Results 31,001-31,020 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: -----that it takes time to fix something as fundamental as a broken housing market.

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

Simon Coveney: That is why we launched a five-year strategy to solve this problem. I think that strategy will be judged very positively at the end of those five years.

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

Simon Coveney: The Government is listening to what is being said by all of the organisations, political parties and people who will be at the Raise the Roof campaign protest on Saturday. We understand the pressures and frustrations many families are facing because the general rental and housing market is not delivering for people in the way it needs to. We are changing that. That is why almost 5,000...

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

Simon Coveney: This debate descends into working class people versus, supposedly, other classes of people whenever Deputy Boyd Barrett raises it. Our job as a Government is to recognise that all types of families and people from different backgrounds and incomes have housing needs. Some of those people, including some in the city centre of Dublin, need the help of the State to be able to live and work in...

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

Simon Coveney: These are good ideas. Some of the kinds of things about which the Deputy talks are happening. For example, the Department introduced a scheme whereby local authorities could provide grant aid to people who own homes to upgrade them and make them suitable to rent or lease to the local authority. That scheme had limited success and must therefore be reviewed and tweaked. More generally, I...

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

Simon Coveney: We all recognise that the pressures on the housing market will not be solved by one silver bullet. It is about a combination of lots of solutions which are tailored for different sectors and circumstances. We have changing demographics in Ireland and over the next ten to 20 years, we will see a doubling of the number of people who are 65 years of age and over. That will place major...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: There is an ongoing conversation between the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, and Rehab. The immediate result of those discussions is that Rehab has now said that it will continue its services for the foreseeable future and there is no imminent threat of a reduction of services. I understand that the conversations are continuing to ensure financial sustainability into the future. I do...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to Government's very clear position on the record on this issue. The Government has noted with some concern comments made by the UK Secretary of State for Defence, Penny Mordaunt, on Tuesday and is seeking clarification. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley, wrote in reply to me on 18 April and stated, in relation to the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: We need to ensure that loose comments are not damaging in terms of trust and the willingness of all sides to co-operate to ensure that the legacy structures that have been committed to, agreed by both Governments, and supported by all political parties, move forward in the spirit that they were intended.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: I will have to ask the Minister for Education and Skills to come back on that particular case because I do not have the detail on it. We are adding about 20,000 primary school places every year because of the type of population growth the Deputy is talking about. The Government is investing heavily in doing that but there is obviously a particular case here that needs a specific response...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: I know the Deputy has raised this issue previously and I cannot remember whether I told her I would get the Minister to speak to her directly on it. I do not have the details on individual respite places for Cavan and Monaghan but I will ask the Minister's office to come back to the Deputy on it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: Let me be blunt on this. I want a conclusion to this process for the families concerned but I want it to be the right conclusion for them, as does the Minister for Health. There is a process under way that must conclude. Absolutely, I share the Deputy's frustration with the length of time it is taking. We are trying to get the right outcome rather than making early decisions that would be...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: I take that point.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: Certainly the issue of insurance has been a big priority for the Government for quite some time. Multiple pieces of legislation are now moving forward or in gestation to try to make sure we deal with fraudulent claims in a comprehensive way to ensure we will not see the type of disparity we see today with regard to payouts following court cases. When we compare our benchmark with the UK...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: I will raise that with the Minister. I assure Deputy O'Loughlin that anything we agreed to in the confidence and supply arrangements has been followed through on and will continue to be. With the indulgence of the Ceann Comhairle, I will respond to a question asked earlier because I have helpful information for Deputy Brady who asked a question about 12 homelessness emergency beds in...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: I am aware that the Deputy raised this issue previously. I will raise it directly with the Minister and try to get an answer for him.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: Recent events in Venezuela and the escalation of tensions between both sides underscore the urgency of finding a negotiated solution to the already grave humanitarian, social and political crisis in the country. Actions by the Maduro administration and the Venezuelan security forces, including the detention of the Vice President of the National Assembly Edgar Zambrano, are further...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Syrian Conflict (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: The situation in Syria remains grave. Since 2011, the Syria conflict has cost the lives of well over 400,000 people. As the conflict enters its ninth year, nearly 12 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance inside Syria, and more than 80 per cent of people live below the poverty line. Over 6 million people are displaced inside Syria, and a further 5.6 million have fled to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: Ireland strongly condemns all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, irrespective of where they occur or who the victims are. We are committed to promoting freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as well as the rights of persons belonging to religious minorities. This commitment to promoting freedom of religion and belief is reaffirmed in the Global Island:...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (16 May 2019)

Simon Coveney: The continuing absence of vital institutions of the Good Friday Agreement is a source of deep concern for the Government, as it is for the British Government. On 26 April, the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach agreed to establish a new process of political talks, involving the five main parties, together with the British and Irish Governments. On 7 May, the Secretary of State for Northern...