Results 26,961-26,980 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Arms Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I am extremely concerned about the situation in Yemen, the suffering of civilians there, and the humanitarian crisis which the war has triggered. Ireland has raised with Saudi Arabia on numerous occasions its concerns about the situation in Yemen. In November 2016, my predecessor, Minister Flanagan, raised concerns about the appalling humanitarian situation in Yemen, and about attacks which...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Expenditure (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department has not incurred any expenditure on social media campaigns on issues related to Brexit.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Council Meetings (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: At the General Affairs Council (Article 50) on Monday 20 November, the EU’s Chief Negotiator, Michel Barnier, provided an update to the EU27 Member States on the state of play with regard to the EU-UK negotiations. This provided an important opportunity to take stock of progress in light of the forthcoming decision by the European Council in December on whether or not sufficient...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: As a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Government remains committed to doing everything necessary to support and facilitate the parties in Northern Ireland to achieve the effective operation of the devolved institutions. However, devolved power-sharing government can only operate on the basis of an agreement reached between the two largest parties. The other parties...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I welcome everyone to the committee. I am delighted to have the opportunity to engage with the committee and I hope we will be able to have a real back and forth conversation that gets into the detail of some of the issues members would like us to try to address. Obviously, the big issues politically at present relate to Brexit in the context of the full implementation of the Good Friday...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I will set a context for the meeting and put on the record some of the issues the Government is trying to address at present. I thank the committee for the invitation to meet and look forward to our discussion and to continuing to engage with the committee on the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process, which I think we would all agree is at a critical phase. I know that the committee...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I am here until 4.10 p.m. That will be two hours from when I came in to the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I believe that I have a pairing arrangement with the Ceann Comhairle. Maybe we could focus on the Senators' questions and the MPs questions. We could come back to the Deputies' questions when they return after the division.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I will answer Deputy Breathnach's questions when he returns from the Chamber.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: In response to Mr. Molloy's question on legacy issues and the consultation process which we hope will start soon, the idea and the sensible discussions concerned trying to get an Executive up and running and within weeks to build on that momentum and get a consultation process under way on the UK draft Bill on legacy. We will then try to bring forward positive political momentum as well as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: There are elements of the Good Friday Agreement that are not as definitive as the Senator might like in terms of box ticking. They are about anticipating an evolution of an improved relationship between communities and the obligation to try to promote that. It is an ongoing process and it is not the case that it is done or not done. There are a number of examples of this in the Good Friday...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: -----the Act and how it is treated in the context of the withdrawal Bill, I believe that it would be difficult to simply exempt it, but I certainly believe that there needs to be language in any final agreement. The withdrawal Bill is the way in which the British Government is dealing with how it sees Brexit going from a legislative point of view. What actually matters here is the final...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: The implications of what? Sorry, I was just distracted there for second.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: It would probably be a more balanced discussion if they were here, which would be very helpful. It would probably be a more challenging discussion too in terms of many of the issues about which we are talking because they impact the unionist community as much as they impact the nationalist community. Deputy O'Sullivan raised the issue of Justice for the Forgotten and the Hooded Men. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: And the chickens.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: May I request that we pause for a moment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: There are plenty of questions there, some of which will cause a bit of controversy. Language and culture issues have been a big part of the discussions between the DUP and Sinn Féin. These discussions have stopped for the past two weeks but there was certainly a ten-week period when we tried to facilitate private discussions on a bilateral basis between the two parties, with the support...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I will.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I will try to quickly address them. The capital plan will take into account the vulnerability and the opportunity in the Border area with more investment and that is very much part of the Ireland 2040 plan, the new national planning framework, which will set the context for where the capital spend goes in the next ten to 20 years. I appreciate the Border issue is a nightmare for those...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: Yes. Our officials have met them, the previous Minister, Deputy Flanagan, met them, and I of course would also be happy to do the same. It is just a question of agreeing a time but I would be more than happy to do so. That would be no problem.