Results 6,801-6,820 of 51,299 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: EU Enlargement (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: People have been struck by the pace of Ukrainian reforms. In particular, the Commission has been very struck by the speed and degree to which Ukraine has gotten its act together in respect of many of the areas that had been identified by the Commission as requiring reform. Overall, I have a geopolitical view - I have been one of the strongest advocates earlier on at European Council...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: EU Enlargement (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: In respect of Deputy Bruton's question, at the December European Council meeting it was decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova and to grant candidate status to Georgia. There was a clear signal to open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ukraine is proceeding rapidly and various timelines have been given. As for 2027 that would be very fast and that is the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Policy (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: Premier Li Qiang visited Ireland on 16 and 17 January, at the request of the Chinese authorities. The premier paid a courtesy call on President Higgins before being welcomed by the Taoiseach at Farmleigh House for a bilateral meeting and a lunch, which was also attended by a number of Ministers, including myself. Meetings covered a range of topics including bilateral relations, human...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: As usual, the Deputy is distorting the truth. I have observed his performance in all of this, and it is a performance.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: It is more about propaganda. It is more about unfairly undermining the Government in the context of its position on Palestine. At one level, what the Deputy is at beggars belief.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: At another level, I understand what he is at in terms of the prism through which he sees the world. His idea is that he is the Holy Grail when it comes to supporting the Palestinian people. Internationally, people perceive Ireland and the Irish Government as being very strong supporters of the people of Palestine. The Deputy is wrong again in his approach. On the provisional measures that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Boyd Barrett's failure or deliberate decision not to condemn Hamas is shocking and utterly inconsistent with what he is asking the Government to do in respect of other issues. Women were raped and subsequently murdered on 7 October. Children were killed or abducted. I saw the Deputy in a clip where he tried to protest that he did not quite know what happened that day. He was on a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: You do.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes, you do.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes, you do.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: Then why do you not condemn it?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: I want to make the point, if I may, through the Chair-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: This is a very serious issue-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: -----because the Deputy is accusing the Government of dancing around. We are not dancing around anything. We have a strong record internationally. When we go before courts, they are not debating chambers. They are not places where you can dance around. Because that is the sum total of the substance that you bring to this issue. You dance around all the time. You accuse others of not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: -----as opposed to dealing with the substance of the issue, namely, how we can help Palestinians in a practical sense. Deputy Howlin's question is valid. The Israelis may very well ignore the provisional findings of the court. That is a concern and that is why, parallel with dealing with the court case - which we will and which we will do properly as we have done in terms of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: EU Enlargement (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 74 together. Ireland is a strong supporter of EU enlargement, provided that candidate countries meet the necessary conditions for membership. The enlargement of the European Union has taken on renewed significance and urgency since Russia's further illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has re-emerged as one of the EU's most important...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ukraine War (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: To date, Irish financial institutions have frozen about €1.8 billion of Russian funds and those funds relate to listed individuals and entities. The issue of interest or windfall gains that have accrued as a result of the freezing of the assets is now being considered more immediately in respect of the potential to use even the windfall profits from this for the reconstruction of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ukraine War (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: I am in agreement with the Deputy on this. The destruction of Ukraine has been at shocking levels, and there has to be a financial penalty on Russia in respect of that and there has to be accountability. As I said earlier, otherwise, what is to stop Russia doing that to some other country in the neighbourhood? That is why many of the neighbours of Russia feel an existential threat to their...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 19 together.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (25 Jan 2024)

Micheál Martin: I have no problem with that. I have been closely monitoring developments in the case taken under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide by South Africa against Israel in the International Court of Justice. The public hearings that took place on 11 and 12 January involved the two parties to the proceedings, South Africa and Israel, and focused on the question of...