Results 2,901-2,920 of 50,909 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (16 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: Earlier this year, I approved a management position on the implementation of the Working Time Directive across the Defence Forces, including a number of health and safety protections for military activities, deemed outside the scope of the Directive, due to their nature. Officials in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment are working to develop the appropriate legislative...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Middle East (16 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 and 48 together. At the outset, I would like to state that the safety and security of Ireland’s Defence Forces’ personnel stationed in Lebanon remains of paramount concern to myself and to the Government. Both the Government and I are deeply concerned about this evolving and fluid situation, which has seen a significant escalation...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Proposed Legislation (16 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: Government approved the proposal to draft the General Scheme of a Bill to govern overseas deployments into the future last April. 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 General...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Commissions of Investigation (16 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: Following the approval by both Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann of the motions to establish a Tribunal of Inquiry, the Tánaiste signed a Statutory Instrument to formally establish the Defence Forces Tribunal of Inquiry on 20 June 2024. The Tribunal will examine the effectiveness of the complaints processes in the Defence Forces concerning workplace issues relating to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Raidió Teilifís Éireann (15 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: The purpose of the Global Ireland Media Challenge Fund is to support the provision of information about major geo-political developments, and the changing nature of Ireland’s role in the world, to the public in Ireland. It aims to do this by helping build the capacity of Irish media outlets to undertake international reporting. A core principle of the Fund is editorial independence....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: To date this year, the Passport Service has issued over 900,000 passports. Virtually all complete passport applications are being processed within or before advertised turnaround times, with the majority of adult online renewal applications issuing within two working days. The Passport Service has received 71,329 paper applications up to 9th October 2024, including 24,762 first-time...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Gender Equality (15 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: Ireland’s National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) is an important vehicle for Ireland to contribute to the WPS agenda at a domestic and international level. Ireland is currently implementing its third NAP. The NAP commits various government departments to implement policies, domestically and internationally, that promote the full, equal and meaningful...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (15 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: There is no international regulation specifically governing munitions containing depleted uranium. However, general rules of international humanitarian law prohibit weapons, means or methods of warfare of a nature to cause excessive injury or unnecessary suffering, which have indiscriminate effects or which cause widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment. We...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, further supporting documents for this application were received on 07 October 2024. Turnaround time from the receipt of further supporting documents is 15 working days.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff (15 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Communications Unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs comprises the following teams: Press Relations, Public Diplomacy and Content, Multimedia and Digital, Internal Communications, Irish Aid Communications, and Digital Ireland House (Ireland.ie). Unique to the Department of Foreign Affairs is that, in addition to servicing the communication needs of DFA headquarters, the Unit also...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Advertising (15 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Foreign Affairs uses public awareness campaigns and advertising to promote essential services to citizens at home and abroad, such as passport and consular services, and to promote Irish interests and values internationally. In recent years, public awareness campaigns in relation to COVID-19 travel restrictions and Brexit have formed a significant part of advertising costs....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: All passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008, as amended (“the Act“). The Act provides a legal basis for the various policies and procedures that are applied by the Passport Service in the issuing of passports. The Passport Service cannot offer definitive advice in the absence of a specific passport application. Speaking in general terms,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has contacted the applicant directly in relation to the application.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has contacted the applicant directly in relation to the application.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Prisoners Abroad (15 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 104 together. My Department and I take every opportunity to raise this case with Iraqi officials. We consider this person to be the innocent victim of a dispute between other parties. Most recently I discussed this issue in September in a phone call with the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and expressed to him our...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (15 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR or Naturalisation. Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, is a detailed and complex process, often involving official documentation...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (15 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: Since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs on 17 December 2022, I regularly travel overseas representing the Government at a range of bilateral and multilateral meetings and events. Accredited members of the media who also travel to these events are not part of the Government Delegation, which is comprised of Departmental officials, advisers and myself only. In some instances,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: If an adult or child’s expired passport was issued more than 15 years ago the applicant will need to apply for their next passport as a first time applicant. All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008, as amended. Section 8 of the Act provides for the processing of personal data by the Passport Service as required for the issuance of passports...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff (15 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I wish to advise the Deputy, the number of staff that worked in my Department’s communications and press office in each of the years 2019 to 2024; and the grade of each staff member was/is, as follows. YEAR HEADCOUNT Grade 2019 4 PO, AP, AO, EO 2020 4 PO, AP, AO, EO 2021 4.5 PO, AP, 2 x HEO, EO (.5) ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Advertising (15 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I wish to advise the Deputy, my Department has had three campaigns in 2024. One relates to Recruitment as advertised by our Human Resources Branch. The other two are the Be Winter, and Be Summer Ready campaigns which are aimed at enhancing societal resilience to seasonal risks. No agencies were used. Date Campaign/competition Branch Cost Jan-24 Irish...