Results 30,981-31,000 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: This is a real priority for the Government and the Minister. In certain parts of the country, women have to wait far too long to get their results. The HSE has now secured additional laboratory facilities, which we are told can be used over the summer months to dramatically reduce those waiting times and return them to acceptable periods. The appropriate benchmark is a matter of weeks...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: It was published yesterday immediately after we signed it. The MOU has essentially been in gestation for a number of months and it is backed up by the legislation that this House facilitated in key areas from healthcare to social welfare and education, among other areas, to ensure that the rights and access to supports British people living in Ireland and Irish people living in the UK get...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: I can give a brief response if I am allowed to do that. The assistant commissioner for the northern region is putting immediate arrangements in place for additional uniformed patrols to be conducted within the district, thereby providing reassurance to the community, which is needed. The patrols will be supplemented by the emergency response unit from Dublin and supported by the regional...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: I acknowledge the important services and the commitment of staff to people with disabilities and their families provided by Rehab, one of the many disability service providers. The Minister, Deputy Harris, and the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, held a joint meeting yesterday with Rehab and the HSE, both of which have committed to working together intensively over the next week...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy asked a number of questions. I have long responses I could read to him but it is probably more appropriate to put those questions to the Minister for Justice and Equality so that he can answer them comprehensively. The chair of GSOC did raise issues in the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality in recent days that require a comprehensive response, and the responses are there.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: I acknowledge that Deputy Gino Kenny has become a go-to person in the House on this issue for many individuals and families who are looking for answers. I spoke to the Minister about this many times. He wants to conclude this issue and provide clarity once and for all. A considerable amount of necessary work has been done to get us to this point. I do not have an exact date but I will try...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Terrorism (9 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: The attacks in the Sri Lankan cities of Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa on Easter Sunday resulted in the deaths of over 250 people and injured hundreds more. I wish to record my strong condemnation of these atrocities, and to extend my sympathies and condolences to the families and friends of those injured and killed. Following the attacks on 21 April my Department updated its travel...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (14 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: The renewal of violence between Israel and Gaza, which began on Friday 3 May and lasted until Monday 6 May, was deeply alarming. While each side blamed the other for the initial spark, the sudden escalation of rocket fire was both unexpected and inevitably led to further attacks in both directions. I expressed my grave concerns in a public statement made on 5 May, condemning indiscriminate...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Advertising Expenditure (14 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: My Department engages in public awareness advertising where there is important information that needs to be brought to the attention of citizens.  Examples of where my Department has advertised during 2019 have included public information campaigns in relation to the Online Passport Renewals Service and on the theme of ‘Getting Ireland Brexit Ready’. Details of such...

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

Simon Coveney: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the proposals released by the British Government in March 2019 in respect of arrangements in a no deal Brexit scenario. The Government has analysed the detail of the UK proposals and their potential impact, together with our EU partners. Any tariff regime would be extremely serious for Irish exporters, particularly for agri-food exports. That...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 to 89, inclusive, together. Together with UK Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington, I signed a Memorandum of Understanding between Ireland and the United Kingdom on the Common Travel Area (CTA) and its associated reciprocal rights and privileges in London on 8 May, immediately prior to the meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. ...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: Like the Deputy, I want to provide certainty to the families feeling the impact of this. I met one of those families and its members were incredibly dignified and very frustrated by the fact that the child in question cannot access a medicine that could make a major difference in the quality of her life. The Deputy knows how the process works and it is not politicians who make the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy knows, so far this year the HSE has approved the use of 23 new medicines and five new uses of existing medicines, representing an additional investment by the HSE over five years of approximately €175 million. It is not as if the HSE wants to deliberately prevent the use of these drugs. We are effectively in a negotiation between the HSE and the company involved to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: -----critical assessment and make it a political decision when it should be a medical one.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of housing because it gives me an opportunity to share with the House factual data. I refer to the figures published this morning by the CSO showing how housing policy on increasing supply, which is at the core of this problem, is working. The number of new homes becoming available for use in the 12 months to the end of March 2019 was 22,242. This...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: When the Deputy gets into the space of name-calling and trying to turn this into some kind of class war debate-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: -----it is proof that Sinn Féin is losing the argument. I assure the Deputy that the largest political party in the country speaks to all types of people in all types of circumstances, and we have them coming into our clinics just like Sinn Féin Deputies do.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: We hear their stories and we respond to them through policy. Last year well over 25,000 housing solutions were put in place for people and we are spending billions of euro trying to ensure that what is a broken housing market is fixed as quickly as possible. However, we are not in the business of cheap headlines or short-term fixes that will cause increased problems in the medium term....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: They will drive more landlords out of the market, which I think other parties in this House recognise. It is just as well we have other parties in the House that recognise the difficult decisions-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: -----that are made and the fact-----