Results 29,341-29,360 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: I also have schools in my constituency affected by this and of course parents are asking questions. This is why a specific communications unit has been established in the Department to liaise with teachers and principals and ensure information is available on request to establish dates for when the inspections will take place in the coming days. Three contract teams have been taken on to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: In some cases, obviously, this will not be the case because we will err the side of safety always, which is what we must do. We will know more as these audits take place and we will ensure the communications on when and how the audits take place are available for principals and parents.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: It is important to say that price is not the sole determinant.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: No school will be left on its own. There is already a group of people in the Department whose job it is to work with schools when necessary and to work with the education and training boards, other local educational institutions and other institutions that can help accommodate, if necessary, students and staff in a way that protects their safety and ensures their education can continue....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: I am unsure of the Deputy's question.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: That is why we asked the commission to consider the issue of nurses' pay. It made recommendations which the Government is willing to implement for some of the reasons outlined by the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: I discussed the matter with the Minister, Deputy Murphy, this morning. He plans to bring draft proposals to the committee and work with other parties to get this right. We are trying to get the balance right between ensuring we have a functioning short-term letting market, where appropriate, and preventing the short-term letting system from undermining the broader and more important rental...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: Planning for winter 2018-19 has begun at hospital and local level. The Department of Health is working with the HSE to ensure these local and regional plans are consolidated and supported through policies and plans at national level to ensure the most effective response to the winter challenges to unscheduled care provision. The budget allocated an additional €10 million to prepare...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: That Bill will not be brought forward in this session. Fire safety inspections have uncovered issues and problems, which led to safety concerns. We have learned lessons from the past. The way in which schools are built now is quite different from former practices and does not rely solely on contractors and their design teams. We will uncover the mistakes of the past and fix them. That is...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: The criteria for DEIS status are applied equally across the country.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: It is decided on the basis of CSO statistics on issues such as deprivation, single parents and so on.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: This is not a political decision. It involves criteria that are implemented evenly across the country and schools either qualify or they do not.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: This was undoubtedly a brutal murder that shocked a lot of people and rightly so. It has also shocked an awful lot of journalists who have a job to do in holding governments to account and speaking truth to power. Like many other countries, we want to understand what happened, who was responsible and who sanctioned it. This is why we have asked for a credible and independent report on what...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: There are many areas of cross-border co-operation linked with cross-border bodies under the Good Friday Agreement and co-operation on an all-island basis. We expect that co-operation to continue through Brexit.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: A communications unit has been set in the Department of Education and Skills specifically yesterday to deal with all of the issues.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: I will pass on the Deputy's comments with regard to that. The Deputy is asking me to set up a communications unit when one has already been set up.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: With respect, the Deputy's initial focus was on communications, which is the most important focus in order that people know what is happening and can understand timelines around inspections and so on. As a specific unit on communications was set up only yesterday to do that, I expect the Deputy will see a dramatic improvement in communications as a result of that.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Jim Daly, has done a lot of good work in this area but I will have to come back to the Deputy on the timelines. The political decisions have already been made in respect of this. It is now a matter of implementation.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: I cannot confirm individual projects with regard to capital expenditure for next year but I can certainly pass on that request to the Minister for Health. In respect of Deputy Fitzpatrick's question, he will know there is ongoing discussion and consultation between Louth County Council and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. I was involved in that when I was the...

Finance Bill 2018: Financial Resolutions (25 Oct 2018)

Simon Coveney: I move the following Resolutions:THAT section 128F of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (No. 39 of 1997), which deals with the Key Employee Engagement Programme, be amended in the manner and to the extent specified in the Act giving effect to this Resolution. THAT Chapter 2 of Part 13 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (No. 39 of 1997), which contains provisions for treating certain matters...