Results 29,021-29,040 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: I advise the Deputy to correspond with the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, on this matter. If it is an issue, I am sure he will look at it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: I cannot go into a detailed response on that matter under the Order of Business, but I agree there is a need for action. The Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, and others are ensuring that this is a priority with regard to recruitment and resources and around policy change in this area. The current waiting lists and waiting times are too long, and this is why we will prioritise it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: There are more sustainable ways to heat homes than burning oil. There are Government grants available to help people do that, especially for solar panels and so on.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: I am sure the Deputy would appreciate the climate benefits of that kind of switch.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: First, the Government is not closing any post offices.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: There is an agreement between management-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: -----and unions in An Post. There is no compulsory closure of any post office. It is a decision for postmasters to make in consultation with An Post.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: There are guarantees relating to proximity to post offices that are also being implemented by An Post. I assure the Deputy that this is a Government that prioritises rural Ireland, and as someone who has lived in rural Ireland for a lot of my life-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: -----I am well aware of that and the conversations around the Cabinet table. If anything, there is a prioritisation for rural Ireland rather than the opposite, which is what the Deputy seems to be suggesting.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: It is clearly an issue of real concern. I have experienced it in my constituency too. This is something that needs to be factored into the HSE service plan in terms of resources, both financial and human. I suggest that this is an obvious question to tease out with the Minister for Health when he takes Question Time.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Properties (20 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: My Department does not own or control any land in County Meath. Any properties or land occupied by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the State are rented and discharged by the Office of Public Works.

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

Simon Coveney: I am aware of the case referred to by Deputy Crowe, and of the reports that the individual in question, and other prisoners, have been denied adequate healthcare in prison. Ireland attaches great importance to safeguarding the human rights of all prisoners, with due regard for the international standards enshrined in the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. ...

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

Simon Coveney: Ireland appreciates the magnitude of the challenges facing Egypt and we are committed to supporting Egypt in dealing with these. However, I believe that a strong and stable democracy cannot flourish without full respect for fundamental rights and freedoms. In this regard, Ireland is unequivocal in its stance on the death penalty. We oppose and condemn its use in all circumstances. We...

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

Simon Coveney: The recent sentencing of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, two Reuters journalists working in Myanmar, to seven years in prison under the Official Secrets Act, is a cause of significant concern. That they were arrested for covering allegations of grave human rights violations by the Myanmar Military against the Rohingya community in Rakhine State makes this case all the more worrying. Media...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Negotiations (20 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: From the outset of these negotiations, the Government has been clear and consistent in our position that a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland must be avoided under any circumstances. A legally operable ‘backstop’ which avoids a hard border and protects the integrity of the single market is essential for agreeing the Withdrawal Agreement, so as to provide the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (20 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: I am in ongoing engagement with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley, as both Governments continue to work together as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, to address the ongoing absence of the power-sharing Executive and Assembly in Northern Ireland, as well as the North-South Ministerial Council. I met with Secretary of State Bradley most recently on 24...

Confidence in the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government: Motion [Private Members] (25 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: It is a protest party.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Sanctions (25 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: On 12 September 2018, the European Parliament, under A7 of the Treaty on European Union, adopted a reasoned proposal to the Council, inviting the Council to determine whether there is a clear risk of a serious breach by Hungary of the values on which the European Union is founded. The President of the European Parliament formally communicated this proposal to the President of the Council of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (25 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: Maintaining regular contact with our fellow EU Member States, and the EU Commission, has been a vital aspect of ensuring that Ireland’s priorities, in particular the continued protection of the Good Friday Agreement, are understood and reinforced as part of the Brexit negotiations. To this end, I, as well as other members of Government and senior officials, meet with Ministers and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (25 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: In June I met with my Spanish counterpart, Josep Borrell, in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council and expressed my appreciation for Spain’s continued support for Ireland and for the inclusion of a legally binding backstop arrangement in the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland which is to form part of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement. We also discussed the ongoing...