Results 31,781-31,800 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: This represents a substantial increase of 1 million extra hours more than this year's target. This investment is focused on enabling older people to remain at home when they want to and reducing the current waiting list for a service being experienced in almost all areas. As appropriate, provision of hours will also be targeted at times of peak demand in winter 2020, at the beginning and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: There is no home help embargo. We all need to be accurate in what we say in this House, particularly when we are talking about people's health and elder care in the home. The Deputy should reflect on some of his commentary on that. I am not saying that many people are not frustrated, under pressure and on waiting lists, they are. I am also saying, however, that we will have over 19...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: I would like to talk to the Deputy in a bit more detail about some of the problems she has just outlined. I am very familiar with HAP tenancies. I was a Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when we saw a shift away from rent allowance towards HAP because it provided more security of tenure for tenants and also more security and consistency for landlords as they were dealing...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: I do not mind saying that I have been somewhat of a magnet for people to come and talk about social housing concerns and housing concerns generally because I was a Minister in that Department. I do not mind that because we are trying to help families, not expose them to the dangers and vulnerabilities of homelessness. We have an overreliance at the moment on the private rental sector for...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (7 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: Public liability insurance has been an issue and a problem for many festivals for quite some time. While we have taken a whole series of actions to respond to that, the Government is open all the time to new approaches. The Minister of State, Deputy D’Arcy, is focused on driving down insurance costs, including public liability costs. I am not aware there has been any specific...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh (Atógáil) - Questions on Promised Legislation (Resumed) (7 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: I am glad the Deputy recognises that standards are important for crèches and children’s play areas. We must have a common standard and benchmarks below which we cannot fall. If there are individual cases and problems that the Deputy wants to raise, he might send me on the details and I will forward them to the Minister.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh (Atógáil) - Questions on Promised Legislation (Resumed) (7 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: I understand that legislation has completed Second Stage. The Government is open to constructive amendments. The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Richard Bruton, will meet RTÉ to discuss in detail its plans for reform, change and, in some cases, cost savings. The debate on the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2019 will be in light of that conversation.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh (Atógáil) - Questions on Promised Legislation (Resumed) (7 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: We need to be careful about the detailed commentary we make because we are essentially reading a media report on an RTÉ decision.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh (Atógáil) - Questions on Promised Legislation (Resumed) (7 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: She did and she confirmed that RTÉ would not be closing Lyric FM and that RTÉ would maintain a presence in Limerick although I accept it would be a downsized presence. It is up to RTÉ to justify the plan which they signed off at board level and was only sent to the Minister this morning. I suspect there will be plenty of opportunities to debate that plan in the weeks ahead.

Dublin Mid-West By-election: Issue of Writ (7 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: Deputy Michael Collins should inform himself on what happened with that application. I am very familiar with it.

Dublin Mid-West By-election: Issue of Writ (7 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: It is not even in my constituency but I am very familiar with it because I am committed to west Cork.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (7 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: The approach of the Government in relation to Irish unity is of course guided by Article 3 of the Constitution, as amended by the people in 1998. The principle of consent and the possibility of change in the constitutional status of Northern Ireland are fundamental elements of the Good Friday Agreement, endorsed by the people of this island North and South. My Department is aware...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Migrant Integration (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy whom I congratulate on being given this spokesmanship. I look forward to working with him for however long we have left in this Dáil which I imagime will be a few months. The number of international migrants has risen to 272 million in 2019. That is an extraordinary number and it represents an increase from 221 million in 2010. Clearly, migration is a significant...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Migrant Integration (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: They are fair questions, but, first, let me clear up a couple of points. The recent vote in the European Parliament which some Fianna Fáil MEPs did not even attend was on a non-binding resolution, but it also had legitimate problems in the context of the sharing of information in the Mediterranean. Let me be very clear: Ireland would be willing to send a ship back to the Mediterranean...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Migrant Integration (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: In this House we share genuine concern about the humanitarian catastrophe in Libya in terms of the number of refugees who are staying in totally unsuitable conditions and very vulnerable circumstances. I speak to UN agencies and NGOs that have dealt with many of the people concerned. Many of their stories were shared with Irish Naval Service personnel on the decks of Irish naval vessels. I...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Good Friday Agreement (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for raising this case, in which I am aware he has shown consistent interest for a while. Citizenship and identity provisions are central to the Good Friday Agreement and it is vital that they be upheld. The Irish Government has consistently engaged with the British Government in support of this and will continue to do so. It is important to state Ms Emma DeSouza is an...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Good Friday Agreement (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: This is an issue that has concerned a lot of people who are watching to see how the British Government responds to it. Having spoken to the Secretary of State about this case on more than one occasion, my understanding is that there will be a comprehensive review of citizenship provisions and how they are provided for to ensure consistency with the Good Friday Agreement. We will have to...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Good Friday Agreement (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: We need to be careful about the language we use during an election campaign. Politics is already very polarised in Northern Ireland and we need to work towards political reconciliation between parties as well as reconciliation between communities. That is why yesterday I tried to respond in an appropriate way to suggestions that there may be commitments to non-prosecution of certain state...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: The first thing on which we need to concentrate is to try to get a withdrawal agreement concluded.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: I take that point. After a general election in the UK, if the Parliament ratifies the latest withdrawal agreement that has been agreed between the British Government and the EU then, in all likelihood, the UK will leave the European Union at the end of January. As part of that withdrawal agreement the political declaration sets a course for what the future relationship might look like, but...