Results 441-460 of 1,043,595 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:Paul Murphy OR speaker:Micheál Martin OR speaker:Rose Conway-Walsh OR speaker:Catherine Murphy)

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Jul 2024)

Ivana Bacik: I acknowledge, as others have done, the announcement today by Deputies Shortall and Catherine Murphy and I add my voice to those wishing them well. As Deputy McDonald has said, it is rare to see an outbreak of girl power in this House, or women power as I prefer to say. There are far too few women here and it makes their extensive careers in public service all the more noteworthy. I...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I am pleased to report to the committee on Irish Defence Forces participation in United Nations missions in 2023. This report was laid before Dáil Éireann on 3 May 2024. The following motion was placed on the Order Paper for Dáil Éireann and has been referred to this committee: That Dáil Éireann approves: ... (II) the report by the Minister for Defence...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I do not have the figures for 2019 immediately to hand. I will get them for the Deputy shortly. A figure of 1,509 personnel served during 2023. That has people coming between the two six-month rotations. As of 5 June 2024, Ireland contributes 430 Defence Forces personnel to overseas missions and locations, which reflects the Government's continued commitment to our responsibilities in the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: No, although it is a factor. Shortly after I became Minister for Defence, I received strong military advice from the Chief of Staff recommending that we pull out of UNDOF. I think he would have been aware of my decision to enter the battle group because we are part of the CSDP missions. I am very clear about that role for Ireland in terms of-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: No. Fundamentally, the decision was taken on military advice.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: No. I was advised anyway. The advice was coming because these are two different types of missions. If we are honest, they are not comparable at all in some respects. We first deployed there in 2013 and 3,000 troops have served overall. It is not unusual for us to give ten years or more to a given place. The one place where we have been more or less continuously, with one interruption...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: We may or may not have taken the same decision. The military advice was clear. To be frank, the military advice was that there was a desire to move on. This was the sense I got when I became Minister for Defence.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: We are not in active discussion. The most immediate action in this context has been the deployment of an additional platoon of 33 personnel to go to Lebanon on top of the 344 troops we have there now. This is the immediate focus at the moment. We keep the situation under review. If the UN comes to us with a specific request, we will, of course, consider it.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Chief of Staff has assured me it will be fully staffed and this is what I expect.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: Around 175 or 180 personnel will be involved as things stand now.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I must reassert the point that there is no connection between the triple lock and our military neutrality. Our military neutrality means that we are not members of a military alliance and we have no plans to be a member of a military alliance. The triple lock refers to a three-stage process to approve the deployment of troops on a peacekeeping mission. At the moment, this involves the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: We would then have de facto Dáil and Government approval. We are conscious that no peacekeeping mission has been approved by the UN since 2014. The legislation is being prepared at the moment. I cannot provide a timeline, but I doubt it will be ready before the recess.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: The draft general scheme was approved by the Government on 30 April. We are still engaging with the Attorney General, other Departments and key stakeholders. I will come back to the Government before the summer recess.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: My officials will have to get going. There is only a week and a half to go. There is an intention to get back to the Government. We will see. I will keep driving it. However, it will then go to pre-legislative scrutiny by the committee.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: There will be pre-legislative scrutiny.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: No, it has to come to the Government first.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: We will see. If the committee is willing to work through August, I would be-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: If the committee is willing to work through August, I would be very appreciative.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: I will be honest. The intention is to get it to the Government before the recess. I am conscious that the Oireachtas recess is only two weeks away. We may make that, but it is tight. If we do not make that, it will be the first week of September. However, we have Government meetings until the end of July so I may make it before the summer recess in that context. In any event, it will...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Proposed Approval by Dáil Éireann of Ireland's Participation in Two PESCO Projects and Two European Defence Agency Projects and the Report Regarding Service by the Defence Forces with the UN in 2023: Motion (2 Jul 2024)

Micheál Martin: On my last visit to Lebanon about a month ago, I met the minister for foreign affairs because I am not happy with the progress being made on this case. The legal adviser to the minister for defence was at the meeting because the minister for defence was ill in hospital and could not be there. I have since written to the Lebanese foreign minister because of the case again being postponed...