Results 8,761-8,780 of 51,889 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (3 Oct 2023)

Micheál Martin: The establishment of the Naval Service is 1,094 personnel and the strength, as at 31 August 2023, was 755 personnel. Government has approved a move, over a six-year period, to a level of Permanent Defence Force capability equivalent to Level of Ambition 2, as set out in the report of the Commission of the Defence Forces Report, with an overall establishment figure of 11,500. The...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Data Protection (3 Oct 2023)

Micheál Martin: My Department can provide the following information in relation to data breaches. When the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on 25 May 2018, my Department was required under Article 33(5) to document information relating to personal data breaches. The number of data breaches in my Department in each of the past seven years and to date in 2023 are outlined in the table...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (3 Oct 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 163 together. The report of the Independent Review Group (IRG) established to examine dignity and equality issues in the Defence Forceswas published following Government approval on 28 March 2023. The Government agreed to progress the recommendations in the Report and this included the immediate establishment, on a non-statutory basis initially, of the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (3 Oct 2023)

Micheál Martin: The table below sets out amounts spent on the commissioning of reports on matters pertaining to the Defence Forces in each of the years 2018 to 2022 and to date in 2023. Year Amount inclusive of Vat (as appropriate) 2018 €6,000 2019 Nil 2020 €116,958.38 2021 ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (3 Oct 2023)

Micheál Martin: Ireland has a proud tradition of participation in UN and UN-authorised peace operations, as the only country with an unbroken record of service in UN peacekeeping missions since 1958. Our peacekeepers are recognised internationally for their expertise and experience. In conjunction with their participation in peace support missions, the Irish Defence Forces have been involved in...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (3 Oct 2023)

Micheál Martin: In July 2022, the Government approved a move to Level of Ambition 2 (LOA2), as recommended by the Commission on the Defence Forces. As part of that decision the Government committed to increasing the Defence budget from €1.1 billion to €1.5 billion by 2028, as part of the annual budgetary process. This level of investment will allow for the required transformation and investment...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Strategies (3 Oct 2023)

Micheál Martin: The White Paper on Defence Published in 2015 set out the Government's defence policy framework out to 2025, the White paper also put in place a new fixed cycle of defence reviews. Such reviews are common practice internationally and give reassurance that policy remains up to date and relevant to changing future circumstances. The White Paper set out that every three years there will be...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Pension Provisions (3 Oct 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Defence Forces Pension Schemes are ‘fast accrual’ schemes under which maximum retirement benefits accrue after 31 years. The vast majority of public service pension schemes are ‘standard accrual’ pension schemes under which maximum benefits accrue after 40 years’ service. Under the pre-April 2004 Defence Forces Pension Schemes, in the case of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (3 Oct 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 170, 171 and 179 together. A key priority for me as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the capabilities of the Defence Forces are maintained, developed and enhanced in order to ensure that the Defence Forces can carry out all of the roles assigned to it by Government, as set out in the White Paper on Defence. Capability priorities for the Army, Air...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (3 Oct 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Naval Service, as the State's principal sea-going agency, is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. While the main daily tasking of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with our obligations as a member of the EU, it also carries out a number of other non-fishery related tasks including contraband interdiction duties, search and rescue, and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (3 Oct 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 173, 174 and 175 together. The White Paper on Defence, approved by Government in July 2015, resulted from a comprehensive examination of Defence requirements. It provides the defence policy framework for the period up to 2025. This policy framework is designed to be flexible and responsive given the dynamic nature of the security environment and enables the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (3 Oct 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 176, 177 and 178 together. As at 31 August 2023, the strength of the Permanent Defence Forces was 7,671 personnel, of which there were 6,221 Army personnel, 695 Air Corps personnel and 775 Naval Service personnel. I have previously acknowledged the staffing difficulties in the Defence Forces and I can assure the Deputy that there are are a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Policies (3 Oct 2023)

Micheál Martin: In line with the National AI strategy and the National Cyber Security Centre’s Cyber Security Guidance on Generative AI for Public Sector Bodies, my Department continues to keep the use of artificial intelligence for business purposes under review. The use of artificial intelligence, as with all enabling technologies, will be considered on a solution by solution basis. Any such...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: That is primarily an issue for the HSE locally to resolve. Sometimes, the HSE will readvertise a position. These situations have evolved through demographic issues and so forth, including challenges in general practice in rural Ireland particularly. I will ask the Minister to talk to the HSE, but he does not get involved in every case. I presume that the HSE is alive to the issue with a...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputies for raising these issues. Deputy Andrews referred to the GRA and the Garda situation. We support community policing and invest heavily in it, but the issues that remain outstanding in respect of the rosters should be resolved through the available industrial relations machinery. It is important that those avenues – the internal mechanisms and the established...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: In schools is where I would have them. The Progressing Disability Services, PDS, programme has a different view, but coming from an education background, that is what I believe. We had it ad hocin the past before PDS and it worked in many areas. To be fair to the HSE, it will argue that children who were not in special schools did not get the same level of access, but children in special...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I welcome the Deputy's raising this very important Bill. It is at pre-legislative scrutiny stage. I smile sometimes when people want something implemented as soon as possible. I often prefer that approach coming from the Opposition. If the Government brought in legislation and said we want to introduce it as soon as possible, the Opposition would cry "guillotine, guillotine" and all hell...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: It is a very important Bill. It is at pre-legislative scrutiny.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Sep 2023)

Micheál Martin: I am sorry, just for the record for Deputy Ellis, the Bill has finished pre-legislative scrutiny so we will progress it now.