Results 29,761-29,780 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (15 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Government’s planning for Brexit has from the start included issues relating to the continued effective use of the UK landbridge. This is a priority for the Government, given the importance of the landbridge in getting Irish products, in particular agrifood products, to market on continental Europe. This is an important issue with regard to protecting the competitiveness of our...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (15 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: All passports are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008 ("the Act") as amended. In regards to guardianship, the Passport Service is bound by Section 14 of the Act 2008 (as amended). Section 14 requires the consent of a child’s guardian(s) before a passport can issue to the child, subject to very limited exceptions. In line with Section 2 of the Passports Act,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Pension Provisions (15 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: Transfer of funds to and from Iranian financial institutions has been an area of difficulty for individuals and companies for some years. This arose originally because of the role of the relevant Iranian banks in evading international sanctions on sales of weapons and controlled technologies. This problem had begun to ease following the removal of many sanctions in 2016, but has now come...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (15 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008. The Act provides, among other things, that a person must be an Irish citizen before a passport can be issued to him/her. Entitlement to Irish citizenship is in turn determined by the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, under which and in general, Irish citizenship may be obtained by birth in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (15 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: The focus of my Department, and of this Government, continues to be on securing ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement. This is the best way to ensure that the rights of EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the EU are maintained post Brexit. This includes the rights of frontier workers. The Government is acutely conscious of the concerns of border communities and of cross-border...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (15 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Government's contingency planning and preparedness for Brexit was initiated well in advance of the UK referendum in June 2016 and since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in June 2017 I have overseen a sustained intensification of these efforts. At its meeting of 11 December the Government agreed, that while work on Brexit preparedness for the central case...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Registration of Births (15 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, can be a detailed and complex process often involving certificates covering three generations and several jurisdictions. Applications requiring clarification or further documents can take longer to process. The volume of applications for citizenship through Foreign Birth Registration is particularly high at present. Along with an increase in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Jan 2019)

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 was launched in March 2017 and offers the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Negotiations (15 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 166 and 167 together. The Taoiseach, my Government colleagues and I take every opportunity to engage with EU partners regarding issues arising from the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. Recently, I had the opportunity to discuss these, and other matters, with the German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Heiko Maas, during his visit to Dublin on 9...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Meetings (15 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Government engages frequently with the Canadian Government and Canadian elected representatives on all aspects of the Canada-Ireland relationship and on other issues of mutual concern. There have been strong and sustained Canadian-Irish bilateral contacts in recent years, including the successful state visit by Prime Minister Trudeau in July 2017 and a follow up visit by the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (15 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I am gravely concerned by the ongoing political, economic, social and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, which continues to deteriorate. The worsening crisis is causing mass migration that creates challenges to host communities and to regional stability. This crisis is having a dire impact on the Venezuelan population both inside and outside the country, and on the neighbouring countries...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (15 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I am very concerned by the recent escalation of violence in Rakhine State and I call for the immediate cessation of violence before further loss of life. All sides must exercise restraint and respect their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians. I welcome the unilaterally declared ceasefire by the Military in many of the conflict areas in the North and East...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (15 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: Under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right, which is replicated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, includes freedom to change one’s religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private and to manifest one’s...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Correspondence (15 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: From time to time my Department receives comments from members of the public giving feedback on how we could improve our services both at home and at our Missions abroad. We are committed to constantly improving how we conduct our business and to ensuring that our staff across all offices, both in Ireland and our global network of Embassies and Consulates, act in a highly professional manner...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: As a matter of record, we made a point yesterday of briefing Opposition parties first before taking questions from the media and briefing them. I believe that was the right thing to do because we are relying on the co-operation of Opposition parties to get a significant legislation through the House in an extraordinary circumstance. The common travel area memorandum of understanding to be...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (16 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Government regrets the outcome of last night's vote in the House of Commons on the Withdrawal Agreement. In the very short period since the vote, I have not spoken to Mr Juncker or Mr Barnier. As President Juncker stated after the vote, what we need from the UK is clarity on how it proposes to move forward. This was reiterated by Michel Barnier in his address to the European Parliament...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff Data (16 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: The total number of full time equivalent staff in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is 1,763 including local staff engaged in diplomatic and consular missions abroad. My Department employs staff with a range of qualifications both generalist and specialist including inter aliadevelopment specialists, architects, project managers, accountants, economists, HR specialists, ICT...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff Data (16 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Procurement Unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is responsible for the management, coordination and implementation of procurement processes, and procures services, goods and works on behalf of the Department. It oversees the implementation of procurement rules and procedures in accordance with national and European procurement regulations. The section engages with...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (16 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: The continuing absence of vital institutions of the Good Friday Agreement is a source of deep concern for the Government, as it is for the British Government. The Government will continue to do everything in its power, in accordance with its responsibilities as co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, to secure the effective operation of all of its institutions. Both Governments are...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (16 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Government engages frequently with the US Administration and US elected representatives, both Republican and Democrat, on all aspects of the US-Ireland relationship and on other issues of mutual concern. I plan to travel to Washington, D.C. in early February for a series of political and other engagements. The Embassy of Ireland in Washington, D.C., will prepare my programme for that...