Results 5,081-5,100 of 49,960 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (13 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I remain deeply concerned by Israeli policies regarding settlements. All Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, are illegal under international law. Ireland has consistently and repeatedly drawn attention to the unlawfulness of settlements. Continuing, and indeed increasing, Israeli settlement activities dangerously imperil the viability...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: The proposals set out in the General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023, to prohibit the Defence Force Representative Associations from making a public statement or comment concerning a political matter, is already provided for in Regulation, namely the Defence Force Regulation (DFR) S.6, which states that “No public statement or comment concerning a political matter shall be...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: It is the case that since 23 January 2020, the holder of the post of Director of Military Prosecutions (DMP) cannot be a member of a Representative Association. This point is set out in Defence Force Regulation (DFR) 02/2020, Section 4(1) and Section 6(2). The draft Defence (Amendment) Bill proposes to confirm that position and to further include the post of the Military Judge (MJ)....

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: The establishment for the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) was recently increased by 89 to 9,589 to account for the first cohort of Commission on the Defence Forces (CODF) transformation appointments. Personnel in training are counted as part of the 9,589 establishment level. As at 31 December 2023, the strength of the PDF was 7,550 personnel. The requested breakdown of the establishment,...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: To answer the Deputy's questions, since its establishment in 1974, the UNDOF mission has helped maintain an area of separation over 75 kilometers long between the Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights, thereby substantially contributing to fulfilling its UN mandate. In recent years, the region has encountered varying escalations of conflict, which have affected the UNDOF area of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: The First Line Reserve (FLR) is intended to provide a pool of trained personnel who are available at short notice to supplement Permanent Defence Force (PDF) units in times of emergency. There is currently no set establishment for the FLR. The existing regulatory framework provides for former members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) to join the Army Reserve or Naval Service Reserve. This...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Foreign Policy (13 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Last year’s Consultative Forum on International Security Policy featured a well-informed discussion on the issue of UN peacekeeping and the “Triple Lock", contributed to by a wide and varied perspective of views on this matter, and which was subsequently reflected in the Chair’s report. This debate provided ample evidence of ways in which to continue Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: To answer the Deputy's question, there are currently no plans to adopt a statutory ban on the training of military personnel in Ireland from any other state.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: In response to the deterioration of maritime security in the Red Sea and the impacts on shipping and navigational rights as well as regional peace and security, the EU is exploring the possibility of a new maritime operation to protect merchant vessels transiting in straits used for international navigation. This right of passage is enshrined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: It has not been possible to collate the required information within the timeframe available. I shall provide the information to the Deputy once it becomes available.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: As at 31 December 2023, the number of female personnel in the Permanent Defence Force was 559. The table below sets out the number of women in each branch, and the number of discharges from the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service as at 31 December 2023. - Army Air Corps Naval...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: As of 31 December 2023, the effective female strength is 178, of which 171 are in the Army Reserve and 7 are in the Naval Service Reserve. The military authorities have advised that for each of the years 2020 to 2023, the number of female discharges from the Reserve Defence Force is as follows: RDF Discharges (Female) 2020 2021 2022 2023 ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Further to my response to Parliamentary Question No. 134 on 28th November 2023, the Defence Forces have advised me that every effort is made to ensure that medical records of Defence Force personnel are maintained accurately and in confidence. Should any incorrect or inaccurate entries be identified, I am informed that they are duly corrected at that time and point. For the Deputy's...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (8 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: The passport card was launched in October 2015 and offers Irish citizens the convenience of travel to 31 countries including the EU/EEA member states, Great Britain and Switzerland, with a credit card sized travel document. Over 718,000 passport cards have been issued since 2015 and users have found it to be a highly convenient travel document. The Passport Card is fully compliant with...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (8 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Since the start of this crisis, my Department has worked with the relevant authorities to facilitate the exit from Gaza of those Irish citizens, and accompanying dependents, who have expressed a wish to leave. We continue to advocate with the authorities in relation to those Irish citizens and dependents who have not yet been permitted to leave. The authorities have made clear that the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (8 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 135 together. Under the terms of the Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order, 1952, all foreign military aircraft wishing to overfly, or land in, the State require diplomatic clearance from the Minister for Foreign Affairs.Diplomatic clearance is subject to strict conditions, including that the aircraft is unarmed; that it carries no arms,...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (8 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 to 150, inclusive, together. In July 2022, the then Minister for Defence accepted the recommendation of the joint civil-military Working Group on Decommissioning that the decommissioning and disposal of three (3) Naval Service ships, namely LÉ Eithne P31, LÉ Orla P41, and LÉ Ciara P42, should be progressed as soon as practicable, taking...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (8 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: In September 2020,the then Minister for Defence received a submission from the Defence Forces in relation to the regeneration of the Naval Service, and following this submission a Civil/Military Working Group was established to decommission Naval Service ships under the Naval Service Regeneration Action Plan . The Working Group on Decommissioning recommended that the decommissioning and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (7 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 12 and 22 together. I welcome the decision by the International Court of Justice to order provisional measures in the South Africa v Israel case. In particular, the Court’s order to Israel to ensure its military does not commit actions prohibited under the Genocide Convention - and takes immediate and effective measures to enable the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Agreements (7 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 13 and 25 together. The legal basis for the EU’s trade relations with Israel is the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which entered into force in June 2000. Article 82 of the Agreement provides that it is concluded for an unlimited period, and therefore it does not require any renewal. I advocate consistently for the European Union to more...