Results 31,821-31,840 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Presidential Elections (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: The ongoing electoral integrity analysis and audit of the official results of last month's presidential election in Bolivia is being carried out by the OAS, to which the Deputy referred. The team consists of 30 international specialists and auditors, including electoral lawyers, statisticians, computer experts, document authentication specialists and experts in chain of custody and electoral...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Presidential Elections (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: I am not in a position to make a judgment on whether Evo Morales did a good job as President of Bolivia. The question is whether he was re-elected. He has to win an election by a clear margin to be re-elected. We are going through a process at the moment to ascertain whether the election was free and fair. Clearly, the suggestion is that it was not free and fair. That is why there have...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Safety of Irish Citizens Abroad (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is referring to a very complex and sensitive consular case, which is taking place in a highly unstable and dangerous region. Given the circumstances, it would not be helpful to comment on recent media speculation regarding plans that may or may not be under consideration. Any such comment would be inappropriate and would not be in the best interests of individuals involved. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Safety of Irish Citizens Abroad (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: I urge the Deputy not to take everything he reads or hears about the case as fact. Much of the commentary is speculative, although some has a basis in fact. We sent Defence Forces personnel to Turkey to support our embassy team there mainly because of an ongoing conversation between our embassy in Ankara and the Turkish military. It makes sense to have military personnel speaking to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Safety of Irish Citizens Abroad (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: Those are fair questions. The Turkish Government has made clear that when it finds and picks up people who have been radicalised or are supportive of ISIS in northeastern Turkey, it intends to deport or repatriate them and it expects their home countries to accept them back. From our perspective, only two people are the subject of our current conversations with the Turkish authorities. One...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Visa Agreements (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: The House will be aware that the Taoiseach and I have prioritised the issue of Irish immigration in the US since taking office. I have continuously raised immigration issues, particularly the E3 visa, in all my interactions with the US Administration and US political leaders. I discussed these matters with the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and her congressional...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Visa Agreements (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: It is important to state what the E3 visa is and would do. Essentially, Ireland is seeking to avail of unused visas that would have been allocated to Australian citizens. The US and Australia have a unique arrangement whereby a certain number of visas are provided each year. We are proposing that the unused visas in the allocation for a year be used by Irish people in the following year....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Visa Agreements (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: The E3 Bill would require reciprocal arrangements on our side. In return for receiving visas for Irish citizens to enable them to travel, work and live fully documented in the United States we are proposing a package of measures for US citizens who are either resident here or who would like to come here to retire or work. It is proposed to have a reciprocal arrangement. The E3 process...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Agreements (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 69 together. We partly answered this question earlier, but what I am about to read contains a slightly different answer. As the Deputy is aware, the question of a legally binding treaty to regulate the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises has been under consideration in Geneva by an open-ended intergovernmental...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Agreements (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: We are pushing for increased EU involvement. In response to Deputy Shortall earlier I stated we had pushed the European Union to increase its engagement. It made a statement both at the start and at the end of the process in Geneva. We need to continue to do this. We also need to ensure our national plan is credible and that the implementation group will continue to meet. It has met...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Agreements (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: My Department has undertaken to convene a forum on business and human rights within two years of adoption of the plan. In addition, the interdepartmental committee on human rights, chaired by the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Cannon, will also monitor implementation of the plan. There is oversight to ensure that this agenda moves forward but in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: Ireland strongly condemns all manifestations of racism, xenophobia, and intolerance, including anti-Semitism, and we take the fight against anti-Semitism very seriously. Ireland is a signatory of the Stockholm Declaration of the International Forum on the Holocaust, and is a member of the Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. In December 2018, all 28 EU Member States adopted a Council Declaration...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: Ireland is deeply troubled by Turkey’s unilateral military action in Syria, which has severely destabilised the region. I am particularly concerned about the humanitarian impact of the action and the further displacements of civilian populations that have been and continue to occur as a result. The Turkish incursion has had severe consequences for civilian infrastructure, and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Emigrant Support Services (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Indecon Economic Report on Addressing Challenges Faced by Returning Irish Emigrants made thirty recommendations. These covered a wide range of Government activities, including housing; registration of driving licences; easing access to motor insurance; information on, and access to, employment opportunities in Ireland; improving the recognition of academic and professional qualifications;...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: UN Security Council (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 60 together. The expected date of the election for the two available seats in the Western European and Others Groupfor the UN Security Council term 2021-2022 is approximately seven months away, in June 2020. Canada and Norway, who are committed members of the UN and important bilateral partners of Ireland, are also contending for a seat. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: Ireland is a committed supporter of human rights defenders, open civil society space and the protection and promotion of fundamental rights and freedoms. I am aware of the recent events in Cauca province, which unfortunately act as a reminder of the challenges that Colombia is facing as it implements the peace agreement. The absence of the State in former conflict areas following the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Cases (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: The human rights situation in Bahrain remains a matter of concern. Although Bahrain has stated its commitment to improving its human rights record and safeguarding human rights as enshrined in the Bahraini Constitution. Progress has been made in certain areas, but there continue to be instances of violations of fundamental freedoms there including the targeting of human rights defenders. ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Preparations (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Government-wide ‘Getting Ireland Brexit Ready’public information campaign was launched on 20 September 2018. In the initial phase of this campaign, my Department organised “Getting Ireland Brexit Ready” public information events in Cork, Galway, Monaghan, Dublin, Limerick and Donegal throughout autumn 2018 to inform and advise citizens and businesses about...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: Both I and my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan, both personally and through our officials, engage regularly with the PSNI and other stakeholders to discuss a wide range of issues. Minister Flanagan and I have both expressed our ongoing support for the PSNI and I pay tribute to the excellent cooperation in place with An Garda Síochána. The PSNI...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (12 Nov 2019)

Simon Coveney: 17 May last marked the 45th anniversary of the appalling attacks of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in which 33 people were murdered. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Charles Flanagan TD, represented the Government at the remembrance ceremony in Dublin. The Government stands in solidarity with all those who lost loved ones or were injured on that day, and who suffer still as a...