Results 29,781-29,800 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I did not hear the Minister for Finance's contribution yesterday but I expect that it was the kind of contribution one would expect of him, outlining the practical realities of how to manage a plan to spend €114 billion over ten years in order to significantly improve infrastructure across the country, including schools, hospitals, roads, flood protection systems and so on. This...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: Fianna Fáil's record on the national children's hospital is not one to write home about.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: The children's hospital was being planned long before the Project Ireland 2040 plan was signed off. The Minister for Health advised the Government in December that the overall cost to complete the national children's hospital project was €1.4333 billion-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: -----which is €450 million more than advised to Government in April 2017, when the Government gave the green light for the construction of the hospital. A full €319 million of additional costs relate to construction costs and the balance of €131 million, which includes €50 million in VAT, relates to costs associated with staff, consultants, planning, design team...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: -----has clearly increased.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: There are many other projects that are being delivered on time and within budget. The capital expenditure programme that we are now managing is increasing by around €1.4 billion this year alone. This represents a 24% increase in capital expenditure in one year and is based on our recognition of the under-investment in capital for the last decade, for reasons that we all...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I am also a father of young children, as are many other Members. To outline how the system works, the primary childhood immunisation scheme was amended in 2016 to include the introduction to the meningitis B vaccine for all babies born on or after 1 October of that year. This change to the immunisation scheme took effect from 1 December 2016. The three doses of the vaccine are administered...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I assure the Deputy that there is no issue with political will in this regard. It is about doing the right thing on the basis of medical advice and the recommendations of experts - in this case from the committee responsible for making recommendations for immunisation schemes. It is important to try to assure parents that meningitis B is most common in babies under the age of one, all of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to respond to the challenges facing the fishing industry. It is an industry I know well. Indeed I know many of the people who work in it well, having been Minister with responsibility for fisheries. The current Minister Agriculture, Food and the Marine, with responsibility for fisheries continues to prioritise it, whether it is through the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I share the view that the Irish fishing industry needs to be prioritised, because like in farming, many of the decisions we make as politicians, whether in Brussels or in Dublin, impact directly on the livelihoods and the opportunities for fishermen in terms of the stocks they catch and the trade deals done that allow us to export and sell that catch profitably. The connection between...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I do not think the Deputy is giving a fair reflection of what the food policy in Food Wise 2025 actually is. He talks about massive expansion in beef production, which we are not planning for. We are planning for a sustainable and controlled expansion, particularly in the dairy industry, but we are not talking about significant expansion of beef production. What we are doing is recognising...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I agree with much of what Deputy Eamon Ryan says. We do need to change and I contend that we are changing. We probably need to accelerate the change in many areas. We have, for example, put a lot more money into organics, which by the way is probably less carbon efficient in many ways but it needs to be an important part of our food mix. We have many more indigenous Irish food companies...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: Nobody in government is advocating that approach. What we are saying is that we need a vibrant industry that keeps families employed in rural communities in Ireland at the same time as doing something significant from a climate change and emissions management perspective through agriculture, which is what the Food Wise 2025 plan is trying to do.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I will ignore the last part of that question.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I will give some guidance. In my view it is not likely to happen and we will all be working to ensure it does not happen, but should there be a no-deal Brexit, the UK, including Northern Ireland, will no longer be part of the motor insurance directive, which is an EU directive, meaning a green card will be required to demonstrate to the authorities in Northern Ireland and to the rest of the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: As I am sure Deputy Doherty knows, the Government has approved the commissioning of an independent review of the escalation in cost in determining the adjusted contract sum. The review will commence this month and will examine the contributory factors and associated responsibilities so that any potential weaknesses are identified and comprehensively and speedily resolved in the interests of...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: The law is now clear in this area. The Government, with the support of many in this House, passed legislation in a way that was consistent with what we promised we would do in the context of the referendum that was held. The law is clear. I agree with the Ceann Comhairle. I do not think it is appropriate to raise a tragic case-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: -----of somebody who is clearly under a lot of stress. This case needs to be dealt with appropriately by doctors in a hospital, not on the floor of the Dáil.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I have commented on the law. The law is very clear in this area.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I recall debates when I was in the Department dealing with the housing issue. As the Minister said in reply to Deputy Stanley, a review is under way. When it is completed, any changes to be made will be brought forward by the Minister to address income threshold levels.