Results 27,201-27,220 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Data (13 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: Tracking of passport applications is in general carried out against channel of application rather than by other metrics, including country of origin.Bearing this in mind, the following general breakdown of applications will give the available detail on the volume of overseas applications received to date this year. From 1 January 2017 to date, the Passport Service has received 585,798...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Terrorism (13 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: Ireland is fully engaged in the approaches being developed by the European Union and the United Nations to combat terrorism, in particular, the need for greater international cooperation to address the underlying factors that contribute to terrorist related threats and violence. In the case of the European Union, Foreign Ministers remain focused on implementation of the June 2017 Council...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Issues (13 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: Euroscepticism is not new but in recent years it has become stronger and more vocal. In the Rome Declaration of March this year, EU Heads of State and Government pledged ‘to listen and respond to the concerns expressed by our citizens’ and to “address the challenges of a rapidly changing world.” The EU has emerging from a period of crisis and is moving forward...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Negotiations (13 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: The second phase of the Article 50 negotiations will enable discussions to get underway between the EU and the UK on transitional arrangements and on the framework for the future relationship between the EU and the UK. Ireland’s overriding objective is that a future EU-UK agreement should be comprehensive and ambitious and as wide as possible in its scope, while ensuring a level...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (13 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: There are four countries in the Western Balkans with candidate status – Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina are potential candidates. The EU, including Ireland, continues to monitor closely the progress of these countries in the implementation of reforms required to align with the acquis communautaire. Ireland places a strong...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Undocumented Irish in the USA (13 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Government continues to identify with and support the needs of Irish immigrants living in the United States, including undocumented Irish citizens. The Government remains wholly committed to working with the US authorities to resolve the plight of the undocumented Irish, while respecting the right of the United States to set its own immigration policies. The Department of Foreign Affairs...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Humanitarian Aid Provision (13 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: Through the EU, Ireland has long advocated for and supported the development of durable solutions for refugees and internally displaced persons, and in tackling the root causes of displacement. Through our engagement with conflict-affected countries, refugee hosting countries and our EU counterparts, Ireland supports conflict resolution and development in Syria, Iraq and the wider region....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Peace Process (13 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: Ireland, along with our EU partners, supports the achievement of a two state solution to the Middle East conflict. This support includes political efforts to encourage a resumption of direct negotiations, which are ultimately the only way to achieve peace. It also includes action on the ground on human rights and justice issues affecting Palestinians under occupation, including settlement...

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: First, when people see the text of the guidelines agreed by leaders, which are to be published tomorrow morning, they will clearly see the determination on the EU side to ensure there is no slide-back from the commitments that were made in phase 1. This applies to issues of particular Irish concern, as well as other issues. It is very clear in the wording that the negotiations in the second...

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Government and I believe that the longer the transition period, the better. That period will need to be closer to four or five years than two years. The time that is needed for a transition period will also be determined by the approach of the United Kingdom towards these negotiations. If the UK wants to negotiate a Canada style free trade agreement, it will take a number of years. If...

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: I would caution against taking a line from some political commentary as outline facts. What we have in writing is what people should look at and see. This is the commitment the British Government has made to 27 EU countries, not only to Ireland, and to EU institutions at the most senior level. Those commitments are cast iron in my view and in the view of the EU negotiators and the EU...

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: The European Union works on the basis of rules, treaties, precedent and negotiated agreements. What does not work is negotiation where a third party changes mid-stream or does not follow through on commitments made in writing. We have had very strong messaging this week from the European Parliament, from European institutions, from the General Affairs Council, from Michel Barnier himself in...

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: What we will look for and get is a very strong set of guidelines tomorrow which will ensure that if phase 2 is to progress, the commitments made during phase 1 will be fully followed through and, where appropriate, will need to be translated faithfully into legal terms as soon as possible.

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: In common with the Deputy, the Government wants to see justice for victims of all cases of sexual abuse, including this case. I understand that the person referred to was the subject of an investigation in the early 1990s, as the Deputy said, before they departed this jurisdiction for the United States. As a result of judicial review proceedings in 1994, the State was unable to extradite...

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: As I said, I do not want potentially to prejudice any case that may be taken in future. Unfortunately, sometimes time is a barrier in bringing successful convictions. I do not want to say that is the case in this particular instance, because I do not know, but the State will do all it can to try to bring individuals to justice who have been accused of sexual abuse. It is important to say...

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: This is territory in which I am personally very interested. It is going to be some time before people see the full benefits of Rebuilding Ireland but we have dramatically increased funding for social housing and there is a multi-annual commitment of almost €6 billion to add 50,000 new social housing units to the national stock, which would be a 30% increase over four or five years....

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: One thing we do not need is to try to start all over again with a new plan. We have a plan that is under way.

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: It is working. I will give the Deputy some statistics because those supplied by the Deputy are simply not true. At the end of the third quarter of 2017, 12,300 social housing units were advancing through various stages of delivery. There were 3,700 homes across 190 sites under construction nationwide and 2,000 in the final stages of contract award in a further 90 schemes which will move to...

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: If the Deputy looks at what is happening in the private sector, she will see a 48% increase in commencements and a 50% increase in planning applications. The fast-track planning changes we have made for housing estates of over 100 units is getting huge interest from developers and is putting An Bord Pleanála under pressure to deliver results. We are seeing a sector gearing up again to...

Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: My information is that work on the Bill is under way but we do not have a definitive date for it. I will try to get the Minister to come back to the Deputy on that.