Results 43,741-43,760 of 50,917 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (2 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: On 24 February, the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, delivered a statement in the House of Commons in which he apologised for the support given by successive British Governments for child migration schemes under which children aged between three and fourteen were sent to Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. The schemes ceased operating in the 1960s. Prime Minister Brown...

Written Answers — Passport Security: Passport Security (2 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: My Department takes very seriously the possible misuse of lost or stolen Irish passports and urges passport holders to keep their passport in a secure place and exercise care and vigilance over its use. Since 1 October, 2009 the Department increased the frequency of its reporting of the serial numbers of all lost/mislaid or stolen passports to Interpol through An Garda Síochána, to daily...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (2 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: Negotiations on an Association Agreement with Syria began in May 1998 on the basis of a mandate agreed by the Council of Ministers. The text of a draft Agreement was initialled by the Commission and Syria in 2004 and submitted for approval to the Council. The Council did not approve signature of the Agreement at the time because of concerns regarding Syria's policies towards Lebanon. In the...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (2 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 312 and 313 together. I can categorically state that I have not, at any time, authorised the use of Irish passports by persons who are not Irish citizens. I have also never received any request from another Government or any foreign intelligence agency seeking the use of Irish passports by non-nationals. The 2008 Passports Act provides strict guidelines on the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (2 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: My Department's expenditure on car park spaces in the State amounted to €14,375.00 in 2009.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (2 Mar 2010)

Micheál Martin: The Scheme of Performance Related Pay Awards in the Civil Service applied to Deputy and Assistant Secretaries and equivalent grades. It did not apply to Secretaries General. In 2008, a total of €656,000 was paid to officers in my Department under this Scheme. The payments made related to the performance of 48 officers during the preceding calendar year. These payments were subject to tax...

Written Answers — Counterfeit Passport: Counterfeit Passport (25 Feb 2010)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 to 124, inclusive, together. The matter raised by the Deputy is extremely serious. The Government takes grave exception to the forgery and misuse of Irish passports. We are deeply concerned that the security of our citizens could have been placed in jeopardy by the misuse of Irish passports and that the excellent reputation which the Irish passport...

Written Answers — Letters of Freedom: Letters of Freedom (25 Feb 2010)

Micheál Martin: Many States require non-nationals, before they can get married in their jurisdiction, to produce a certificate from their country of origin that they are free to marry. These are usually known as Certificat de Coutume, or in the case of marriages in Italy Nulla Ostas and, in effect, certify to the civil authorities of another State that a named Irish citizen is, in terms of Irish law, free to...

Written Answers — Emigrant Support Services: Emigrant Support Services (24 Feb 2010)

Micheál Martin: Supporting Irish communities abroad is a priority for this Government. Since 2004 my Department has allocated almost €70 million to Irish community organisations throughout the world through the Emigrant Support Programme. A significant portion of this funding, including some €5 million in 2009, was used to support our emigrant community in the United States. Funding is prioritised to...

Written Answers — Counterfeit Passports: Counterfeit Passports (24 Feb 2010)

Micheál Martin: I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 318 on 23 February in relation to this issue, which was as follows: "Police investigations into the assassination in Dubai of Mr. Mahmoud al-Mabhouh on 20 January are continuing. The identities of those involved in the assassination, and the organization or group responsible, remain to be established. I met with the Israeli Foreign...

Written Answers — Nuclear Disarmament Initiative: Nuclear Disarmament Initiative (24 Feb 2010)

Micheál Martin: I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No 315 from him on 23 February in relation to the background to this issue. Further to that reply, I would add the following: Existing sanctions on Iran are based on UN Security Council Resolutions 1737 (2006), 1747 (2007) and 1803 (2008), which have been translated into EU measures under various Council Regulations and Common Positions. In...

Written Answers — International Trade: International Trade (24 Feb 2010)

Micheál Martin: The US embargo on Cuba was imposed in 1962. Last year, President Obama initiated a review of policy towards Cuba. This review led to the reversal of certain sanctions including the lifting of restrictions on remittances and family travel to Cuba; the resumption of direct postal service between the two countries and the revival of biannual discussions on migration. Indeed, on 12 February...

Written Answers — International Trade: International Trade (24 Feb 2010)

Micheál Martin: I refer the Deputy to my reply to PQ 314 of yesterday, 23 February, copied below. "There has been a United States embargo on Cuba since 1962. Among the measures applied on foot of this embargo is a ban on the transfer of funds to Cuba involving United States financial institutions. The EU has a long-standing position on the US embargo, most recently expressed in the EU Presidency statement...

Written Answers — Departmental Functions: Departmental Functions (24 Feb 2010)

Micheál Martin: Management structures, governance and decision making frameworks in my Department are subject to constant review in the light of the regularly changing and evolving responsibilities and priorities. In September 2009 a special Unit with responsibility for Strategy and Performance issues was established under the direction of an Assistant Secretary. Among the tasks assigned to this Unit is a...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (24 Feb 2010)

Micheál Martin: Under the powers vested in Secretaries General under section 4(1) of the Public Services Management Act, 1997, the Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs has the authority to carry out certain duties and management functions, including preparing an outline of how specific elements of Departmental responsibilities are to be assigned so as to ensure that the functions performed...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (24 Feb 2010)

Micheál Martin: My Department was part of the wider Public Service benchmarking exercise, details of which may be found in the 2002 and 2007 reports of the Public Service Benchmarking Body (available at www.benchmarking.gov.ie ). The exercise involved the detailed examination of the job size, pay, benefits and superannuation of public servants compared with jobs in the private sector. There was no further...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (24 Feb 2010)

Micheál Martin: The size and scale of our diplomatic network is considered by the Government on an ongoing basis. Any decision to open a new Mission overseas is undertaken having regard to clear national priorities and available resources, and must be on the basis of an anticipated and ongoing significant return for the State. Decisions regarding Embassy closures must take full account of the operational...

Written Answers — Departmental Functions: Departmental Functions (24 Feb 2010)

Micheál Martin: The back office functions the Deputy refers to are ones that fall within the scope of the Government's programme of Transforming Public Services. This programme is being directed by a cabinet sub-Committee and jointly coordinated by the Department of Finance and the Department of the Taoiseach. Amongst the issues to be addressed in 2010 is the provision of shared services across the civil...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (24 Feb 2010)

Micheál Martin: My Department implements efficiency measures on an on-going basis to enable the Department operate more effectively, to improve the delivery of services to the public and to achieve better value for money from the Department's administrative budget. These improvements take place against a background of shifting demand. For example, the number of passports issued in 2008 (577,000) represented...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (24 Feb 2010)

Micheál Martin: It is not possible, in the time allocated and within the constraints imposed by the accounting system, to calculate the average cost of accommodation per civil servant. However, as the Deputy will appreciate, officers at my Department, by the nature of its responsibilities, are obliged to undertake a significant amount of official travel overseas. In relation to accommodation costs, my...