Results 30,081-30,100 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: We are aware of this story and are following it closely with some concern. I will meet Karen Bradley later this week and I will raise the issue with her. We need more details on it. I take on board the concern of both colleagues.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I agree with the Deputy that CE schemes are very valuable and that the people who work on them make a significant contribution in their own communities across the country. However, it is important to acknowledge that those employed in CE schemes are not employees of the State and, therefore, the pension arrangements that would apply to employees of the State do not apply in the case of CE...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consultancy Contracts Data (13 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 73 together. My Department has not engaged the named consultancy firms to perform work in 2018 and no fees have been incurred during this period.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Use of Chemical Weapons (13 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I am concerned by recent reports of escalating violence and tensions in West Papua, Indonesia in late 2018. I am also aware of an unverified news report in December 2018 indicating that the Indonesian armed forces deployed weapons suspected to be white phosphorus in Nduga, West Papua in late 2018. The Government of Indonesia has denied these allegations. Incendiary weapons, including...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Meetings (13 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I travelled to New York and Washington DC last week, from 5 - 7 February, and had a range of meetings with the US Administration and with Congressional leaders. Northern Ireland, and the importance of protecting the gains of the Good Friday Agreement in the current Brexit context, were to the fore in all of my discussions, including with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; Acting White...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for his good wishes on the day that is in it. We have not exactly been feeling the love from Fianna Fáil this week but perhaps-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: It is early in the day but I will pass on Deputy Calleary's good wishes to the Minister for Health. That is appreciated. On the serious issue of insurance, I emphasise that we in government are very aware of the financial strain that the cost of insurance is placing some consumers and many businesses. Indeed the problem of rising premiums in respect of motor insurance in particular was the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: It is important to say that while I recognise there are significant pressures in some of the areas raised by Deputy Calleary, it is also important to recognise the progress that has been made in other areas. If we were here two years ago or last year, we would have been talking about the cost of motor insurance-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: What we have seen over the past two and a half years is a 22% reduction in the cost of motor insurance. We now need to deliver the kind of results for small businesses that we have managed to deliver for motor insurance. That is what we intend to do. That is why we have an action plan. Motor insurance was phase one, we are now looking at public liability insurance and businesses and we...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I will have to come back to Deputy Calleary about that but I will do so happily. I will speak to the Minister concerned, who is the Minister of State, Deputy D'Arcy, and revert to Deputy Calleary about the book of quantum.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is right in one thing - the CervicalCheck screening process does not need another controversy. It has been a real challenge for the Government, the Department of Health and the HSE to deal with what was an extraordinary scandal a little less than a year ago. At all times, the Minister and the Government have responded in a way that has tried to put women's interests first. I am...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: That was not the case the Deputy made but it was a charge the leader of Fianna Fáil made this week. The Minister was not advised by his officials not to provide free out-of-cycle tests for women on a temporary basis in order to try to provide confidence and reassurance. That is what happened. Undoubtedly, the response to that, as the Deputy has outlined, was significant as people...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: The introduction of HPV testing is not being long-fingered but it is going to be done properly in order to ensure that transition works and that we do not add any further uncertainty in regard to CervicalCheck in the future. This decision is not going to be rushed. The work is already under way to make sure this transition happens in a way that is seamless and that works. We are not in a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: It was not a soundbite. Some 90,000 women-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy stated that 90,000 women availed of that out-of-cycle smear test.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: That is not as a result of a soundbite. That is as a result of a service that was being provided by GPs. That has put pressure-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: If the Deputy is not going to listen-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: That was a real commitment which resulted in real demand and real tests. It put the lab system under pressure and that has resulted in a delay in the turnaround times. We know that. The priority is to get those times down, which is what the HSE is focusing on.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I note the Deputy's very constructive engagement on this issue in the House and the obvious experience he has in the construction industry which makes for a very helpful contribution. A process is under way now to fully evaluate what happened. Mistakes were made. There was a gross underestimate of the-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: -----cost of building the hospital. When the estimate was corrected, there was a dramatic change in the overall predicted and estimated cost of delivering the hospital. When we got clarity on the figure, the Minister brought a series of recommendations to the Government to make a decision on to how to proceed. I think he made the right decision to do that. What Deputy Wallace is focusing...