Results 3,721-3,740 of 49,960 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Budgets (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The 2024 Revised Estimates Volume (REV) provides an allocation of €1.25 billion in Defence Group funding, an increase of €40 million over 2023. The Defence Vote Group includes the Defence and Army Pensions Votes. The allocations for 2024 are €933 million for the Defence Vote and €317 million for the Army Pensions Vote. This significant level of funding will further...

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

Micheál Martin: My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained and developed. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government. Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are considered in the context of the established capability development and Equipment Development...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: National Security (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The EU and its Member States, including Ireland, have significant strategic interests in identifying and addressing security challenges linked to the coastal defence, and Ireland takes part in a range of EU initiatives in this regard. In October 2023, the EU approved its revised EU maritime security strategy (EUMSS) and related Action Plan, aimed at addressing security challenges at sea....

Written Answers — Department of Defence: National Security (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Defence Forces is maintained to the greatest extent possible to enable the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service to carry out their roles as assigned by Government. The Naval Service, as the State's principal sea-going agency, is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. While the main daily...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Corps (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Aerial monitoring and surveillance of the Irish EEZ is carried out by the Air Corps Maritime Patrol Squadron. Two new C295 maritime patrol aircraft equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance and communication equipment were delivered to the Air Corps in 2023 to replace the existing CASA CN235 aircraft. Following an intensive period of training and verification, the new aircraft have...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Properties (16 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I assume that by vacant properties the Deputy is referring to residential properties. There are seventy-eight (78) vacant residential type properties under the remit of my Department. I am advised that none of these properties can be occupied without considerable refurbishment and were built before the Building Regulations and associated standards arising from same came into effect. A...

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

Micheál Martin: As at 31st March 2024, the latest date for which such data is available, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force was 7,510 personnel comprised of 6,087 Army personnel, 701 Air Corps personnel and 722 Naval Service personnel. Whilst recruitment and retention challenges have been acknowledged, a range of measures have been introduced by this Government to address these and make the...

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

Micheál Martin: The Government has progressed a number of key measures arising from the Commission on the Defence Forces Report to address pay and recruitment issues in the Defence Forces. These include a number of projects undertaken to bolster the attractiveness of a career in the Defence Forces, and cover a range of measures which improve pay and conditions. It is also worth noting in this regard that...

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

Micheál Martin: I am aware of the deeply troubling reports of the case referred to by the Deputy. My officials are continuing to closely follow issues of arbitrary and administrative detention and conditions in detention. This is consistent with calls made by Ireland in its bilateral engagement with the Israeli authorities as well as at the United Nations. Ireland has repeatedly called on the Israeli...

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

Micheál Martin: The Passport Service has issued over 460,000 passports to date this year and is on track to have issued half a million passports by the end of this month. Virtually all complete passport applications are being processed within advertised turnaround times. All passport applications require supporting documentation to some degree, whether it is a photo uploaded online for an adult's...

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

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 6 together. There are certain passport applications for applicants resident in Ireland that require forms to be witnessed by a member of An Garda Síochána. The witnessing of these forms is a vital element of the identity verification process for the Passport Service, as it provides initial assurance that the person in the photograph is the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (15 May 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, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship. FBR applications are currently being processed within the normal turnaround time of 9 months...

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

Micheál Martin: With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued passports to the applicants.

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

Micheál Martin: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued a passport to the applicant.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: My Department provides support to two recognised Veterans Associations. These Veterans Associations, which represent all former personnel, are Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann (ONE), the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel, and the Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA). My officials and I meet regularly with these recognised Veterans Associations to...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Commemorative Medals (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The awarding of medals is a matter for the military authorities. As the Deputy may be aware, Defence Force Regulation (DFR) A9 sets out the qualifying criteria required to be awarded such Defence Force Medals. It also delineates the procedures for the awarding of those medals to members of the Defence Forces. As previously stated, the review by the military authorities on the process of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: As of the 31 March 2024, the latest date for which such data is available, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,510 personnel. As one of the recommendations from the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, Government approved a move, over a six-year period, to a level of Permanent Defence Force capability equivalent to Level of Ambition 2. That would require an...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Government approved a move to Level of Ambition 2 (LOA2), as recommended by the Commission on the Defence Forces in July, 2022. As part of that decision, the Government committed to increasing the funding allocated to Defence to €1.5 billion (at 2022 prices) by 2028, through the annual Estimates process. Delivery of this objective will allow the required transformation and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: At the outset, I wish to assure the Deputy that the safety and security of Ireland’s Defence Forces’ personnel is of paramount concern to this Government. As Tánaiste and Minister of Defence, I remain in ongoing contact with the Chief of Staff and the Department of Defence is kept apprised of all developments in those areas in which Defence Forces’ personnel are...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Emergency Planning (15 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: As Minister for Defence, I chair the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning (GTF) supported by the Office of Emergency Planning (OEP) in my Department. A subgroup of the GTF produced the first guideline document on critical infrastructure resilience in February 2019. This document was subsequently revised and updated in July 2021. While the primary responsibility for safeguarding...