Results 30,181-30,200 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I have absolutely no information to give the House on that issue.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: For many years, Ireland has been in favour of progressive trade talks between the EU and the US and we are still in favour of that. Of course, we want to advocate for an adherence to the Paris Agreement on climate change, which we will do, but the idea that Ireland would not be supportive of improved facilitation of trade between the EU and the US would be totally counter-productive.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I am glad the Deputy has asked the question to allow me to give some clarity to the House. I am aware of today's media reports on the MetroLink project to which the Deputy refers. As he will know, the National Transport Authority, NTA, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, held a public consultation last year on what was called an emerging preferred route. That route generated much...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017 is important legislation that is consistent with the programme for Government. It is effectively being filibustered in the Seanad which, unfortunately, is delaying other legislation. There are consequences to filibustering and people should know what they are.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is referring to the safe access Bill that the Minister has promised, on which he will have the full support of the Government. I do not have an exact date for it but I suspect it will be towards the end of the year.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I will have to ask the line Minister to come back to the Deputy on that.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I suggest that the local authority needs to take the initiative by contacting the Minister's office and trying to make some progress if it is as important as the Deputy suggests.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I am glad that Deputy O'Loughlin asked her question because it gives me an opportunity to hopefully give some reassurance to people. We will publish legislation tomorrow morning. That is the omnibus Bill that will come into this House for Second Stage next week. One section of that legislation deals with cross-border healthcare. Even in a no-deal, worst case Brexit scenario, the Bill will...

Prohibition of Micro-Plastics Bill 2016: Leave to Withdraw [Private Members] (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for this because he was one of the people who really got the microbeads issue onto the agenda, along with Senator Grace O'Sullivan. I said to him at the time when I was in a different Department that we were going to legislate for this but that we had to go through some EU procedures before we could do it. It was agreed on that the Government would try to make this happen...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65 and 66 together. I was deeply disappointed by Israel’s announcement that the mandate for the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) would not be renewed. The TIPH, a civilian observer mission which was established in 1997 as part of United Nations Security Council Resolution 904 and the Oslo II accords, has played an important role in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Registration of Births (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, can be a detailed and complex process often involving official documentation related to three generations and issued by several jurisdictions. Applications generally take 6 months to process from the time all of the required documentation has been submitted to the Foreign Births Registration team. Applications requiring clarification or further...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Meetings (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I attended the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 18 February. Foreign Ministers had an exchange of views on the situation in the Horn of Africa. Acknowledging the positive dynamics, Ministers called for increased EU engagement in the region. On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of Maidan, Ministers stressed EU solidary with Ukraine and support for the reform process there....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Military Aircraft Landings (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: As detailed in my response to this question on 14 February, under the Air Navigation (Carriage of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order 1973, as amended, civil aircraft are prohibited from carrying weapons or munitions in Irish sovereign airspace or into Irish airports unless they receive an exemption from the Minister for Transport. In considering such applications, the Department of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Impact of Brexit on the Good Friday Agreement: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: It is good to see everyone, particularly those who have taken the time to travel to be here with us. I thank the Chairman for the invitation to meet the joint committee. The meeting is timely to discuss a full range of issues related to implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process generally. There are a number of issues I would like to address in my opening...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Impact of Brexit on the Good Friday Agreement: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: There are a lot of questions there. I will try to be accurate in the answers. Deputy Breathnach referred to the impact of a no-deal Brexit. A no-deal Brexit will put huge pressure on the economies of Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Britain as well as on the economies of other member states. No one should pretend we can have a contingency plan which is comprehensive enough to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Impact of Brexit on the Good Friday Agreement: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I will start with Ms Gildernew's questions and comments. Like a lot of other people we were very concerned to read and hear the story last week in regard to incomplete evidence. We continue to follow that story closely. Obviously, the police ombudsman in Northern Ireland plays an important role in supporting public confidence in the new policing arrangements as envisaged in Patten. It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Impact of Brexit on the Good Friday Agreement: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: Yes, and I have never moved away from my comments on that occasion. I am entitled to have hopes and dreams for this island too but I need to respect those of everybody else. I expect other people to respect mine and this is how we can all live together. Hopefully, it is how we can get through Brexit too. On the omnibus Bill, we cannot do everything through national legislation. We can do...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Impact of Brexit on the Good Friday Agreement: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: We will deal with that in the legislation tomorrow. It is an important part of the taxation element.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Impact of Brexit on the Good Friday Agreement: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: Does the Chairman want to let Senator Daly contribute first?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Impact of Brexit on the Good Friday Agreement: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Senator. I think everyone has contributed. Mr. Maskey asked what we had been doing about the equality issues. Some of those present might remember how, the summer before last and shortly after I entered this job, when we went straight into the heat of negotiations, I made it clear that it was a previous British Government commitment under the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair,...