Results 33,581-33,600 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Naval Service (17 Dec 2020)

Simon Coveney: The Government is aware of the report made in July of this year by an Irish fishing vessel to the Sea Fisheries Protection Agency concerning a UK naval ship conducting an exercise off the North West coast of Donegal. The location where the UK naval ship was conducting training exercises was not within Ireland’s territorial sea and did not therefore infringe our sovereignty. In general,...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Use of Sonar in Irish Waters (17 Dec 2020)

Simon Coveney: No contact has been made with the Irish Naval Service or the Department of Defence by other naval services with respect to the use of sonar in Irish Waters.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Funding (17 Dec 2020)

Simon Coveney: In 2021, the overall Defence Capital funding envelope will increase by €18 million to €131 million. This significant allocation demonstrates the Government’s commitment to Defence and will facilitate an ongoing programme of equipment replacement and infrastructural development, as set out in the Defence Equipment Development Plan and Defence Infrastructure Development...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Irish Territorial Waters (17 Dec 2020)

Simon Coveney: Neither my Department nor the Defence Forces have any record of maritime vessels, crafts or submarine vessels belonging to naval services of other nations incurring into Irish Territorial Waters during the period 01 April - 31 October 2018. With regard to Ireland's EEZ, it is not unusual for naval ships of other States to carry out training exercises within this area. This would normally...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Irish Territorial Waters (17 Dec 2020)

Simon Coveney: My Department is aware of a UK naval ship conducting an exercise off the North West coast of Donegal in July. The location where the Royal Navy ship was conducting training exercises was within the Irish EEZ. However the ship did not enter into Irish territorial waters. This is not in any way an infringement of our national territory. It is not unusual for naval ships of other States,...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Equipment (17 Dec 2020)

Simon Coveney: Under the Framework for Major Emergency Management the Defence Forces can be tasked in aid of Civil Power to provide operational support in a response to a national chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) incident in order to mark, cordon, monitor, measure, decontaminate, retrieve and dispose of any CBRN devices and matter so found. Additionally, the Defence Forces in the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Protected Disclosures (17 Dec 2020)

Simon Coveney: In accordance with the terms of section 22 of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 an annual report in relation to the total number of protected disclosures made in the preceding year is prepared and published on the departmental website . This report is required to be prepared and published not later than 30 June in each year in relation to the immediately preceding year in a form which does...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Issues (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: On 9 January 2019, the Council of the European Union added two Iranian individuals and the Directorate for Internal Security of the Iranian Ministry for Intelligence and Security to the EU terrorist list, in response to attempted attacks on European soil. EU sanctions are implemented in Ireland through EU Council Decisions and Regulations. The Regulations are directly applicable in Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Contracts (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Foreign Affairs has awarded no contracts to the company in question. There are no agencies under the aegis of the Department.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland’s bilateral agreements with Israel do not apply to territories occupied by Israel in 1967. This includes the bilateral agreements referred to in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 285 of 10 December 2020. With regard to the Double Taxation Treaty between Ireland and Israel, any claim for Treaty benefits must adhere to the conditions of the Treaty. It is for the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland continues to strongly condemn the totally unacceptable human rights situation in Belarus. Regrettably, the harassment of protesters, civil society actors, and journalists by the Belarusian authorities has not ceased despite international pressure, including sanctions against the regime. I am aware of the case of the individual in question, who was detained for his political...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service has paused the processing of Foreign Births Registration applications as Ireland is at Level 5 of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. Applications that have been sent to the FBR team are being held securely and will be processed when normal services resume at Level 3. Foreign Births Registration, by its nature, can be a detailed and complex process, often...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 376, 377 and 379 together. I remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Iran, including restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly, arbitrary arrest, torture in detention and the use of the death penalty. Ireland is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances, and we have made this position clear to the Iranian...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Research Funding (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: The EU’s Research and Innovation programme, Horizon 2020, includes several implementation mechanisms which prevent EU funds being used for activities that could be contrary to international or EU law. Article 19 of the Horizon 2020 Framework Regulation provides that all research and innovation activities carried out under Horizon 2020 must comply with ethical principles and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Citizenship Applications (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 382 and 399 together. The Passport Service has paused the processing of Foreign Births Registration (FBR) applications as Ireland is at Level 5 of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. Applications that have been sent to the FBR team are being held securely and will be processed when normal services resume at Level 3 of the Framework. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service has paused processing of routine applications while Ireland is at Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19. Passport Service staff have been temporarily reassigned to provide Consular Assistance for Irish citizens overseas. The Passport Service continues to provide an emergency passport service for Irish citizens at home and abroad. The service is available for...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Cases (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 384 and 388 together. I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has been providing ongoing consular assistance to this citizen through our Consular Assistance Unit in Dublin, our Embassy in Beijing and our Consulate General in Shanghai. I can also confirm that this citizen is not in prison in China. However he has been subject to an exit ban and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Data (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 385 and 386 together. The key aim of the Government's Brexit readiness work was to support business and citizens prepare for the permanent and immediate changes that arose as a result of the UK leaving the EU. As part of this work and, in order to respond to queries arising in the immediate Day 1/Week 1 period following the end of the transition period,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland enjoys strong relations with Japan with a focus very much on political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. While I have not had the occasion to engage with Prime Minister Suga since his inauguration in September, I maintain ongoing contact with my counterpart, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Toshimitsu Motegi. We spoke most recently by phone on 27 November, discussing...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service has paused processing of routine applications while Ireland is at Level 5 of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. The Passport Service continues to provide an emergency passport service for Irish citizens at home and abroad. The service is available for those who are required to travel due to the death or serious illness of a family member or because the...