Results 28,321-28,340 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Palestine: Statements (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: I wish to begin by expressing, on behalf of the Government, my profound shock at the scale of casualties inflicted by Israeli forces on Palestinian demonstrators yesterday. My thoughts are with the families of those killed, with those who have suffered severe injuries, and with the heroic health workers in Gaza who are working in the most difficult and overwhelming circumstances to save...

Palestine: Statements (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: Our foreign policy is to have problems solved through dialogue and engagement, even if it can be a long and frustrating road, our own peace process being a prime example. We should use the lessons we have learned-----

Palestine: Statements (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: -----to ensure engagement remains our focus and we say the honest and hard things when necessary without isolating ourselves or others.

Palestine: Statements (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: I do.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Administration (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: The turnaround timeframe for a passport application will depend, in the first instance, on the channel through which the application was submitted. The Passport Service provides a range of channels to Irish citizens wishing to apply for a passport. These include a postal application system, online passport application service, in person counter application facilities in Dublin and Cork and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: I have addressed the tragic events in Gaza in an earlier reply. In my statement of 6 December I set out the Government’s view of the US decision to move its Embassy to Jerusalem. This was that the announcement was premature and ill-advised, and would be unhelpful to efforts to reach a resolution of the Middle East Peace Process, something which is very urgently needed. I conveyed...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Syrian Conflict (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: I have addressed the tragic events in Gaza in an earlier reply. In my statement of 6 December I set out the Government’s view of the US decision to move its Embassy to Jerusalem. This was that the announcement was premature and ill-advised, and would be unhelpful to efforts to reach a resolution of the Middle East Peace Process, something which is very urgently needed. I conveyed...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Undocumented Irish in the USA (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Government has consistently pursued two key objectives with regard to supporting Irish communities in the United States: increased pathways for legal migration by Irish citizens to the US and relief for the plight of undocumented Irish citizens living in the US. In that regard, the Taoiseach discussed the issue with President Trump in the Oval Office on March 15 last and also in his...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Israeli Settlements (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: Ireland has always consistently worked to maintain an EU and international focus on the justice and human rights issues affecting Palestinians on the ground. This relates notably, but not solely, to the Israeli settlement enterprise and the web of policies which support it. These include land seizures, movement restrictions, evictions, deportations and the increasing use of force to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Administration (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service, located in my Department, is one unified service composed of 3 constituent offices located in Mount Street, Dublin; Balbriggan, County Dublin and South Mall, Cork. My Department continues to closely monitor the level of passport demand to ensure that all resources are effectively deployed within the Passport Service. Additional measures taken by the Passport Service...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: As part of an ongoing Passport Reform Programme, an online passport application service was launched on 30 March 2017. To date over 160,000 adults have renewed their passport using the online facility, with an average processing time of less than 10 working days. At present, the online passport application service accommodates adult passport renewal applications and passport card...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Peace Process (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Middle East Peace Process, as an active political search for an agreement, has been effectively stalled for some time. It is many years since negotiations have taken place, and international pressure has not been strong enough to press the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships back to the negotiating table. It is in that context that the interest of the Trump Administration in brokering...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Meetings (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: Ireland maintains a strong and constructive bilateral relationship with the UK, and we remain fully committed to developing and enhancing this relationship over the coming years. There are already in existence a number of channels for ongoing dialogue and co-operation between the Irish and British Governments, which will continue after the UK leaves the European Union. In this regard,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: I have been greatly concerned by the events in Gaza yesterday and over recent weeks, and especially by the appalling number of serious injuries to and deaths of people engaged in demonstrations. The escalation of these events in the last two days has been profoundly shocking. I summoned the Ambassador of Israel in Ireland to Iveagh House this morning to express my shock and dismay at...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Humanitarian Aid Provision (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: Since the latest escalation of violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar, in August 2017, approximately 700,000 members of the Rohingya community have fled across the border to Bangladesh. The people and government of Bangladesh have demonstrated extraordinary generosity in receiving such a large influx of refugees. Cox’s Bazar now hosts the largest refugee camp in the world and 1.3 million...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47, 54, 73 and 76 together. I issued the following public statement on 8 May in response to the decision of the United States Government: “I am greatly disappointed by the US announcement that it is withdrawing from the nuclear agreement with Iran (the JCPOA). Ireland and our EU partners, and a very broad spectrum of international opinion have...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: Dealing with long-outstanding issues relating to the legacy of the Troubles are of the utmost importance to the Government. This includes the holding of coroners' inquests in a manner consistent with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. In February 2016, the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland put forward proposals to process outstanding legacy inquests relating to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Data (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: The turnaround timeframe for a passport application will depend, in the first instance, on the channel through which the application was submitted. The Passport Service provides a range of channels to Irish citizens wishing to apply for a passport. These include a postal application system, online passport application service, in person counter application facilities in Dublin and Cork and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Meetings (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 79 together. I propose to take questions 51 and 79 together. I refer the Deputy to the answer delivered today to his priority question, Ref No: 21310-18. Ireland is seeking election to a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2021-2022 term.We are one of three candidates for the two available seats in the Western Europe and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Sanctions (15 May 2018)

Simon Coveney: I reiterate my unreserved condemnation of the violence perpetrated against civilians that has characterised the Syrian conflict to date. The brutal repression of dissent by the Assad regime, which has included use of chemical weapons and other barbarous tactics, has cost the lives of over 400,000 people. It has led to a situation in which more than 13 million people are in need of...