Results 5,281-5,300 of 50,064 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I appreciate the Deputy raising an important issue. More broadly, though, I have often reflected on how society has looked at these issues over the past 50 to 100 years. I recall the big protests about nuclear energy back in the 1970s-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Signatories to the letter included the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation. Many people feel the party's behaviour in that respect, and that co-ordinated behaviour, is one that is suppressing the media. Irrespective of who is in government in the future, it is a legitimate question. It sounds great that we will pay all the bills and have full Exchequer funding, but it means any government...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: That is a view people think Sinn Féin is at in terms of things.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Again, I quoted reputable, independent people who monitor freedom of the press and of the media. Ireland enjoys one of the highest places in the world index on freedom of the media because of government behaviours. The bottom line is from the party leader down Sinn Féin has been systemic in its legal actions-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: -----against the media, which are having a chilling effect. That needs to be put on record when the party is advocating a system that in my view would potentially have a negative impact on media in Ireland into the future, on its independence and indeed on its freedom.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: It is a fair point I am making. The kind of populist response the party has articulated-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: -----is pure populism. When I mention replacing the licence fee with a reduced universal fee - up to 70% were paying the RTÉ fee - that was advocated by the Oireachtas committees. Successive Oireachtas committees on media advocated that. It is not just my idea. The Oireachtas committee did it. We supported it in opposition. We did not play the populist card that everything can be...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: They know the politics.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: They are resigned to the politics as usual.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 160, 164 and 165 together. I very much welcome the decision by the International Court of Justice to order provisional measures in the South Africa v Israel case last week. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Funding (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I understand that the document referred to in the article provided by the Deputy is an internal document produced by the Council Secretariat under its own responsibility. I further understand that this is a factual account of the Hungarian economy and does not reflect the status of the ongoing negotiations. The document note does not outline any specific plan relating to the Multiannual...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consular Services (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I can assure the Deputy that officials in my Department have been in regular contact with the Irish citizen in this case and are continuing to provide consular assistance and guidance. I have met personally with the citizen concerned and provided clear advice. I can appreciate that the circumstances of this case are difficult for all concerned. The Embassy of Ireland has engaged with the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I am pleased to confirm that, following Government approval on 7 September 2022, Ireland will open a resident Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan this year. The decision to open a mission in Pakistan is part of the Government’s Global Ireland strategy, which seeks a doubling of Ireland’s global footprint and influence, including through an expanded and strengthened diplomatic...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Ireland was among the first countries to call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and this remains a central focus of my continuing engagement, in addition to calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, and a massive scale up in humanitarian assistance, through full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access. I will continue to use all the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: In December 2022, the military authorities advised that their induction training capacity for 2023 would be 880. 415 personnel were inducted in 2023 comprised of 350 enlisted personnel, 63 cadets and 2 officers. There continues to be a strong pipeline of interest in joining the Defence Forces with some 9,479 applications received in 2023. At a recruitment briefing in December 2023,...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Normally there would be defence personnel on standby to aid the civil power, but anyway.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Chair and members. I welcome this opportunity to engage with the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence to consider the 2024 Revised Estimates for the defence Vote group. I have a short opening statement that sets out the overall position and updates members on some recent developments in the defence sector. Last September, the Strategic Framework - Transformation of...