Results 30,561-30,580 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy knows as well as I do what happened. A procurement process went wrong because of a difference of view between the company involved and management. It fell apart and has now been terminated. It needs to be replaced as quickly as possible with a new process to deliver the infrastructure as quickly as it can allow. In the meantime one of the theatres is working, but the throughput...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Government has been very clear and honest. We had a long stakeholders' meeting again yesterday at which all parties who wanted to be were present and we discussed the issue. The Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Brexit was there and understands the position clearly. There is no magic plan that will resolve the all-island economy issues in the context of a no-deal Brexit. It will...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: I should have said earlier that I also wanted to wish Donal Hickey well. The ushers are very much part of the make-up of Leinster House and how it operates. The relationship between the ushers and Members is a very friendly one. Donal has been a huge part of that relationship and I really do wish him well in his retirement. With respect, I think Deputy Pearse Doherty is mixing up two...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: Though interconnected, they are separate issues.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: We had a long debate on this issue earlier. It is an issue. People whose properties have increased in value may no longer be in negative equity. Many landlords who may only have one rental property are looking to sell back into the market. As a result, the tenants are struggling to find alternative and affordable accommodation. We are considering the issue. The Minister for Housing,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Minister of State, Deputy English, is here.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: We need to be careful with how we speak about and debate issues around Traveller accommodation when it comes to social housing because it is easy to move into dog whistle territory here if we are not careful-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: -----with the kind of questioning that the Deputy is posing here today.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: Dealing with the housing demands of the Traveller community in Ireland is complex, difficult and at times very political. Local authorities have difficult challenges to meet in this regard without us making it more difficult for them.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: To be singling out a small number of houses-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: -----and specifically painting a picture of a problem with the Traveller community is something that the Deputy should reflect on.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: It is true.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: These issues were raised recently in Brussels when the Chinese foreign minister came and spoke to EU foreign ministers. There was an open and quite constructive debate on this issue and these concerns and he responded in quite an open manner.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: The insurance industry has a responsibility to its customers and that is why the industry as a whole has given a clear signal that green cards will be available to people who ask for them. Some companies have sent them out to people just in case. My understanding is that about 1 million of these green cards have been printed. I would like to see a situation where we can agree an approach...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: My understanding is that the intention here is to maintain the provision of cross-border health services as they are today through a no-deal Brexit, should that happen. We have legislation in place now that can be commenced to do this. To be sure, I will ask the Department to come back to the Deputy on the specific question he has asked.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Government introduced a new scheme specifically for the beef sector as well as other supports in the previous budget. I think the figure was about €78 million or so in extra expenditure on supports for farmers. I am not aware of a new environmental scheme, although obviously in the context of a new CAP I am sure we will see a whole range of new schemes being designed. That is,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which Deputy Pearse Doherty also raised. I would like to read into the record the official position to respond, we hope, to the concerns that exist. The HSE reports that since 8 February, 2,572 repeat smear test samples have been received incrementally by Quest Diagnostics and more than 200 results have been reported in the past week. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Irish Government has been closely following reports regarding the situation in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, in particular, those relating to the detention of a significant number of Uighur Muslims in re-education camps in the region. The protection and promotion of universal human rights is one of Ireland's core foreign policy issues. We take these reports very seriously and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Child Abuse Reports (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: My Department, in conjunction with a number of other Government Departments and agencies, facilitated a visit of the Special Rapporteur on the Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children, Ms Maud de Boer-Buquiccio, from 14th to 18th May 2018. The Special Rapporteur's Country Report on Ireland was formally presented to the Human Rights Council (HRC) on the 5th of March 2019 and is publicly...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Inter-Governmental Working Group on Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises was established on foot of a resolution to the Human Rights Council in 2014, led by a number of developing countries, including Ecuador and South Africa. Four sessions of the Inter-Governmental Working Group have taken place to date. In advance of the fourth and most recent session in...