Results 8,361-8,380 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: The busy season for passports in 2023 is underway, and demand forecasts indicate that the Passport Service will issue just under 1.1 million passports this year. The Passport Service is successfully meeting current high demand. All turnaround times are at their target level and there are no backlogs.  The Passport Service has...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Prisoners Abroad (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: I remain extremely concerned about the continued detention of this Irish citizen, especially given his ill health. I can assure the Deputy that the citizen's release remains a strong priority for me and my Department. To that end, there continues to be extensive engagement by the Government with the authorities in Iran on the case, including through my own discussions with the Foreign...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: Ireland and Peru have a strong and wide-ranging bilateral relationship, reinforced by the launch of Ireland’s Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2022, which seeks to enhance relations with the countries of the region across several key areas of engagement. My Department and the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs engage regularly on issues of importance in the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the application is being processed and the Passport Service has been in direct contact with the applicant's parent in relation to the application. 

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Prisoners Abroad (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: I remain extremely concerned about the continued detention of this Irish citizen, especially given his ill health. I can assure the Deputy that the citizen's release remains a strong priority for me and my Department. To that end, there continues to be extensive engagement by the Government with the authorities in Iran on the case, including through my own discussions with the Foreign...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship. Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Relations (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: As noted in my response to the Deputy of 23 February 2023, the commitment to set up an annual high-level political dialogue between the EU and the Palestinian Authority was made at the Foreign Affairs Council in January 2023, at which EU Foreign Ministers had a lunchtime exchange with the Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh, and Palestinian Foreign Minister, Dr Riad Malki. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Taoiseach and I, and our colleagues in Government, look forward to engaging with the new Scottish Government in the period ahead. I have congratulated the new First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, on his appointment and look forward to working with him and his Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson, to deepen Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: The promotion and protection of universal human rights is a cornerstone of Irish foreign policy and I can confirm that Ireland has consistently engaged with Pakistan on human rights issues, both bilaterally and multilaterally. In the context of our bilateral relationship, Ireland's Ambassador to Pakistan visited Islamabad in November 2022 and discussed human rights issues with a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Citizenship Applications (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship. Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship. Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: The number of staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs serving at the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union at 23rdJune 2016 and 30thMarch 2023 is provided below in tabular form.  In addition, the Department of Foreign Affairs also facilitates the secondment of officers from other Government Departments to the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship. Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship. Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. The...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: The posts to which the Deputy refers, those of Head of Transformation, and of Head of Strategic HR for the Defence Forces, are the subject of open Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) competitions. The Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) supports and ensures that the recruitment and selection process for the most senior Civil Service posts is accessible to the widest pool of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Pension Provisions (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: As you know the extended Building Momentum Agreement was agreed in the latter part of 2022 and included three increases to serving personnel. The primary increase backdated to February 2022 was implemented in December 2022. This was a considerable achievement given the complex nature and structure of Defence Forces pensions. A decision was taken to implement the October 2022 and March 2023...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Naval Service is the State's principal sea-going agency and is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. The primary day-to-day tasking of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with the State's obligations as a member of the European Union. Naval Service vessels are multi-tasked in that they undertake general surveillance, security and other...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 227 and 237 together. As the Deputy will be aware, following the publication of the report of the Independent Review Group on dignity and equality issues in the Defence Forces, the Government has agreed to progress all recommendations. These include the:Establishment of a statutory inquiry to investigate whether there have been serious systemic failures in...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: The military authorities have advised that there are no systemic delays in the Defence Forces in the induction of recruits and the processing of applications of new recruits. There are occasions, outside of the control of the Defence Forces, where a small number of applications may take longer to progress for various reasons e.g. providing applicants with an opportunity to repeat aspects...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (18 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: The strength of the Defence Forces at 31March 2023 stood at 7,807 personnel or 82% of the current agreed strength of 9,500 personnel. The attached documents contain the requested breakdown of personnel by rank for the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps, as of the 31 December 2022 and the 31 March 2023 (the latest date for which such figures are available). Ongoing challenges in relation to...