Results 7,521-7,540 of 50,064 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Policy (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: You have just-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Policy (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: You have just made an assertion-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Policy (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: You have just made an assertion that certain people should not be on a platform.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: We have worked with other like-minded states. There are like-minded states in the EU that share our position on Palestine and the Palestinian question. We have met several of them, collectively. At this time, I would argue with the Deputy, from a judgment of this situation, that it is more effective to see if we can build a greater critical mass of member states prepared to jointly work on...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: Last year, I met Mahmoud Abbas, who came to Ireland, and I also met the Palestinian Prime Minister on several occasions. Their ask on that occasion was to strongly support the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly in respect of the advisory opinion, which Ireland did and it was successful. I have asked my Department, in response to Deputy Carthy's comment, to begin preparing a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Relations (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: We are concerned by the deteriorating situation in Tunisia. In recent months, there has been a worrying increase in reports of repression against protestors, opposition leaders and civil society groups by the Tunisian authorities. I am aware of the arrest of the Tunisian opposition leader and of other prominent members of Tunisian civil society. Freedoms of expression and association are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Passport Services (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: As I said earlier, Passport Online has allowed for the centralisation of passport processing resulting in greater efficiencies for the service and for customers. A total of 90% of applicants last year applied through Passport Online and that figure will continue to grow as the passport service's digital first strategy continues to roll out. Demand for passports from Northern Ireland...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Passport Services (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: Of the 78,000 applications received from Northern Ireland to date in 2023, almost 70,000 of these were made using Passport Online. The direction of travel is online. The business case just is not there for a physical office. Increasingly, we will be going online. With regard to a physical office, if 70,000 out of 78,000 are applying online, that number is going to increase next year and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Passport Services (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Carthy should consult Deputy Ó Laoghaire on that point.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Passport Services (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: Or Deputy Gould.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Passport Services (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Department has made clear that a business case does not exist right now. We have had queries all morning with people wanting us to improve the service to make it faster and more efficient. There are choices in how we deploy staff. There has been a very significant push on innovation and in making the service more streamlined in respect of the birth certificate, for example. A total of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: The programme for Government states the Government will "[h]onour 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". I have emphasised on several occasions that the timing and context of any...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Passport Services (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: Yes, that is my understanding but I will come back to the Deputy on that. There is a question later. On the specific case, the Deputy acknowledged the photograph was a problem. We are always looking at ways to try to make it more efficient and effective through new technologies and to reduce the room for human error and the number of original documents required. We all get phone calls...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ministerial Engagements (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: I was hoping to go to Israel and the Middle East more generally last week but particular people in certain areas were not available so we have postponed that visit to a later date in the next number of months. I want to visit the Middle East more generally to meet my Israeli counterpart and others in the region to discuss these issues. The ongoing demolition and seizure of Palestinian...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ministerial Engagements (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: I do not accept the Deputy's general criticism of the Irish Government's position. Globally, the Irish Government would be seen as one of the stronger contributors to this debate. It would be considered to consistently take a very principled approach on this matter. When we say "action", we have to specify first of all the effectiveness of further actions. We want to work with other...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ministerial Engagements (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: As I said, we were due to go to the area last week but that was not possible. Meeting people face to face is far more effective. On the broader question, we do not sit idly by. There are very real limitations in terms of impact and effectiveness to what a country like Ireland can do on its own. We were not idle on this in respect of our position on the Security Council. That was...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Passport Services (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 63 together. The passport service's recent achievements, which I have outlined in response to earlier questions, are thanks to the operational and staffing plans my Department has put in place for 2023, as well as the efficiencies allowed for through Passport Online. There are currently 834 staff in the passport service. The Department has run...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Passport Services (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: I appreciate the Deputy's comments. A number of Deputies have commented on the helpfulness of the staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs and in the Passport Office, in particular. I take the Deputy's point that not everybody can go online but people should seek assistance to do so, where possible, because it is a very effective and much faster service. I will take away the Deputy's...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Passport Services (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: We have already taken action in respect of MLAs. They now have the same access as the Members of this House.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Passport Services (15 Jun 2023)

Micheál Martin: It is done.