Results 31,501-31,520 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Data (19 Sep 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service takes its responsibility to protect the integrity of the Irish Passport very seriously. The Irish passport has a strong international reputation due to the strength of security features within the book and the robust processes involved in its issuance.  The Integrity Section of the Passport Service was established in 2015 to improve all aspects of fraud detection...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Negotiations (24 Sep 2019)

Simon Coveney: Under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, the transition period runs to December 2020. It can be extended once, by mutual agreement of the EU and the UK, for up to two years. The decision to extend must be decided by the Joint Committee, established under the Withdrawal Agreement, before 1 July 2020. As the transition period is provided for under the terms of the Withdrawal...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Negotiations (24 Sep 2019)

Simon Coveney: Contacts between the UK and Commission Taskforce are continuing. Michel Barnier met Steve Barclay in Brussels on 20 September where they had a discussion on the state of play of the ongoing Brexit talks, both in relation to the backstop to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland and the Political Declaration on the Future Relationship. Following the meeting the Commission reiterated...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Negotiations (24 Sep 2019)

Simon Coveney: We note the call, on 18 September, by the Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne to Prime Minister Johnson to produce his proposals in writing to facilitate discussions, by the end of September. It remains the EU’s position that the best way to ensure an orderly Brexit remains through the Withdrawal Agreement and that the backstop is the only viable solution on the table that avoids...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Living Wage (24 Sep 2019)

Simon Coveney: The remuneration of directly employed staff in my Department is sanctioned by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in line with Government policy. Our assessment is that there are currently 322 officers within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade who earn less than the living wage. This excludes temporary seasonal staff. There are no State Agencies under the aegis of my...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (24 Sep 2019)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61, 62, 67 and 72 together. The question of a legally binding treaty to regulate the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises has been under consideration by the Inter-Governmental Working Group on Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises. The Group was established on foot of a Resolution adopted by the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (24 Sep 2019)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 to 66, inclusive, together. I am aware of the ongoing situation in Kashmir and my Department is monitoring developments closely. I hope that the situation will be resolved peacefully, and support the EU’s position, which is in favour of direct dialogue between India and Pakistan. Ireland also supports UN Secretary-General Guterres' call for...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (24 Sep 2019)

Simon Coveney: Since military operations in Rakhine State escalated in August 2017, an estimated 720,000, predominantly Rohingya, refugees have fled to Bangladesh. A significant number of Rohingya civilians were also internally displaced within Rakhine and 128,000 people remain in IDP camps having fled previous bouts of violence. Recent months have again seen an escalation of violence in Rakhine State and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (24 Sep 2019)

Simon Coveney: I continue to be gravely concerned about the ongoing crisis in Yemen. Over four years of conflict have resulted in the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with the country’s economy decimated and millions on the brink of famine. The EU has been clear from the beginning that the crisis in Yemen can only be solved by political means. Ireland and the EU fully support the efforts of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (24 Sep 2019)

Simon Coveney: As part of the Global Ireland strategy of investment in the broadening and deepening of the diplomatic and consular network of the state a new Embassy was opened in Wellington, New Zealand, in November last year. The allocation of resources throughout the international mission network supports the effective and cost-efficient delivery of the goals of my Department. These include the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Public Services Card (24 Sep 2019)

Simon Coveney: Since March 29 2016, the Passport Service has required all first time passport applicants, aged 18 and above, who are resident in Ireland to submit a copy of their Public Services Card (PSC) with their passport application. This requirement also applies to adult applicants whose most recent passport has expired more than five years previously and to adult applicants whose passport was issued...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Meetings (25 Sep 2019)

Simon Coveney: I was very pleased to welcome Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, H.E. Carlos Holmes Trujillo García, to Dublin last month. This visit was a demonstration of the excellent bilateral relations between Ireland and Colombia, which have been going from strength to strength since the recent opening of our respective Embassies in Bogotá and Dublin. Foreign Minister Trujillo also had...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Data (25 Sep 2019)

Simon Coveney: The numbers of first time passport applications received from applicants who were resident in Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the time of application for the years 2014 to 2018 and to date in 2019 are detailed in the table below. Year - - 2014 5,672 18,067 2015 6,011 20,325 2016 18,263 29,923 2017 31,675 40,089 2018 39,287 40,226 2019* 36,274 49,243 * to 31 August 2019 All...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Bodies Reports (26 Sep 2019)

Simon Coveney: The minutes of the 3 April 2019 meeting of the Business and Human Rights Implementation Group will be published on my Department's website when they have been approved by the Implementation Group at its next meeting, which is scheduled for 9 October 2019.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (26 Sep 2019)

Simon Coveney: The continuing absence of the power-sharing Executive and Assembly in Northern Ireland and the North South Ministerial Council is of grave concern for the Government, as it is for the British Government. I have engaged extensively with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland throughout the latest talks process, to encourage the parties to reach an accommodation. I continued this...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Negotiations (1 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: My officials and I remain in close contact with the European Commission and Taskforce members on Brexit matters.  Last Friday, I met with Michel Barnier to take stock of developments. He reiterated the EUs strong commitment to ensuring a fully operational solution in the Withdrawal Agreement that avoids a hard border on the island of Ireland and protects the all-island economy and the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Negotiations (1 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: Ireland, and our EU partners, stand by the Withdrawal Agreement.  Equally, we are committed to finding a way forward, and, as we have repeatedly said, are open to hearing any credible, fully worked-out proposals from the UK. These should be raised with the European Commission. Negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU are a matter for the European Commission Task Force, led...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: UN Conferences (1 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: My Department is currently consulting with EU partners regarding participation in the upcoming, fifth,  session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises which will take place in Geneva from 14 to 18 October. At that meeting it is expected that the main focus of attention will be consideration of the text of a draft legally...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (1 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: The National Plan on Business and Human Rights was launched in November 2017 on foot of the Government's commitment to give effect to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.  The principal objective of the Plan is to promote responsible business practice at home and overseas by all Irish business enterprises. Ireland is now one of only 22 countries worldwide...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Administration (1 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: My Department has engaged with the Office of the Attorney General in relation to the Public Service Card (PSC) on a number of occasions, including in the context of the Data Protection Commission’s report on the PSC. As the Deputy will be aware, such legal advice is confidential. I am satisfied that the requirements of my Department in relation to proof of identity have at all times...