Results 6,081-6,100 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin
- Bilateral Relations. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: The ambassador and the IDA are vigilantly monitoring the issues that concern us, such as the key issue of international tax policy. This was flagged in the platform of the President during the election campaign. The indications are that nothing will be done straight away, but it may surface in due course. Of course we will be lobbying, as we did before, to protect Irish interests as far as...
- Bilateral Relations. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: Not really. Of course, we will work as effectively as possible on our issues. Sometimes it is not through shouting and roaring from the rooftops that one goes about getting one's point across. There are obviously issues of interest to us on which we will be engaged with the American Administration. That will relate to their international tax policy.
- Bilateral Relations. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: We will be dealing with St. Patrick's Day later.
- Conflict Resolution. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: The Government is committed to seeking to increase Irish engagement in international conflict resolution as a dimension of our foreign policy. The role of the conflict resolution unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs is to offer support for conflict resolution efforts internationally while also seeking to develop our national capacity in this area. It aims to draw from our own...
- Conflict Resolution. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: I hope Deputy Timmins would leave me time to give the first reply. A unit, with staff, in my Department deals specifically with the conflict resolution agenda and policy. It is important that it is integrated into the Department of Foreign Affairs. There is a strong engagement with the Irish Aid section, for example, because there is attendant conflict in many areas of poverty. Conflict is...
- Conflict Resolution. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: ââand endeavouring to get universities much more proactively focused on having development issues and conflict issues as part of their mission statement and ethos. Some university presidents are moving in that direction. In my opinion, that is the best way to go.
- Conflict Resolution. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: First, Mrs. Nuala O'Loan has been very active in Timore-Leste and has compiled two reports. What I may do, for the benefit of Members, is organise a briefing with Mrs. O'Loan on her experience in Timore-Leste and also regarding the security advice area, where we have invited some of their participants to Ireland to work on training on supporting civilian populations, etc., and how the police...
- Conflict Resolution. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: In terms of our own capacity, we are working with Glencree and others to ensure that we can facilitate the type of engagement Deputy Timmins mentioned.
- Conflict Resolution. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: Yes. That is an important dimension.
- Official Travel. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: I completed a very constructive visit to Syria, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates between 1 and 5 February last, my second visit to the Middle East as Minister for Foreign Affairs. The visit was timely given the recent conflict in Gaza and the prospects for efforts to revive an overall peace process in the region. The primary focus of the visit to the UAE, where I accompanied the...
- Official Travel. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: The trip to Syria was primarily a political trip to the Middle East region and to ascertain the Syrian perspective on the Middle East political situation. That said, we raised some economic issues and there are some Irish companies endeavouring to secure business in Syria, and Syria is anxious to develop strong economic bilateral relations with Ireland. To that end, the Deputy Prime...
- Official Travel. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: The visit to the United Arab Emirates was primarily economic reasons, but not the Syrian one. There were different aspects to the programme.
- Official Travel. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: It covered both political and economic issues. There are three elements to the United Arab Emirates visit. We were indicating to the authorities that we were opening an embassy. I was accompanying the President on her official visit to the United Arab Emirates and there was work with Enterprise Ireland in that context in terms of engagements both in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. There were...
- Official Travel. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: I have told the Deputy.
- Official Travel. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: That is correct. The President had been in Bahrain before that with Irish education officials and the Royal College of Surgeons. They were opening a college and the Minister for Education and Science was there because of the relevance of the activity to his portfolio.
- EU-Israel Relations. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 64 together. I have repeatedly expressed my serious concerns regarding the construction and expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. As I have stated on several occasions, continued settlement construction has a direct and negative impact on the political process. It also prejudges the outcome of final status negotiations and threatens the...
- EU-Israel Relations. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: Our position has consistently been to link any upgrade of relations with Israel with progress on the political front towards a resolution of the regional conflict. More recently, we have sought a dual-track approach which includes an upgrading in relations with the Palestinian Authority. We have consistently made that argument. In the aftermath of the Gaza offensive, I have written to the...
- EU-Israel Relations. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: We have actively promoted the Palestinian cause at EU and UN levels and will continue to do so. Ultimately, a two-state solution will be required and all parties will have to live in harmony. I am pleased to report that UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, this week informed the UN Security Council that he intends to appoint a panel of investigators to examine certain incidents which occurred...
- EU-Israel Relations. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: I have detected a shift in European thinking in the aftermath of Gaza, although certain countries clearly have different perspectives from ours. Strong presentations were made by the Egyptian, Turkish and Norwegian Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Foreign Affairs Minister of the Palestinian Authority at our session on the Sunday night prior to our meeting. They outlined what may emerge...
- EU-Israel Relations. (12 Feb 2009)
Micheál Martin: Our Defence Forces procure equipment on the basis of the most effective equipment available to meet the specification competitively tendered. The Defence Forces have in recent years purchased defensive equipment such as helmets from Israeli companies on the basis of effectiveness and best value. That is the scale of our engagement in that regard. Our view is that trade boycotts are not the...