Results 6,481-6,500 of 50,064 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Travel (15 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: I have recently completed a four-day visit to Beijing and Shanghai. In Beijing, I met with Vice President Han Zheng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and held a courtesy call with Minister Liu Jianchao. Those meetings were an opportunity to communicate Ireland’s priorities for our relationship with China and to emphasise the values which underpin our engagement. We had frank and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Union (15 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: Ireland has always been a strong proponent of multilingualism and encouraging of the greatest possible access by all EU citizens to the EU and its Institutions and highlighted this at the General Affairs Council in September where the proposal from the Spanish Government was first discussed. It was clear at that meeting that further consideration of all potential implications, including any...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (15 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: Ireland maintains close contact with the Colombian Government across all levels, reflecting the fact that we enjoy excellent and wide-ranging relations. Ireland continues to actively support peacebuilding in Colombia as a key priority, with a view to ensuring a peaceful future for all Colombians. We remain firmly committed to supporting in particular the implementation of the 2016 Colombian...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (15 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained and developed. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government. Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are considered in the context of the established capability development and Equipment Development...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Ukraine War (15 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: On 21 February 2023, the Government approved the participation of Defence Forces personnel in the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) in such areas as:C-IED training (Counter Improvised Explosive Devices)EOD training (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)Combat Medical TrainingEngineering Training.On 25 July, the Government approved the Defence Forces'...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Child Safety (14 Nov 2023)

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. There are plans in place for a meeting to take place this month with this citizen. I can appreciate that the circumstances of this case are difficult for all concerned. The Embassy of Ireland has engaged...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Bodies (14 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: Ireland strongly supports the International Criminal Court (ICC) as the first permanent international court with the power to prosecute individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression. The Court has jurisdiction over these crimes where they are alleged to have been committed on the territory of a State Party to the Statute of the Court, or by a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (14 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: I support the right of people everywhere to engage in peaceful protest. The rights of freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly of individuals are fundamental human rights, and as such peaceful protests should not be unnecessarily curtailed. While it is important that demonstrators protest peacefully, it is equally important that policing of demonstrations is carried out...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (14 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 50 together. Diplomatic relations between States, and the exchange of Ambassadors and diplomatic staff among States, are addressed by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 (VCDR), as transposed into Irish law by the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act 1967. Under Article 9 of the VCDR, the receiving State may at any time and without...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (14 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications are currently being processed within the normal turnaround time of 8 months from receipt of supporting documents. Applications which require further supporting documents will take longer to process. Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, is a detailed and complex process, often involving official documentation relating to three generations and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Military Aircraft (14 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 53, 54 and 58 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...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Travel (14 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: As set out in the updated Asia Pacific Strategy, which I launched at the Global Ireland Summit on 24 September, the Government is committed to strengthening Ireland’s relations with Australia, building on existing close political, economic and people-to-people ties. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney T.D., visited Australia for St Patrick's Day this...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (14 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56, 57 and 67 together. My Department is aware of the case and is providing extensive consular assistance to the citizen's family. As I am sure you will appreciate, Deputy, it is not possible for us to comment further as it would not be helpful to do so.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (14 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Programme for Government states that the Government will “honour our commitment to recognise the State of Palestine as part of a lasting settlement of the conflict, or in advance of that, when we believe doing so will progress efforts to reach a two-State solution or protect the integrity of Palestinian territory”. As I have said previously, the absence of progress...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (14 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Foreign Affairs has remained in very regular phone contact with a number of Irish citizens in Gaza. Let me assure you that we have been providing extensive consular assistance and will continue to do so. There are many thousands of foreign and dual nationals and immediate dependents in Gaza who are seeking to leave. The departures are being managed country by country on a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (14 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: I have had regular engagements with my EU counterparts since the beginning of the current crisis in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. Immediately following Hamas’s attack, I attended an extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council on 10 October, alongside my EU counterparts and the EU High Representative, Josep Borrell to discuss the ongoing violence on the ground in Israel...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (14 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: The return of large numbers of Afghan refugees from Pakistan is placing a considerable strain on what is already a very fragile humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and is placing many vulnerable persons, including women and girls, in a precarious situation. Pakistan has long been a global example of refugee protection stewardship and Ireland calls on it to preserve this decades-long...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Vaccination Programme (14 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: With regard to personnel deploying to mission overseas, the Defence Forces still require the primary schedule of Covid-19 vaccinations for all personnel due to deploy. However, the Defence Forces have confirmed that the mandatory booster is no longer required for personnel who are (i) under 50 years of age, (ii) not immunocompromised and (iii) do not have a medical condition that puts...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (14 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Defence has been advised by the Defence Forces authorities that they were not involved in any activity in the Knockfierna Hill area on 14 October 2023. The Defence Forces indicated to the Minister that a local airsoft club regularly use the area on weekends.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (14 Nov 2023)

Micheál Martin: The report of the Independent Review Group established to examine dignity and equality issues in the Defence Forceswas published on 28 March 2023. The Government agreed to progress the recommendations contained in the Report, which included the establishment of a Statutory Inquiry to identify systemic failures, if any, in the complaints system, in order to ensure accountability and...