Results 9,001-9,020 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: Will I have a chance to come back in with supplementary remarks?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: The match at the weekend is in Navan.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: We go forward with all modesty and so on. In respect of the issue, I was going to mention the vacant and dereliction grants which give real opportunities but I take the Deputy's point. I understand the sincerity of what the Deputy is saying in terms of people who want to build on their family's land. The overall planning policy over the years has been to try to move to areas that are...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: It is fair to say there has been significant enhancement of workers’ rights over the last two and a half years since this Government came into office in terms of the Sick Leave Act 2022, the payment of wages and the Redundancy Payments (Amendment) Act 2022. Crucially, and I would have attended the Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF, programme last year, the report of the high-level...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: First, I would not agree with the Deputy’s assessment of the Government's position. I would argue that the Irish people did take a fundamental decision on the repeal of the eighth in a referendum, but that followed a significant level of constructive engagement, informed engagement, and a listening exercise within the then Oireachtas Committee on Health – it may have been the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: I genuinely believe that the approach we took in the referendum was the correct approach. This is a sensitive issue and people have different views on this issue, and those views go deep with people. The idea that you have an Oireachtas committee to look at this in a detailed way should not be a surprise or should not be attacked, and you are attacking that. Through the Chair, I am not...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: Through the Chair, I am not looking for confrontation. I am not attacking anybody's motivations or bona fides in respect of this. However, I respect the fact that this is a legislative assembly, with people who will potentially be asked in due course to vote on or have a view on legislation relating to this area and the very least that should happen is that the report should be examined by...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: Every year, resources have been increased and expanded, and correctly so, in respect of special needs and the families to whom Deputy Doherty referred and whom I have met. There is not a Deputy in the House who has not met families in situations such as this. Staffing is now the issue. I refer here to the recruitment of staff. The funding is there to recruit staff to these services and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy Bacik for raising this issue. She made a very fair point in respect of the significance of Meta's announcement. It is a significant number of job losses. Our thoughts have to go to the employees who will lose their jobs as a result of this announcement and their families. Notwithstanding that the economy is strong, people are committed to the particular jobs they are in at...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Data Protection (25 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: All Department of Foreign Affairs official mobile devices and apps which run on them comply with guidance provided by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). This guidance is based on risk assessments appropriate to the circumstances and is kept under continuous review by the NCSC. The Department of Foreign Affairs requires all users of our official devices to exercise appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (25 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 105 together. The Human Rights Council adopted Resolution 31/36 in March 2016, calling upon the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to produce a database of all business enterprises involved in activities relating to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. The Human Rights Council did not specify implications for...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Illegal Israeli Imports (25 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: Ireland’s position on the illegality of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory informs our engagement with the State of Israel across a range of bilateral issues, including trade and economic issues, and will continue to do so. The EU and its Member States, including Ireland, are wholly opposed to Israeli settlements, which are contrary to international law, and are...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (25 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: Ireland’s position on Israeli settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory is crystal clear; settlements are a clear violation of international law and stand in the way of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Israelis and Palestinians. In accordance with international law, Ireland distinguishes between the territory of the State of Israel and the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Data Protection (25 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Defence requires that all applications must be used in line with the Department’s policies and procedures, in compliance with GDPR, and guidance that has been received from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). This guidance is based on risk assessments appropriate to the circumstances and is kept under continuous review by the NCSC. My Department requires...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Shannon Airport Facilities (24 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 44 together. I am aware of an incident that took place in March 2023, during which a US officer was transported from Shannon airport to University Hospital Limerick, for urgent medical treatment. Permission was subsequently granted by the Department of Foreign Affairs for a medical evacuation flight for the patient concerned, from Ireland to the United...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (24 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: All passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act 2008, as amended. Section 7(1)(a) states that a person must be an Irish citizen in order for the Minister to issue a passport to that person. Accordingly, every applicant for a passport must submit a complete application form with supporting documents positively confirming to the satisfaction of the Minister, among other...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Legislative Programme (24 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Occupied Territories Bill would not be compatible with EU law, and would not be implementable. This is the clear legal advice on this matter. The Government will therefore not be taking it forward. We have, however, supported legal avenues to differentiate between settlements and Israel, for example by joining a case before the European Courts in 2019 on labelling of certain goods...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (24 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: The military authorities have provided the following details in relation to the vacancies in the Defence Forces School of Music, as at 22 May 2023: Rank Lt Col Comdt Captain Lt CS CQ Sgt Cpl Pte Strength 1 1 3 0 3 1 32 26 43 ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (23 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: Since the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Bill was introduced at Westminster, in May 2022, the Government have been consistent in our view that the UK Bill is not fit for purpose. I had my most recent exchange regarding the UK Legacy Bill and related issues with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 16 May in Dublin. That followed the conclusion of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (23 May 2023)

Micheál Martin: It is not possible to provide the figures requested by the Deputy, as my Department does not maintain records on the country of residence of citizens registered on the Foreign Births Register. The Passport Service received approximately 7,000 Foreign Birth Registration applications from applicants residing in the United States in 2022.