Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is an honour for me this evening to express my full confidence in my friend and colleague, Deputy Simon Coveney.

I first met Simon 23 years ago, when I was canvassing for him in the Cork South-Central by-election, following the tragic death of his father, Hugh. I know nobody more committed to public service than him. Since then, he has served with distinction as a Member of this House, as a Minister, and as a Member of the European Parliament. We were both appointed to the Cabinet in 2011 and Simon subsequently served as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Minister for Defence, Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and now as Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence. He has always put the long-term interests of the Irish people ahead of any short-term political considerations. He is a reservoir of patience and kindness and he always has his eye on the big objective, whether it is the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, negotiations and defending the rights and needs of farmers, the programme for Government negotiations - the Government with Fine Gael independence would never have happened were it not for him - negotiations with parties in Northern Ireland, or ongoing negotiations in relation to Brexit. He is diligent, knowledgeable, sincere, supportive and loyal. On the toughest days and at the toughest times, I have been fortunate to have him as a Government colleague and Deputy. Simon is someone with a deep commitment to human rights and he has put that commitment at the centre of our foreign policy, whether it is in the Middle East, Afghanistan or in the Mediterranean during the refugee crisis.

We made mistakes when it came to the proposed appointment of former Minister Katherine Zappone as special envoy, and he and I have acknowledged and apologised for our mistakes in that regard. There does, however, need to be some balance. Sinn Féin knows full well that without Simon Coveney's tireless and endless work that he put in with the parties in Northern Ireland and the British Government, there would not have been New Decade, New Approach - NDNA, as people call it. Without him, Michelle O'Neill would not be the deputy First Minister today and there would not be an Executive in Northern Ireland.

See this speech in context