Results 29,261-29,280 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff Data (16 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: The following table details the number of persons appointed from the relevant panels in my Department as requested. I would like to bring to the attention of the Deputy that there was no Counsellor element in the 2015 Open Principal Officer competition (Campaign ID 1512210) from which to assign candidates for that role in my Department. My Department continues to assign candidates to the role...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Emigrant Support Services (16 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Embassy of Ireland in Canberra, as well as the Consulate General in Sydney, work very closely with the Irish community in Australia to ensure that Irish citizens have access to suitable practical and consular support. Through the Emigrant Support Programme the government provides funding to four groups in Australia that offer support and advice to Irish citizens regarding visa and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (16 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: Since the Assembly elections of March 2017, the Irish and British Governments, as co-guarantors of the Agreement, have worked tirelessly to support and facilitate the parties in their efforts to form a new power-sharing Executive. Unfortunately, to date, it has not proved possible to reach an agreement on the formation of an Executive, despite intensive engagement. The absence of the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: North-South Implementation Bodies (16 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: In this jurisdiction, responsibility for the North South Implementation Bodies is exercised by several of my Government colleagues: the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation (InterTrade Ireland), the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Waterways Ireland and the Language Body which comprises Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster Scots Agency), the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (16 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: Since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in June 2017 I have overseen and co-ordinated a sustained intensification of Brexit preparedness and contingency planning across Government. As part of these efforts, the Government is organising “Getting Ireland Brexit Ready” public information events around Ireland to inform and advise about Brexit preparedness...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Administration (16 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act, 2008 (“the Act”). This Act provides, among other things, that before issuing a passport to a person, the Minister must be satisfied as to the identity of the person. Under the Act, the Minister may require an applicant to provide such information or documents as required to establish his or her...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Emigrant Support Services (16 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Emigrant Support Programme has been in operation since 2004. In the period to date over €34 million has been allocated to organisations in the United States of America. Most of the grants for 2018 have been announced but decisions on a small number of grants have yet to be finalised and these will be communicated to the organisations involved in the coming weeks. The Deputy has...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Good Friday Agreement (16 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Good Friday Agreement is the indispensable framework for providing stable, inclusive, power-sharing government for all the people of Northern Ireland and for sustaining our interlocking relationships – within Northern Ireland, on the island of Ireland, and between the UK and Ireland. The Government’s firm position is that the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Expenditure (16 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: Budget 2019, published last week, continues the process of ensuring that Ireland’s economy remains competitive and resilient and ready to deal with the challenges of Brexit. In my Department, an additional €18 million has been allocated, primarily for Brexit-related expenditure, in 2019 under Vote 28. Having already posted additional senior personnel to Berlin, Paris,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (16 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 132 together. I am aware of media reports of the case of the disappearance of this person as raised by the Deputies. If these reports are proved correct, they are extremely concerning. I support calls for an urgent and comprehensive investigation of the disappearance of the person in question, and for calls that this investigation be fully supported...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Administration (16 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service offers a range of channels for submission of passport applications by Irish citizens, at home and abroad. In this particular case, the applicants' guardians should contact the Irish Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to arrange for the submission of the relevant documentation to authorise the consent of guardians for these passport applications. All applications must comply...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: I understand from the Deputy that the person in question has at least one Irish -born grandparent and so may make an application for citizenship through Foreign Births Registration. Applications for citizenship via Foreign Births Registration are processed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. All applications and payments are made online and original documentation should be...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consular Services Staff (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: Ireland’s diplomatic network of missions around the world is critical to the achievement of our foreign policy and trade goals such as ensuring the efficient delivery of passport and consular services to our citizens, supporting emigrant organisations and outreach to the diaspora and other networks of influence. Our Embassies and Consulates contribute directly to safeguarding our...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Expenditure (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: Since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in June 2017 I have overseen and co-ordinated a sustained intensification of Brexit preparedness and contingency planning across Government. As part of these efforts, the Government is organising “Getting Ireland Brexit Ready” public information events around Ireland to inform and advise about Brexit preparedness and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Funding (17 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: My Department, through the Reconciliation Fun established in 1982, supports a broad range of non-governmental, voluntary, community and other organisations in creating better understanding between the people and traditions of the island of Ireland, and also between Ireland and Britain. The many partner organisations supported by the Reconciliation Fund include religious organisations and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for raising these issues and giving me an opportunity to respond to them specifically. Plans are under way for the winter initiative and have already begun to start kicking in to place. The Department of Health is working with the HSE to ensure local and regional plans are consolidated and supported through policies and plans at national level. The idea is to ensure the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: What I can give the Deputy is a commitment that we are planning for this. We have put money behind those plans. We will ensure that everything possible is done through better management, better policy and more funding to ensure the pressures that come through the winter on our healthcare system, in particular on our hospitals, are managed in the best way they can be. The Minister for...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: We have seen the benefit of that. From the peak of 86,000 people on waiting lists in July 2017, we have seen quite a dramatic reduction since then. The figure is a little over 70,000 now, which is a reduction of 16%. This is not only about promises and plans. It is about reducing waiting times and waiting lists, but there is still more work to do.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which is both topical and very important. The Minister, Deputy Harris, announced the availability of a free smear test in response to women who are feeling concerned. This was one of the key issues raised on the helpline, and doctors also raised it with the Minister. The level of uptake showed that many women wished to get the reassurance of a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: I do not disagree with the Deputy on that. The least women deserve is a full understanding and truth around the timelines and the pressures involved in this process. Many people will understand the reason for those pressures. We have a finite number of laboratories we have contracts with and with which we work. Repatriating laboratories for testing will not solve the problem in the short...