Results 43,461-43,480 of 50,917 for speaker:Micheál Martin

False Passports (20 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: I agree with the Deputy that this is a serious matter. I undertake to share the report with the spokespersons present. While there are aspects to the report that I may not be able to publish as so doing in essence would compromise the security of the passport system itself, aside from that I wish to publish as much of the material as possible. It depends on one's definition of...

False Passports (20 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: The presentation by the Deputy is a fair one in some respects. There is a difference between the British position and that of Ireland along the lines outlined by the Deputy. That said, in assessing both the information we have received from other countries that have been involved by the fraudulent use of or forgeries of their passports and our own assessment, there comes a time when one...

False Passports (20 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: I agree wholeheartedly with the Deputy; if that was to happen, it would be an issue of the gravest concern. We must be vigilant to make sure the European Union External Action Service is in no way undermined by the activities of intelligence agencies or the crisscrossing or duplication. The Deputy is right to draw attention to that.

False Passports (20 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: I received the report late on Tuesday evening. I want to bring it to Government and would prefer to share its contents when I am in a position to make a statement on it.

False Passports (20 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: Within two weeks.

Passport Applications (20 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: There are currently 248 staff working in the passport offices in Dublin and Balbriggan and a further 72 in Cork. At 17 May 2010, there were 62,008 applications in the system. The Department has obtained the necessary sanction to recruit 50 temporary staff and arrangements have been made for staff to commence work at short notice. If necessary, we are prepared to recruit additional staff....

Passport Applications (20 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: I answered this question the last time. There are three machines.

Passport Applications (20 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: There is no machine in Cork. I have ordered one.

Passport Applications (20 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: There are a number of machines and equipment.

Passport Applications (20 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: If it is an emergency, yes.

Passport Applications (20 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: It depends on the flexibility and how people work in given situations.

Passport Applications (20 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: There is no production facility.

Passport Applications (20 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: There is a point to make, apart from the industrial action, in terms of contingencies, such as the building being flooded. There is a case for the north west to have a machine, and the south. Those are the two priority areas.

Passport Applications (20 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: The north west is an idea because there have been so many applications from the North.

Passport Applications (20 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: That is an interesting proposition and I will look into its feasibility.

EU Enlargement (20 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: The European Union has a long and close relationship with Turkey. Accession negotiations were opened in 2005 and Ireland makes a constructive input to those negotiations. As a beneficiary of a past enlargement, and on the experience of more recent accessions, Ireland is generally supportive of enlargement. The prospect of enlargement bolsters economic and political reform processes and...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (19 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: While the advancement of Ireland's economic interests is a strong priority for the Department of Foreign Affairs, in particular through the efforts of our Embassies to promote trade, tourism and investment and our efforts to develop the Global Irish Network, I have not commissioned or published any policy papers specifically on employment creation as this is not an issue which comes within...

Written Answers — Rockall Island: Rockall Island (19 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: Rockall is a small uninhabitable rock, 25 x 30 metres wide, located approximately 160 nautical miles west of the Scottish islands of St. Kilda and 230 nautical miles to the north-west of Donegal. It marks a point at which the Rockall Bank, part of the very large Hatton-Rockall area of continental shelf extending under the north-east Atlantic Ocean, protrudes 21 metres above sea level. During...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (18 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: A passport application for the named person was registered with the Passport Office in London on 12 April, 2010. As a direct result of the industrial action, significant arrears of passport applications have arisen within the passport service. Applications, other than those that are prioritised on the basis of demonstrable urgent humanitarian need, are being processed on a first come first...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (18 May 2010)

Micheál Martin: As a direct result of ongoing industrial action by the Civil Public and Services Union (CPSU), significant arrears of passport applications have arisen within the Passport Service. There are currently approximately 66,000 passport applications waiting to be processed within the system and it is presently taking up to twenty two working days to process individual applications. Applications,...