Results 2,621-2,640 of 50,909 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: Cork people are extraordinary.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: It is an extraordinary legacy around the world.

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 under consideration. I will have to revert to the Deputy on the interdepartmental discussion on that, but that issue is on the agenda.

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: We are a humble people in Cork. On Canada, we intend to open an Ireland House in Toronto. I visited Canada for the St. Patrick's Day week, specifically because of what the Deputy said. We needed to up our engagement with Canada, which is a very friendly nation. We have the Canadian-European Union free trade deal, which this Dáil has not ratified. It is a matter of deep regret to...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: You could say that Revenue turns a profit, but anyway.

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: I can be flexible but the Cathaoirleach outlined the arrangement at the beginning of the meeting which I think most members agreed with. If we proceed now we can get this dealt with and move on.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: Are we falling down on what?

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 €12 million is for the fit-out of existing and new properties overseas. I would not agree at all that the staff is light. In fact, there has been a very significant expansion in numbers working in our missions. We have grown the missions. We always seem to have contradictory discussions about the public service. Sometimes we say we are spending too much and we do not get value...

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 Cathaoirleach very much for his forbearance and facilitation. I also thank the members of the committee. With the Cathaoirleach's agreement, I will now present for the committee's consideration the Supplementary Estimates for the Department of Foreign Affairs. These relate to Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs. In total, the request we are making is for a net increase of €88.3...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (5 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: Engagement with third-country counterparts is a central part of my work and that of my officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs. Such engagement routinely includes exchanges on issues relevant to the bilateral relationship between Ireland and the country concerned. Since assuming the role of Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs in December 2022, the Control of Economic...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (5 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for processing applications for citizenship by descent through the Foreign Births Register under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. Once a person is entered on the Foreign Births Register, they are deemed an Irish citizen and are entitled to apply for an Irish passport. By its nature, Foreign Birth Registration...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff (5 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: Over the past five years, the Department of Foreign Affairs has grown as Ireland’s diplomatic footprint has expanded and as our Passport Service continues to successfully meet high demand for passports with turnaround times at or well-ahead of target. As of end-September 2024, the Department employs 2,181 civil servants, which is 539 more than at the end of 2019. In that context, we...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: British-Irish Co-operation (5 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: Following discussions in 2011 between the then Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the British Foreign Secretary, the British and Irish Governments agreed to seek to address and resolve the jurisdictional issues relating to both Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough. Since that time, a series of meetings have taken place at official level between the Department of Foreign Affairs in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Rockall Island Ownership (5 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: Reaching an agreement on issues relating to Rockall continues to be a priority for the government. I continue to work closely with my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in this regard. I discussed issues related to Rockall during my meeting in September with my Scottish counterpart, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff (5 Nov 2024)

Micheál Martin: The number of civil servants on career break from the Department of Foreign Affairs at comparable dates in 2023 and 2024 is provided below. None of the career breaks were for longer than five years. In exceptional circumstances an officer may be granted an additional career break without the required period of service between career breaks, in line with the procedures outlined in Circular...