Results 10,081-10,100 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: In May 2022, the then Minister for Defence appointed a Senior Counsel to establish whether the actions taken on behalf of the Minister by Civil Servants in the Department of Defence and the military authorities on foot of correspondence received by the Minister from a former member of the Defence Forces were correct having regard to the regulatory frameworks, policies and internal grievance...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Public Procurement Contracts (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: The awards made both with and without tender process to the management consultancy firms (details supplied) by my Department for each of the years 2018 to 2022 inclusive are as follows: Firm Purpose Total Amount Paid Timeframe of Contract Desired/Completed Output KPMG ERP System Architecture Services €56,250...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Public Procurement Contracts (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: My Department has no record of any awards made to the organisation referred to by the Deputy for the years 2018 -2022 inclusive. My Department uses Microsoft products, such products are purchased from authorised Microsoft resellers through central Office of Government Procurement frameworks and not purchased directly from Microsoft. Standard government procurement guidelines are followed.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: The following table provides the number of engine room artificer vacancies as of 24th February 2023. Establishment 85 Strength 67* Vacancies 18 *includes 16 personnel undergoing training to become Engine Room Artificers. Vacancies are filled in line with promotional arrangements, as appropriate, and by...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: The detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available within the time frame sought. At the request of my Department the military authorities are conducting the search, retrieval and collation of same. I will arrange to have this information forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Priorities for 2023: Minister for Foreign Affairs (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Chairman and committee members for the invitation to brief them today. I look forward to our exchange on foreign policy issues. I will speak on the key foreign policy priorities currently under discussion at the European Union Foreign Affairs Council, as well as share some reflections on our UN Security Council term. I will also outline some of the foreign and security policy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Priorities for 2023: Minister for Foreign Affairs (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Priorities for 2023: Minister for Foreign Affairs (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputies and Senators for their contributions. I join with Deputy Brady in welcoming the Windsor Framework and particularly the certainty it will give to business and to industry, some of which are doing quite well while others in the context of consumer goods were finding aspects of the protocol difficult. In all of the practical day-to-day issues that were raised, from goods...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Priorities for 2023: Minister for Foreign Affairs (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Yes. We have issued a statement on the issue. On the detention of Mr. Bernard Phelan, I have been in touch with the Iranian foreign minister and I had a long discussion with him. It is a very difficult situation for Mr. Phelan. We are continuing our contacts with the Iranian Government. He is a dual citizen as the Deputy noted. In our view, his imprisonment is wrong. To protect his...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Priorities for 2023: Minister for Foreign Affairs (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy maintains that people are saying that. However, the Deputy is the first person that I have heard say it. I do not think it is fair at all because I explained at the defence Estimates that they are operational issues.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Priorities for 2023: Minister for Foreign Affairs (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: If the Deputy would allow me to make my point, operational decisions have to be taken regarding strength and where we deploy. The EU battle group has very significant challenges. We have been part of these groups since 2000. I do not know whether the Deputy thinks we should be part of common security and defence policy at European level or not. We have been part of German-led battle...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Priorities for 2023: Minister for Foreign Affairs (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: It is not all about ships. We are not equipped right now to deal with that so we have to address the issue. We need to get our mindset away from conventional thinking. This is something I am stressing to the military as well. The modern threats are much different from what we think we know of military in terms of battle groups and ships, etc. We will need more brainpower on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Priorities for 2023: Minister for Foreign Affairs (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I did not say there was a review of peacekeeping missions. If the Deputy was referring to UNDOF, we have to go to Government but I will come back to the committee. No final decisions had been made yet. When we were joining the EU battle group I did signal that there would be operational issues and challenges regarding maintaining all activities that we currently have under our remit. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Priorities for 2023: Minister for Foreign Affairs (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Cathaoirleach has opened up a set of questions. To a certain extent, the war in Ukraine has changed a lot of things. In many ways the Windsor agreement is not disconnected from the geopolitical issues of the day. In other words, because of the war in Ukraine, the European Union and the United Kingdom Government recognise that they need to be more in harmony and have a much deeper and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Priorities for 2023: Minister for Foreign Affairs (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I will just say quickly on the Non-Aligned Movement, NAM, all members are currently in the developing world. That has always been the focus of the membership. The only country in Europe that is currently a member is Belarus. Many of the foreign policy positions taken by the NAM over the years do not necessarily correspond to Ireland's foreign policy priorities. We work in a constructive...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Priorities for 2023: Minister for Foreign Affairs (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: There was a meeting of the Human Rights Council yesterday. I think the Deputy means the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Priorities for 2023: Minister for Foreign Affairs (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I will start by responding to Senator Ardagh. She mentioned the terrible attack on Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell in Omagh. As I have said in the Dáil, it was a shocking and brutal attack on a man who has given so much in his capacity as a PSNI detective but also as a citizen of Northern Ireland who coached an underage team. He gave the very best of himself to society, and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Priorities for 2023: Minister for Foreign Affairs (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I do not think a third of the country is occupied, is it? South Ossetia and Abkhazia are the two areas. Notwithstanding that, there is a sense that more reforms are needed within Georgia. We want Georgia to be a candidate country but I just have to call it as it is at times and give the EU position on the matter. On sanctions generally, we target the elites. We tend to run the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Priorities for 2023: Minister for Foreign Affairs (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Disinformation is getting as much attention as cyberattacks. When the war broke out in Ukraine, the big clarion call across EU member states was disinformation. People knew Russia would be sponsoring a whole range of disinformation attacks in terms of the war itself and the broader picture and, if you like, the campaign to persuade the global south as to who is right and who is wrong in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Priorities for 2023: Minister for Foreign Affairs (28 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Yes. Ireland is again to the fore on accountability questions. Accountability must be before international courts and international fora that investigate any atrocities for war crimes that are committed. That is easier said than done, but we have been consistent supporters of international organisations that endeavour to bring people to account for unacceptable war crimes, no matter where...