Results 3,181-3,200 of 49,960 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: That is what I am trying to clarify. It is not individual complaints. I will come back to it.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: It is because it is exasperating to listen to this nonsense. To me, that is just an instance of how there is a problem because, surely, an external oversight body should be precisely something that does not have that sort of cosy relationship or potential conflict of interest where it might not really be in its interest to admit there is a problem or something being done wrong and,...

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: The existing wording is "without prejudice to the purpose of an association of representing members".

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: It is very clear.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: I did not say they would.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: What are we trying to do here? We are trying to facilitate association membership of ICTU for the representative associations.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: It is positive. This legislation is positive. It is an advance on 1990. It is an advance on the legislation that gave rise to the representative associations. A bit more positivity here is called for. What we are speaking about is being in uniform. That is what the Bill says.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Cronin took issue with me using the phrase "in uniform". That is what the Bill says. We are not saying people cannot have views as citizens of the country. Of course they can have views as citizens of the country.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: We are not. If you read the Bill it is very clear with regard to being in uniform or people otherwise making themselves identifiable as members of the permanent Defence Forces. We are trying to preserve the apolitical nature of the Defence Forces. That is what we are trying to do. It is already in Defence Forces regulations, as Deputy Cronin has acknowledged.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: The idea that we are insulting anybody is outrageous. There is no intention to do that. We are protecting people from potential embroilment in all sorts of issues. We are maintaining the framework within which the Defence Forces operate. We are advancing it insofar as they will now enjoy statutory underpinning of association membership with ICTU. This is an advance. To respond to...

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: No, that would not be right. That would not be correct. For example, the conciliation and arbitration mechanism is well used by the representative associations on a range of issues. We have come a long way since 1990.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Lahart outlined its origins. The formation and establishment by former Fianna Fáil Minister for Defence Brian Lenihan senior in respect of the representative associations was a breakthrough at the time. We have advanced since then. There is healthy engagement with RACO and PDFORRA. I do not think they could argue there is any attempt to restrict. I must stress that we...

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputies for their comments. If we stand back, everybody at the committee said they accepted that the Defence Forces should not be political.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: What do we mean by that? What the Government is proposing is exactly that.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: It includes reference to "in uniform". Are we seriously suggesting-----

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: I did not interrupt others. Are we seriously suggesting that the military should become politicised? That is what the Deputies are saying.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: That is what is being said. We need to be careful not to undermine what has been a strength of our democracy, namely, our apolitical Defence Forces. That is important, irrespective of who is in government. We are all birds of passage. We hope this legislation will apply for a significant period. Much of what is in the Bill is already in regulations and, in fact, may be less restrictive...

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: No, and a member does not have to identify himself or herself as a member of the Defence Forces when criticising the Government or engaged in agitation and so forth. I went back to the Attorney General after Committee Stage because I was concerned about the piece around representative associations and whether they might be restricted in representing their members and so on. We put in an...

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: In uniform.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy is pre-empting the debate. This one amendment would not cover any of this, and deep down Deputy Howlin knows this, with no proper discussion or debate-----