clear that Ireland cannot rely on our geographic isolation...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Budget 2025 (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Defence Vote Group, comprising of Vote 35 (Army Pensions) and Vote 36 (Defence), has been provided with a funding allocation of €1,350 million in Budget 2025 - €1,021 million for the Defence Vote and €329 million for the Army Pensions Vote. This represents a €100 million (8%) increase on the corresponding 2024 allocation. On the Defence Vote, the overall...