Results 361-380 of 46,414 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Ireland is doing everything it possibly can. It may not appeal to the sort of popular rhetoric the Deputy will engage in from time to time. By the way, Ireland is recognised in the Arab world for its leadership on that question, and maybe the Deputy could acknowledge that from time to time.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: British-Irish Co-operation (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Officials from across Government have been engaging with their British counterparts since last autumn on the introduction by the United Kingdom of its post-Brexit import controls. Britain remains a significant market for Irish exports, especially for agrifood, so ensuring a smooth transition for businesses has been a constant Government priority. I am glad to report that the transition to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: British-Irish Co-operation (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: So far, the transition to the latest phase of controls seems to have gone well. There have been no reports of delays or congestion impacting Irish land bridge movements through Britain's east coast ports. We remain vigilant, however, because the longer term impacts of the new controls on Irish business and trade patterns will take some time to emerge. We will continue to engage with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: British-Irish Co-operation (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: In the run-up to the introduction of import controls, all relevant Departments engaged directly with affected Irish stakeholders, especially in the agrifood, transport, ferry and port sectors through webinars, meetings, training and online briefing materials. Government veterinary inspection services, in particular the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, made extensive...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I travelled to Egypt and Jordan in April as part of this Government’s continued efforts to address the crisis in Gaza and the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Both Egypt and Jordan are at the forefront of regional and international efforts to halt the conflict in Gaza, address the dire humanitarian situation and resume a meaningful political pathway. In Jordan, I met with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: European Union (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: You are. You are against the European Union.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: European Union (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: No, you are against it full stop, and you have always voted against it. Always. You have never had a good thing to say about it. There is a bit of hypocrisy going on here too.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: European Union (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Sinn Féin historically has been against the European Union. It is in its DNA to be against the European Union.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: European Union (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I would genuinely like to see who is going forward after the elections and so forth. In any case, I am well used to it at this stage in terms of the flip-flopping and the perspectives. At one level, they will attack-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: European Union (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: It is very serious. That is why the Deputy needs to get serious. I sometimes do not know whether it is the Davy Stockbrockers-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: European Union (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: One second, please. The Chair allowed all of them to interrupt. I want to finish my comments with the following.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: European Union (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Everyone has been over time. I want to make the point that we sometimes get a Davy Stockbrokers view of Sinn Féin policy, we sometimes get a kind of view from the Deputies in here but it depends on who they are talking to, and whether they are talking to the financiers or the developers. They change their tack all of the time.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: European Union (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The same applies to Europe. Sinn Féin spokespeople will sidle off to Europe and have their meetings with the Commission, have their meetings with civil servants and tell them all they have a different view from the one they articulate publicly in the House.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: European Union (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: That is what happens with Sinn Féin at the moment. They are talking to different people all of the time with different policies and different perspectives.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I will answer the question the Deputy has tabled and I will then deal with the specifics of his further questions. Sanctions are a tool of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy and part of a comprehensive approach to the pursuit of EU foreign policy objectives, along with political dialogue and other complementary efforts and instruments. Ireland actively pushed for agreement at EU...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: When the Deputy spoke earlier about the International Court of Justice, I do not think he was upfront with the Irish people in terms of how it works, and he was deliberately populist and polemic about it. That has been the case on many issues around this question. Ireland wants to be credible in terms of how it legally intervenes in international courts so that when we do it, we do it with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Come on. Is the Deputy seriously suggesting we can effectively dismantle the Israeli state?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Come on. The Deputy's solution fails in any shape or form to deal with the complexity of the situation. It is not as simple as he has put forward at all. It is a long history, as the Deputy correctly pointed out. It is not as simple as recognising one state and de-recognising another and attempting to dismantle it. That would cause untold further violence and upheaval. In our view,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: European Union (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: There are clear rules and procedures governing how a President of the Commission is elected or appointed. They are tied up with the elections and there is a two-stage procedure. First, there is the appointment of the Commission by a qualified majority. The European Council will propose a candidate for President of the Commission but then that candidate has to be elected by a majority vote...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: European Union (9 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy is correct in that the Ceann Comhairle, on behalf of this Parliament, invited President von der Leyen at the time, in acknowledgement of the role of the President of the Commission in respect of Brexit and of resolutely defending Ireland's situation vis-à-vis the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union. Yes, many parties gave a very warm response, including...