Tag Archives: Micheál Martin

This morning.

Davos, Switzerland.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin among a panel including European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola discussing European unity.

He is expected to hold a brief bilateral meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kubela and will also meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose father was born in Ireland, and whose grandfather was Ireland’s first chief rabbi.

Taoiseach to meet Ukraine’s foreign minister at Davos (RTE)

Watch here

This afternoon.

St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2.

Above from left: The CEO of IDA Ireland Martin Shanahan with Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Horizon Therapeutics chairman, president and chief executive officer Timothy P Walbert at the launch of biopharmaceutical company’s new Global Headquarters on St. Stephen’s Green

Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

This afternoon.

Dublin Castle, Dublin 2.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin speaking at the launch of a new report from the National Economic and Social Council – Shared Island: Shared Opportunity – at the Hibernia Conference Centre.

Shared not united.

Pause.

Fight.

Keynote address by Taoiseach Micheál Martin on the launch of the National Economic and Social Council comprehensive report on Shared Island: Shared Opportunity (Gov.ie)

RollingNews

This morning.

Dublin Castle. Dublin 2.

It’ll be grand.

Earlier: Coal War

Sam Boal/Rollingnews

This afternoon.

Brussels, Belgium.

Strategic compass?

Meanwhile…

Um.

Meanwhile…

OK.

Now do China.

From top: Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Speaker of the US House of Congress Nancy Pelosi at the Ireland Funds awards dinner on March 16; Speaker Pelosi welcomes Ambassador Dan Mulhall

March 16, 2022.

Washington DC, USA.

KN writes:

While I wish the Taoiseach a speedy recovery, do any of your readers share my general puzzlement at the sequence of events last week or even care to speculate on what [US House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi meant while introducing Mr Martin [a recipient of an Ireland Funds award]. Remember, minutes earlier, they were dining together and chatting. [Pelosi said]:

‘Congratulations again Taoiseach, and now I would invite the Taoiseach to the stage, but I have been informed that because the Taoiseach is on call as one of the leaders in the world his 2022 international Ireland Funds award will be given to ambassador Dan Mulhall…’

Cognitive decline or something more sinister?

We may never know.

Meanwhile…

“This evening, before we left to come here, all members of the delegation were tested for Covid-19 and the test on the Taoiseach was negative. But because a member of the wider delegation tested positive and while that test was being checked and rechecked, out of an abundance of caution, the Taoiseach was tested just as he left to come here and sadly, that test turned out to be positive. So, the Taoiseach has asked me to explain this and to deliver the speech on his behalf.”

Irish Ambassador to the USA, Dan Mulhall acceptomg Taoiseach Micheal Martin’s international leadership award from the Ireland Funds

KN adds:

When did he get the results? At the dinner table? Before he left? Did Nancy know? Does any of it make sense to you?

Anyone?

Previously: Rain On His Parade

PA/Ireland Funds

From top: US President Joe Biden; Taoiseach Micheal Martin with US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi at the Ireland Funds 30th National Gala at the National Building Museum in Washington DC earlier

Last night/this morning.

Washington DC, USA.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has tested positive for Covid-19. It means he will be unable to meet US President Joe Biden in person later today as part of the traditional shamrock ceremony.

Via PA:

Just before the positive Covid-19 test result was confirmed, Mr Martin had been listening to remarks from US President Joe Biden, who addressed the dinner on Wednesday evening.

Mr Biden had welcomed the Taoiseach to Washington and said he was looking forward to renewing their friendship on Thursday.

Mr Biden, who was greeted with a lengthy round of applause and repeated cheers from the audience, was in fine spirits as he addressed the gathering.

He welcomed Taoiseach Micheal Martin and recalled meeting him at the White House shamrock ceremony in 2009, when Mr Martin was foreign affairs minister and Mr Biden was vice-president.

“We’ve come full circle.

“You’re Taoiseach, I’m President – what the hell are we going to do?”

Last year, Mr Martin had been forced to meet with the US President virtually due to the pandemic.

In front of an audience that included Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis, Mr Biden spoke passionately about his Irish heritage but did not shy away from the multiple crises facing the world.

He said that Ireland was the only country in the world that was “nostalgic for the future”.

Earlier: Ban Vodka

Taoiseach tests positive for Covid-19 in Washington DC (RTE)

Oliver Contreras/PA

Taoiseach Micheál Martin

This morning.

Via RTÉ News:

Addressing the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party last night, Mr Martin said that the coalition Government is “conscious” about the rising cost of living, and how much of it is energy related.

He told his party’s TDs, Senators and MEPs that they are examining “a range of measures”, including reducing Government charges, in order to enable people to protect their disposable incomes.

Meanwhile…

…Around the same time, Mr Varadkar told a Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting that the planned €113 energy rebate “isn’t enough” to counter rising energy prices.

He also mentioned the potential of lowering Government fees and charges – saying rising inflation and higher prices means more needs to be done to help families.

That should do it.

Govt may take more action on rising cost of living (RTE)

RolingNews

Taoiseach Micheál Martin (Centre) and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue (right)  arrive at yesterday’s 67th Annual General Meeting of the Irish Farmers Association in the Mansion House  hosted by IFA President Tim Cullinan (left)

Yesterday.

“We are a country that is coming from behind to be honest. We have done the talk on climate change but the milestones of achievement are not as impressive as the talk is.

“Farming is not a soft target. You are not a soft target.

“We are at a crossroads for Irish farming and for forestry. Threats and opportunities abound but our choice now is to either honestly address the challenge that climate change poses for the sector, and together harness the opportunities that this changing context presents. Or, as some voices counsel, to resist what I see is quickly becoming irresistible.”

Taoiseach at the IFA annual conference yesterday.

Martin denies suggestion farmers ‘soft target’ for climate action (Irish Times)

Sam Boal/RollingNews