Results 9,021-9,040 of 51,889 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (13 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications are currently being processed within the normal turnaround time of between 6 and 9 months from receipt of supporting documents. Applications that require further supporting documents will take longer to process. Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, is a detailed and complex process, often involving official documentation relating to three...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (13 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued a passport to the applicant on 27 June 2023. The Passport Service will contact the applicant directly regarding this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Schemes (13 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: My Department has sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform to employ up to 30 paid interns, who are recruited on contracts of up to 22 months and paid on the Executive Officer standard PPC pay scale. Interns are recruited through an open, competitive process and are assigned to policy areas in the Department, including Development Cooperation and Africa...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Appointments (13 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: The only State body under the aegis of my Department is the Army Pensions Board. The Board is an independent statutory body established under the Army Pensions Act 1927. The Act specifies that the Board shall consist of a chairman and two ordinary members. The chairman and the non-military ordinary member are appointed by the Minister for Defence with the concurrence of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Army Ranger Wing (ARW) are the Special Operations Forces of the Defence Forces.Personnel from the ARW served in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Afghanistan from October 2006 to March 2007 and from September 2014 to March 2015. The ARW did not deploy Special Operations Forces in any direct or indirect way to ISAF in Afghanistan. The officer referred to in book in...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 213 and 215 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 (13 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: In terms of cybersecurity, the primary role of the Defence Forces relates to the defence and security of their own networks and systems. This important role is being developed in the context of the High Level Action Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces and will grow in importance as threats in the cyber space increase. The recommendation by the Commission on the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: The report of the Independent Review Group (IRG) established to examine dignity and equality issues in the Defence Forces was published following Government approval on 28th March 2023. The Government agreed to progress the recommendations in the Report. This included approval in principle for the establishment of a Judge-led statutory inquiry to investigate whether there have been serious...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Commission on the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment in the Programme for Government, and its report was published on the 9th of February 2022. There were 69 main recommendations and with sub recommendations there were 130 recommendations in total. The Commission undertook a significant body of work, encompassing wide-ranging terms of reference. It recommended...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Commission on the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment in the Programme for Government. The report of the Commission was published on 9th February 2022. The Commission undertook a significant body of work, encompassing wide-ranging terms of reference. It recommended significant changes for the Defence Forces and Defence provision in Ireland. It covers high level...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Schemes (13 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Programme for Government commits to growing the number of apprenticeships under the Action Plan for Apprenticeships 2021 – 2025. My Department is currently in the process of implementing an apprenticeship programme for eight civilian apprentices in the Defence Forces. Civilian apprenticeships provide participants with the opportunity to gain practical, on-the-job experience and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: I take it that the Deputy is referring to pensions awarded under the Army Pensions Acts 1923 to 1980 (as amended), as no Army pensions are awarded by the Courts. The Army Pensions Acts provide for the grant of pensions and gratuities to former members of the Permanent Defence Force in respect of permanent disablement due to a wound or injury attributable to military service (whether at...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: The then Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan T.D., convened a three-day Departmental conference, "Representing the Global Island", at Dublin Castle on 12-14 January 2015. The Conference brought together more than 90 Irish Ambassadors, Consuls General and senior diplomats for meetings with individuals from across the Department, other Government Departments and the State...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Foreign Affairs, in common with other Government Departments, is allocated administrative funding each year for “training and development and incidental expenses”. Funding for training and development includes foreign language support, course fees, professional memberships, conference and seminar fees and associated training costs. A variety of other...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Foreign Affairs, in common with other Government Departments, is allocated administrative funding each year for “training and development and incidental expenses”. Funding for training and development includes foreign language support, course fees, professional memberships, conference and seminar fees and associated training costs. A variety of other...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Foreign Affairs, in common with other Government Departments, is allocated administrative funding each year for “training and development and incidental expenses”. Funding for training and development includes foreign language support, course fees, professional memberships, conference and seminar fees and associated training costs. A variety of other...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Foreign Affairs, in common with other Government Departments, is allocated administrative funding each year for “training and development and incidental expenses”. Funding for training and development includes foreign language support, course fees, professional memberships, conference and seminar fees and associated training costs. A variety of other...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: My Department commissions outside or third party reports where highly specialised skills are not available internally and in particular, where ongoing independent evaluation of programmes and projects is necessary. External expertise has informed, and continues to inform, my Department's strategies and policies and the effective delivery of our services to our citizens in a transparent and...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: With a growing focus on security and defence issues across Europe and at national level, as Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence and with the support of the Government, I recently convened a national Consultative Forum on International Security Policy. The aim of the Forum was to provide an opportunity for a serious and honest conversation about the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Passport Services (12 Jul 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 40 together. The Passport Service takes every opportunity to remind citizens to check their passport validity. Each year the Passport Service proactively plans for the demand forecasted for the following year. Part of this planning involves a public communications strategy carried out by my Department, with a view to ensuring passport demand is...