Results 4,481-4,500 of 50,909 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Resourcing is not the issue with the Defence Forces. Let us call a spade a spade. If the Deputy goes through that report, he will see that it is not an issue of resourcing. We need to be clear what we are dealing with here, as identified by the independent review group. I look back on the Dáil debate prior to the publication of the report. All the pressure on me was to make sure I...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I did. We have gone through all of them.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: We have. That is in the statutory tribunal. The issue with toxic chemicals in Baldonnell is covered by the terms of reference of the tribunal. We have followed through on all of the recommendations. Everyone was lambasting me in advance-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: -----and asking whether I would accept the recommendations. When the report was published, I was again asked if I would accept them and I said that I would. I have done so, including this particular one. What I am trying to get across is that the fundamental purpose of the external oversight body is to try to deal with the issues that were raised by the independent review group. It is...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I move amendment No. 14: In page 26, line 42, to delete "In this Schedule" and substitute "In this Schedule,".

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: We discussed this earlier in another context. The suite of amendments to the Defence Act 1997 in section 23 provides a statutory basis for the Minister for Defence to authorise Permanent Defence Force representative associations to associate with the Irish Congress for Trade Unions. The amendments proposed by the Deputies would remove the mechanism by which associate membership of ICTU...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The context is progress. For the first time ever Defence Forces representatives-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: So was mine. Well, not an official but a shop steward.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: That is why my father founded an alternative union. He was a founding member of the National Busmen's Union. The Deputy will understand they wanted more and they did not think they were getting enough in the existing trade union. Someone else told me they were active people who wanted to keep active but that is a different question. The point I am trying to make, all things in a more...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: But we have to give effect to it.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I will have a look at it for Report Stage.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: That is no longer part of the Bill. I have withdrawn it. I wrote to the committee on this matter.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I withdrew it. I basically took on board what people were saying in respect of the military judges and prosecutors.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I will have a look at it and maybe I will come back to the Deputy on Report Stage. It is only technical and I do not have issues with it.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Cathaoirleach and the members of the committee. I thought that was an interesting discussion. There is room for reflection. I thank the committee very much indeed.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Undocumented Irish in the USA (22 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: Addressing the difficult situation of undocumented Irish emigrants in the United States and working to secure legal pathways for Irish people seeking to live and work in the US continues to be a key priority for the Government. Ireland continues to raise immigration issues at every appropriate engagement with the United States Government and Congress. The Government actively supports the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (22 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 34 together. With regard to the specific application about which the Deputies have enquired, further supporting documents for this application were received on 9th May 2024. Turnaround time from the receipt of further supporting documents is 15 working days.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (22 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service requested further documents for the application on 20 May 2024. The application cannot proceed until the required supporting documents have been received.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (22 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: The current premier of New South Wales in Australia, Chris Minns, assumed office on 28 March 2023. Since then, the Consulate General of Ireland has met with the Premier four times: Date Detail 20/07/2023 Women’s World Cup match and event (Ireland versus Australia) 30/08/2023 NSW Parliament Budget 2023 discussion...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (21 May 2024)

Micheál Martin: With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputy has enquired, further supporting documents for two of the applications were received on 9th May 2024. Further supporting documents for the final application was received on the 26th April 2024. Turnaround time from the receipt of further supporting documents is 15 working days. The applications are within the turnaround time and...