Results 48,261-48,280 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024) Micheál Martin: I established it.
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024) Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy. That is very useful advice to us to go into the Department of public expenditure in future and make the argument that these are investments in Ireland Inc., not expenditure. His points are very well made. Integrity is very important in respect of passports. Regarding the Mitchell scholarships, I will pursue that. That was in honour of George Mitchell's role in the...
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024) Micheál Martin: The EU Peace Facility has grown. The calculation is based on our GNI percentage. We are a net contributor to the European Union so it is done on a percentage and pro rata basis in respect of that. I can get figures in more detail on the growth of the EPF more generally. In fact, there is now talk of using the EPF for strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces, LAF, in a post-Lebanese...
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024) Micheál Martin: I will ask the office to communicate to the Deputy to explain the rationale for why that would be the case. There is a system and if you start messing around with it, you could end up-----
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024) Micheál Martin: That is a good point. At a more macro level, we have joined coalitions with some EU member states. We have joined the, I believe, Lithuanian demining coalition. In terms of ICT developments in Ukraine, we have partnered with Estonia. Regarding humanitarian assistance, our embassies generally work with other embassies and missions on the ground and join forces on a given project or...
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Micheál Martin: I appreciate the Deputy’s anticipation of the outcome of the election.
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Micheál Martin: I have to put that on the record-----
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Micheál Martin: -----because it is true.
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Micheál Martin: Through the Chair, if I may, I just want to make the point-----
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Micheál Martin: You made comments-----
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Micheál Martin: Through the Chair, I am not a witness; I am actually the Minister of this committee.
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Micheál Martin: That is probably illustrative of how you approach things. Everybody is a witness to you guys. Through the Chair, I just want to make the point-----
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Micheál Martin: No. I want to make the point that you had a go at Fianna Fáil; fair enough. Our support for Palestinians' right to self-determination has been consistent. We may differ in terms of different mechanisms and approaches as how to achieve that, but the bottom line is I am proud that this Government took the decision to recognise Palestine as a state. We have a lot more to do in that regard.
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Micheál Martin: We did it as part of an Arab peace initiative to try and do it with a bit of impact alongside Norway, Slovenia and Spain. Likewise, Spain and Ireland have taken the lead on the Israeli association agreement in the European Union. On the substance, I have already outlined the grounds upon which we propose to situate the Bill in terms of the public policy exemption. That is going to be the...
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Micheál Martin: That is essentially what you have asked me to do. I moved it on Second Stage. However, substantive changes are always made to Bills on Committee Stage or changes can be made. I cannot ram a Bill through that is unconstitutional. There is an obligation on us all, if we are serious about this, because this will be challenged. This could go right to the European courts, and the least we...
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Micheál Martin: The Attorney General was asked, either in early October or September, after I had made the decision on the defence procurement issue, for advices in respect of the ICJ advisory opinion in parallel with the existing advices in terms of EU exclusive competence over trade. The advice from the Attorney General was comprehensive. I have to be honest; I used the phrase earlier that it is not...
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Micheál Martin: I cannot give the Deputy an exact figure on who is working on it at the moment.
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Micheál Martin: The money message has been signed. The Department of Foreign Affairs has taken a lead role on the Bill. The Department has a legal division, which will be in charge of working with the sponsors of the Bill on the amendments because the sponsors of the Bill potentially could have issues with some of the amendments or may want to make inputs as well. That is how we intend to proceed.
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Micheál Martin: The only challenge is because it is very comprehensive advice. The Cathaoirleach is a legal person of consequence himself. As he knows-----
- Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Micheál Martin: I am not saying that. Let me finish the point. It is so comprehensive that it points out potential lines of attack from people who might want to undermine the Bill. If you furnish more than ten people with that and it gets into the hands of those who might want to take a case against us, that would weaken our position collectively as a nation in defending such a Bill. That is a real...