Results 43,541-43,560 of 50,917 for speaker:Micheál Martin

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy has raised this issue at various stages. To be frank, the existing position has prevailed for some time and it may be opportune to have a review. I will discuss having a review of the situation with my colleagues in Government, without any commitment either way. Ireland is not a party to Schengen. As it develops with regard to visa arrangements with other countries,...

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: The European Council did not consider the matter of the European External Action Service, EEAS. Substantial work has been carried out in recent weeks on the EEAS. In my view, it is potentially one of the most important innovations of the Lisbon treaty and supports the work of the new High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Baroness Catherine Ashton. We had discussions...

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: No, there is further work to be done on them. At the meeting, the President of the European Parliament voiced certain reservations about some of the proposals. It is a work in progress. There will be engagement with the Parliament.

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: This is a different situation, post Lisbon. The Parliament is in a much stronger position because of the Lisbon treaty. I intend to meet with the Members of the European Parliament from Ireland and I suggest the Joint Committee on European Affairs should also do so. We should adopt a national position with regard to how we want the service structured, the size of the service and the nature...

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: All the indications are that it will be an open and transparent process. Deputy Costello also asked about climate change.

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: The Council ultimately decides for Europe with regard to the international relationship. The President of the Council and the President of the Commission are working together on our case with the strategic partners to achieve progress. The high representative is also a member of the Commission as vice president and will be involved in these consultations. The Commissioner for Climate...

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: The Tobin, or transaction, tax is a proposal we will have to review because it will be on the table for discussion, although whether it ever gets adopted is another question. We have always had reservations on it.

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: It is more than Mr. McCreevy.

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: In terms of the Irish position, significant issues arise irrespective of who is in Government.

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: We do not want to jump in without assessing the repercussions for our own competitiveness and inward investment.

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: The national interest has to be carefully protected.

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: Having spent four years in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, I know a lot about the movement of investment and trade.

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: I know from trying to persuade North American companies to invest in Ireland that they hold certain views of the European Union which often determine their decisions. To be fair, however, they prefer consistency in some respects. Prior to becoming President of the European Council, Mr. Van Rompuy expressed to us his view as Belgian Prime Minister of the proposal. The fact that the proposal...

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: I am not sure of that. Other factors motivated the response in terms of public opinion and electoral issues within Germany. As a politician himself, the Deputy will be cognisant of the various factors that can weigh on the mind of a Government leader when taking a stance on these issues.

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: To be fair to Germany, it has been a strong supporter of the European Union and it has to lay down markers on the protection or rescue packages it is prepared to put together. There is merit to both sides of the argument and the solution that has been devised is the best that can be achieved in the context of 27 members states with differing perspectives. We supported that solution. On the...

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: We will work our way through the questions.

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: In respect of the last question, the answer is "No". In terms of jobs opportunities Irish people work a great deal throughout Europe. There are many Irish people working in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and all European countries. On this day last week, I was in Paris for a long day at a session involving Irish engineering companies. I refer to one particular company involved in...

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: As part of that one could place young Irish graduates in quality companies. We are hoping to use the global Irish network we created at Farmleigh in this regard.

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: Yes, and that is what we are endeavouring to do as one initiative on that front. FÁS has a link with its European equivalents in terms of job opportunities in other markets in the same way as when we were booming many of those agencies accessed our websites to establish what job opportunities were in Ireland in the various sectors.

European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: I agree 100% with the Deputy. The modern world is different. Some 50 or 60 years ago, emigration was a one way ticket but today it is a two-way ticket. Some 10% of the start-up companies from Enterprise Ireland involve people who have returned from abroad. Travel makes it a smaller world. We are an international global people and we must continue to be. We cannot make enough money in...