Results 10,141-10,160 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I did not interrupt Deputy Boyd Barrett. He should have the decency to allow me to make a reply. The Deputy has just asserted in a distorted manner the idea that NATO wants to escalate the war on Ukraine to a nuclear status. That is a disgraceful and wrong thing to say. Germany is in NATO. France is in NATO. They did everything they could to persuade Putin not to launch that war. They...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: -----because they pick up something that does not look like a bomb but is a bomb. Deputy Boyd Barrett is saying we should not help to train people to prevent that terrible impact on civilians.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I am the leader of the Fianna Fáil Party, of which Frank Aiken was a member. He was the first Minister for Foreign Affairs to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. My party and colleagues in the Government in this House have a very proud record on the international stage with respect to nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: This country has a strong record in that regard, even in its most recent iteration on the Security Council of the United Nations for the past two years. We do not have any blind spot about nuclear weaponry. We have been consistent. More than a decade ago, we were the leaders, with Norway, the Vatican and others, in having the international convention banning the use of cluster munitions....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: We have been very strong in terms of holding accountability in respect of Israeli attacks and atrocities. We condemned what happened last evening. It was wrong. We are very concerned about the trends in regard to that issue. The fundamental point is this. We stand by the international rules-based order, the United Nations Charter.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Putin has breached it in an appalling manner. All we are saying is we will help to train some Ukrainians in respect of their capability in medical combat, in bomb disposal and in other areas of that kind. It is not too great an ask for this country to make and it does not threaten in any shape or form our neutrality, which is defined by non-military alignment. We are not members of NATO....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: A key consideration has to be the likely impact of any extension on supply. Recent data shows that around 21,000 home sales last year involved landlords selling their properties while just 7,500 homes were bought by landlords. That means a net loss of 13,5000 homes to the rental stock. We have to ask the question why the smaller landlords are leaving the market in droves. We have a whole...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: -----and were then extended in 2019 and 2020. The issue of trust is vital so we must be very clear in terms of what we are doing in this decision and I am sharing these issues with the Oireachtas now because it has to go beyond the catch cry of "you are the uncaring Government that wants to do x, y and z and we are the people who are for apple pie" etc.. There is a real issue here. We...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I find Deputy Boyd Barrett's remarks deeply disturbing and unfair. Inevitably in every contribution he makes on the war in Ukraine he brings it around to the NATO issue, and it is NATO's fault ultimately in his mind. It is a disgraceful and distorted assessment of his that he has just articulated now, that somehow NATO wants to escalate this.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: In my time, we put unprecedented investment into infrastructure in Cork. Regrettably, in the past while, significant proposals did not come forward to the degree that they should have.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I come from the region and I am well aware of the position. The projects are now coming on stream. The lack of ready-to-go projects in respect of certain hospitals has been a cause of concern for me. That is why we are looking at a faster method in the context of getting projects delivered. We are saying that we will build more facilities and increase the number of beds. We are going to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Parallel with that, there has been a massive increase in the number of people working within our health service. in that context, there are 17,000 more people working in the health service than was the case at the beginning of 2020. That is a 15% increase and it includes more than 5,000 nurses, nearly 3,000 health and social care professionals and 1,800 doctors and dentists. We need to and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: First, I wish the Deputy well. This may or may not be the last occasion on which we have an opportunity for questions on a Thursday morning, but I thank her for her courtesy and respect in her capacity as leader. I thank her and her colleague, Deputy Shortall, for their commitment to the public good and public interest as leaders of their party. Through very challenging times during...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for reminding us of the horrors of nuclear war, and for his comments in respect of the terrible war being waged upon the people of Ukraine as a result of the illegal and immoral invasion of their country by the Russian Federation. Closer to home, like many others, I find myself struggling to comprehend the savagery and depravity of last night's attack on...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Prisoners Abroad (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I remain deeply concerned about the continued detention of this Irish citizen, especially given his serious medical condition. I can assure the Deputy that the citizen's release remains a strong priority for me and my Department. To that end, there continues to be extensive engagement on the citizen's case with the Iranian authorities at senior political and official levels. I emphasised...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Projects (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Below is a table of studies, reviews or research currently being undertaken or commissioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs and when they are scheduled to be completed. Name of Study, Review or Research Expected date of completion Evaluation of Ireland’s Expo 2020 Dubai. Q2 2023 The Application of Ireland’s Soft...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: At the Foreign Affairs Council on 23 January 2023, EU Foreign Ministers had a lunchtime exchange with the Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh, and Palestinian Foreign Minister, Dr Riad Malki, affording them the opportunity to brief EU Ministers on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. There was a strong message of support from the High Representative and EU Ministers...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I am deeply concerned by the recent negative developments in the occupied Palestinian territory and reiterate that the focus of all parties, including the international community, must be on urgent de-escalation and on the restoration of a genuine political horizon. I welcome that the UN Security Council, following a request by the Palestinian Authority, expressed itself in clear terms...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I am aware of the position to which the Deputy refers and would recall that it is Ireland’s long-standing position that policies and practices of successive Israeli governments relating to illegal settlements and their expansion, as well as expulsions, forced transfers and demolitions, undermine prospects for a two-State solution, and are a major obstacle to a just, lasting, and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (23 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, this application is within the current turnaround time and has not yet reached its issue by date. The current estimated issue date for the application is 22 March 2023. The turnaround time for paper-based applications is 8 weeks. The Passport Service would like to advise the Deputy to encourage his constituents...