Results 10,201-10,220 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Co-ordination of International Protection Services: Statements (16 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Hear, hear.

Co-ordination of International Protection Services: Statements (16 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Offering protection to those seeking it when fleeing war or persecution lies at the very core of the values of every free democracy. It is an expression of humanity and solidarity. It is a European value founded on a deep understanding of migration in our history and the terrible things that happened when borders were so tightly sealed that previously unimaginable tragedies and atrocities...

Civil Defence Bill 2023: Second Stage (15 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: That is fine. I thank all the Deputies who contributed. We have had a good manifestation, from across the House, of the esteem in which the Civil Defence is held by communities, as the Deputies articulated. I thank them for their fulsome tributes to the Civil Defence and look forward to teasing out on Committee Stage the issues they raised, such as funding issues, investment in...

Civil Defence Bill 2023: Second Stage (15 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: It was 2,700, I think.

Civil Defence Bill 2023: Second Stage (15 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I move: “That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to present this Bill to the House. The purposes of this relatively short but important Bill is to modernise and reform the current legislative basis for the Civil Defence organisation. There is a requirement to do this as the existing regulatory framework, consisting of enactments dating from 1939 to 2012, no longer...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Birth Certificates (15 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship. Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukraine War (15 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: The response by the European Union to Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been unprecedented in its unity, firmness and determination. It has encompassed political, financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support for Ukraine. The EU has also imposed the most extensive package of sanctions in its history, in response to Russia's aggression, adopting a 9th package on 16 December...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Freedom of Information (15 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Foreign Affairs is diligent in ensuring that it fully complies with the Freedom of Information Act, including that it publishes at regular intervals, the logs of all non-personal Freedom of Information requests. The logs for all such non-personal requests received each year from 2015 to 2022 are publicly available on DFA.ie at the following link...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (15 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Military life places unique demands on individuals and it is necessary that Defence Forces personnel are prepared to meet the challenges of all military operations. For this reason compulsory retirement ages for ranks in the Permanent Defence Force are considerably lower than in other employments. The age and fitness profile of the Permanent Defence Force was an issue of serious concern...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: So, basically, does it cover-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: What barracks is that?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: First of all, in terms of the 8% increase in current expenditure and the 25% increase in capital expenditure, I believe those increases in both current and capital expenditure are very much tied into achieving the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces, particularly on the capital side. Considering that there is a fairly significant lead-in time in capital projects more...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: We have multi-annual capital funding of approximately €566 million allocated out to 2025. Outside of aircraft, we are looking at defensive equipment, the Mowag upgrade, which is significant, and provision of helmets, body armour and ammunition. All of that is provided for in the Estimate. The Deputy referred to cybersecurity.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: We do not comment on security matters. However, I will try to get an answer to that question. My understanding is that one location has been identified. A Civil Defence building in Roscrea apparently has Hikvision cameras.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: We can be confident it knows more about it than we do. I do not like second-guessing military expertise or, indeed, Garda expertise regarding the security of the State.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: All procurement and use of security systems is kept under review, ultimately with the objective of being as secure as possible.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I want to respond first to the Deputy's question on cybersecurity. The Department of Defence is represented at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia. The centre is not actually run by NATO but is accredited by it. I was there last year. It is important that we are part of that endeavour because it deals at a very high level with all sorts of scenario...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Could the Deputy say which recommendations again?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Do they relate to the chief of defence, CHOD?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: The big stuff.