Results 9,381-9,400 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5, 15 and 16 together. The Government and our EU partners remain seriously concerned at the situation in Sudan. Heavy fighting, including air strikes, has been taking place across Khartoum and the rest of Sudan since 15 April. Hospitals and critical infrastructure have been attacked. At least 500 people have been killed and thousands injured. Civilians...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputies for their comments. I will convey their best wishes to the consular staff, diplomats and members of our Defence Forces working in Djibouti, Cyprus, Egypt and Jordan in the co-ordination of this. The first comment I would make in regard to this crisis and future crises is that we will always be part of a pan-European response. That is the benefit of being in the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Passport Services (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: I will be dealing with that matter in more detail later. We are continually focusing on improving the situation for first-time applicants. I have outlined the significant innovations to facilitate that, particularly in terms of birth registration in respect of which there has always been a delay. There will now also be lower costs through avoiding the need for physical birth certificates...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Passport Services (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: Obviously, we keep urging people to get their passports organised well in advance of holidays or foreign travel more generally. There are 814 staff now assigned to the passport service, which is a significant expansion. The core of the question is what the passport service can do to ensure that applicants complete their applications correctly. As I said, the passport service continually...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the question. The European Peace Facility, EPF, was established by the Foreign Affairs Council on 21 March 2021. Ireland was centrally involved in the negotiations to design the EPF. Together with a number of like-minded member states, Ireland ensured the inclusion of a provision allowing member states to constructively abstain from assistance measures...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: In the normal Estimates process, they require the approval of the Dáil.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: In terms of the normal Estimates process and the Votes of Departments – the Vote of my Department and the Vote of the Department of Defence - the funding that gets allocated will be voted on by the Dáil. We are part of the European Common Security and Defence Policy. We opted into that over 20 years ago. It is one of the reasons why I think it is important that we have our...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Undocumented Irish in the USA (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy Lowry for raising this matter. Addressing the status of undocumented Irish citizens in the US remains a priority for the Government. Immigration matters are raised on an ongoing basis with the US Administration and US political leaders. The recent visit of President Biden to Ireland reinforced the strong historic, economic, cultural and family links between our two...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Undocumented Irish in the USA (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: I agree. Last year, there was a bipartisan reintroduction of the E3 visa approach in the US Senate and House of Representatives. This is a welcome development. However, the Bill lapsed with the conclusion of the last session of Congress at the end of 2022. We are discussing options how to potentially move forward the Bill into the new Congress. This was a key theme of my meetings when I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Undocumented Irish in the USA (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: The embassy is very seized of this issue as is our ambassador in the US. I favour the approach of our diplomatic network in the US pursuing this issue and not having two strands of approach. I do not want to personalise this but when we appoint people as ambassadors to the US it is experienced high-calibre diplomats who end up in Washington. Over the years they have cultivated strong...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Passport Services (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy Carthy for the question. As a result of the strategic planning under way in my Department since last year, the passport service is meeting the current high demand for passports. Almost 350,000 passports have been issued to date in 2023. Just under 1.1 million passports in total are expected to be issued this year. There are no passport application backlogs and all...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foreign Policy (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: I do not believe there is huge concern that this is an initiative to undermine military neutrality. It might be a huge concern to some who are contriving that huge concern, but nobody is afraid of debate in this country or of a broad conversation about the international situation in terms of Irish foreign policy and the international security policy of the State. In order to build a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foreign Policy (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: I regret the knee-jerk antagonistic approach the Deputy is taking to this. As soon as I announced it, the Deputy was out like a flash saying it was a threat to military neutrality. Why is the Deputy afraid of such debate? Why is he afraid of this country having an informed, open and public discussion about broader issues of the international threats facing the world and which Ireland has...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foreign Policy (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: I hope we are not going to go down that path. I anticipated this approach: attack the initiative in an immediate way without giving it due consideration, which the Deputy has done. He immediately attacked it. Now he seems to be focusing on the person, which is wrong.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foreign Policy (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: We are talking about a distinguished academic with tremendous credentials, an Irish person who did exceptionally well and, in my view, is an excellent choice to chair the forum. The chair will be asked to compile a report. There is no preconceived or predetermined outcome. It is a consultative forum. It will be open to the public. The public will be able to attend and people will make...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: Ireland has a wide-ranging relationship with China, which covers political, economic, cultural, and people-to-people links. The Government takes a holistic approach to this engagement; Ireland's relationship with China is not considered separately from our values and priorities when it comes to human rights. In this context, Ireland consistently raises points of concern directly with the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: Prime Minister Ana Brnabic visited Ireland from 19 to 21 April, her first visit here as Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia. I was pleased to welcome her to Iveagh House on the afternoon of 20 April, where we had a wide-ranging exchange. Prime Minister Brnabic also met the Taoiseach and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment during her visit. We spoke, in particular,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: The visit by President Biden to Ireland was a truly historic occasion which reinforced the close bonds and historic links between our two countries. I accompanied President Biden to Co. Louth, which included a visit to his ancestral home in the Cooley Peninsula and engagements with community groups in Dundalk. In Carlingford Castle, we saw from where James Finnegan, the President's...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 42 and 64 together. The Government continues to consistently communicate its deep concerns about the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Bill currently before the UK parliament. I have engaged with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on legacy issues at every available opportunity, including at the British Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukraine War (27 Apr 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 61 together. Ireland has consistently supported the adoption of strong sanctions in response to Russia’s illegal actions in Ukraine. The EU has adopted ten sanctions packages in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Measures introduced include asset freezes, travel bans, trade restrictions, the deSwifting of Russian banks,...