Results 5,321-5,340 of 49,960 for speaker:Micheál Martin

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 am not an expert on it. I value both Deputies' opinions. They have given a very useful insight.

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: It could also be off-putting to someone. The problem with it originally in respect of the navy was that it was more or less the first thing people got online. They had to do the test first before they went any further. I want to draw people in. Let us bring people in. As the Chief of Staff said, let us try to make people match fit as opposed to-----

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 did not quite say that. I know the Deputy was heading there 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: Did the Deputy say long service increments?

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: The geopolitical risk will predominantly affect us economically, and it potentially affects European security in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I am delighted with the news today that €50 billion has been greenlit by Europe, which is very important and sends a very strong signal to Russia that Europe is in it for the long haul. What is happening in the United States...

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: My concern is that we have already had a hit on the health service and while I am not saying that was a state acting, it was certainly a criminal group within Russia, the Conti group. Cybersecurity is an immediate threat. The volume of cybersecurity attacks went through the roof after the invasion of Ukraine. Those attacks were predominantly in Ukraine and other parts of Europe but the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I welcome the opportunity to present the 2024 Revised Estimates for the Department of Foreign Affairs group of Votes, namely Vote 27 – International Co-operation and Vote 28 – Foreign Affairs. Members will have received the advance briefing notes provided by my Department on the two Votes, summarising the main activities and priorities under each expenditure programme. In...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for his comments and raising this important issue. To give background, in 2023, as a result of the conflict in Gaza, we provided €36 million in total assistance to Palestinian people, which is our highest figure ever. This includes our contribution to UNRWA, which had originally been set at €6 million. That was kind of the norm. It was €6 million in...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: We will come back to the Deputy on that.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: We allocated €3 million in additional funding to the ICC last year because word came back-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: No, it cannot be ring-fenced to a case. General resources are given to the court.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: The court had indicated that the case was live, was being pursued and would take everything from 2014 into consideration.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: There were issues in between that slowed down the decision to actually take it on board and prosecute it. However, it is being prosecuted. It will take in everything from 7 October to the present day, in respect of both Israel and Hamas. It would be very unusual for us to interfere with the courts. One cannot politicise the courts. There is a fear with all of the debates going on, and I...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: The latest news I have heard back from the court through my officials is that the court wants to get on with it. It does not want any more political pronouncements or people saying they are going to join. The court just wants to get on with it and get the resources. We also need to be careful of the whataboutery concerning the Middle East and Ukraine. One of the key issues that has not...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: My officials helpfully said to me that we normally do not publish, or are not allowed by the courts to publish the actual-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Hear me out. In order to be responsive and in trying to facilitate the Dáil and the Oireachtas, one potential idea is that we would summarise the key points of the submission and make it available to the Oireachtas and lay it before the House. I will have to check where that is at the moment.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I appreciate the Deputy's comments on the embassies. Our diplomatic services provide very high value for money. There is a lot of leadership in the various missions. They are not large in numbers but they are strong in capacity and leadership and I think that is a distinguishing feature of our diplomatic service. Some of that is due to the manner and model of recruitment and the model of...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I was not there then.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Generally speaking, my own view, for what it is worth, is that Department missions are where the action is. There will always be specific issues where the EU, for example, has envoys. Eamon Gilmore would have been the European Union envoy on the Colombia peace process. The fact he was a former politician should not disqualify him. In fact, it made him a good candidate. They were very...