Results 27,841-27,860 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Promotion (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Irish Embassy in Moscow, working with the state agencies, continues to raise awareness of Ireland as an attractive investment location and to support Irish companies present in Russia and those seeking to explore new market opportunities there. In December, I co-chaired the 11th meeting of the Ireland-Russia Joint Economic Commission in Dublin, where we discussed opportunities to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Funding (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: I wish to make clear my total condemnation of the ongoing bombardment of Eastern Ghouta. The attacks being directed at the civilian and humanitarian population are disproportionate. Ireland does not recognise the legitimacy of the 2014 Syrian Presidential Elections and has ceased all diplomatic or political contacts with the Assad regime. Ireland remains engaged through the EU in the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Data (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service provides a range of channels to Irish citizens wishing to apply for a passport. These include a postal application system, an award winning online passport application service, in person counter application facilities in Dublin and Cork and the network of Irish Missions worldwide. The turnaround timeframe for a passport application will depend in the first instance on...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Capital Expenditure Programme (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: Under the recently published National Development Plan 2018 - 2027, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will have capital allocations in the period 2019 – 2022, across its two Votes (Vote 27 - International Co-operation and Vote 28 – Foreign Affairs and Trade) as follows: 2019€17 million 2020€13 million 2021€13 million 2022€14 million The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Reform Programme consists of over 25 individual projects and the award-winning online passport application service has been the most significant project launched under the Programme to date. Currently 45% of people who are eligible to apply online do so with a significantly reduced turnaround time. The funding allocated to the Passport Reform Programme is €20m up to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Global Footprint Initiative (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: €2 million was allocated in Budget 2018 to cover initial expenditure by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the Doubling of the Global Footprint Initiative. Work has begun on the initial phase of the expansion of Ireland’s Diplomatic Network which includes the Government decision to open new Embassies in Santiago, Chile; Bogotá, Colombia; Amman, Jordan; and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Refusals (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: My Department has not been made aware of any recent cases in which Irish citizens were leaving the State for the purposes of conversion or reparative therapies. As the deputy will be aware, any powers my department has to prevent any Irish citizen from travelling abroad are extremely limited and outlined in the Passports Act 2008. Any citizen who finds themselves in distress abroad may...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Lobbying Data (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: I am aware of the newspaper report referred to. However, I have not myself been lobbied in this regard and I am unaware of any actual lobbying on this basis. While the Government does not support a policy of “Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions”, it is a legitimate and non-violent political viewpoint, albeit one regarded in Israel as hostile. The Government firmly opposes...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: In the months since military security operations began in Rakhine State, Myanmar in August 2017, more than 680,000 refugees, mostly Rohingya, have fled to Bangladesh resulting in a large scale humanitarian crisis. The exodus of refugees has been accompanied by credible claims of serious human rights violations by the Myanmar Security Forces. These include reports of widespread killing of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: I am aware of the incident in question, which is certainly a disquieting one. I am aware of course that Israel has to contend with very real security threats. Ireland cannot raise every individual action of concern that takes place in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, not least in a case such as this, where I have no information on what was the basis for arrest of the individual...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service offers a range of convenient channels for submission of passport applications by Irish citizens, at home and abroad. Advice and guidance on these channels and other useful information on passports is available on the Department’s website at www.dfa.ie/passport. The award-winning online Passport Renewal service for adults was launched in March 2017 and offers the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Data (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service provides a range of channels to Irish citizens wishing to apply for a passport, including postal channels, an award winning online application service, in person counter application facilities in Dublin and Cork and through the network of Irish Missions worldwide. The Passport Service is currently processing over 66,000 passport applications. Of these applications, just...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Administration (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: As of March 20, the average turnaround time for renewal applications submitted through An Post Passport Express stands at 16 working days. Average processing times for all categories of passport application are updated regularly on the Passport Service’s website, www.dfa.ie/passportand reflect actual average turnaround time at the time of writing. An exceptionally large volume of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Data (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: The award-winning online passport application service for adults was launched in March 2017 and offers the convenience of an online application system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for Irish citizens anywhere in the world, without the need for application forms, printed photos or witnesses The target turnaround time for applications made via the online passport application service is 10...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Data (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service is currently processing an exceptionally high volume of applications. From 1 January – 14 March, the Passport Service received over 198,000 passport applications in total, an increase of 7% on the same period last year. The average turnaround time for renewal applications submitted through An Post Passport Express currently stands at 16 working days. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Administration (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service provides a range of channels to Irish citizens wishing to apply for a passport, including a postal channel, an award winning online application service, in person counter application facilities in Dublin and Cork and through the network of Irish Missions worldwide. The turnaround timeframe for processing a passport application will depend on the channel through which the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff Data (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: Managing our response to Brexit has impacted on the work of many staff across the entire range of work of the Department. Following the UK Referendum on EU membership in June 2016, the Passport Service identified an increase in passport applications from Irish citizens in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. The Passport Service monitors the volume of applications on an ongoing basis to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Documents (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: In my capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade with Special Responsibility for Brexit, I have been particularly keen that the Irish public remain fully informed and up-to-date on the direct implications and challenges of Brexit for citizens and for key sectors of Ireland’s economy and on the Government’s approach to addressing these. The Government Brexit Update email...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: National Development Plan (20 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: The projects mentioned in the National Development Plan 2018 to 2027 under my Department, which form part of the Department’s Strategic Capital Investment Priorities for the period 2018 – 2022, are set out in the table. There are no agencies under the aegis of my Department. Project Estimated Completion Date Global Footprint Initiative 2025 Passport Reform Programme 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Ministerial Staff Data (21 Mar 2018)

Simon Coveney: There are a number of categories of staff in my Department who work for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and who are not established civil servants. They are Special Advisors, civilian drivers, local staff overseas and temporary Clerical Officers. I have appointed four Special Advisers in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. - Ms. Caitríona Fitzpatrick is my...