Results 34,781-34,800 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland strongly supports full accountability for the terrible crimes committed against the Yazidi community and other groups in Iraq.  Ireland fully supports the work of the UN Investigative Team for Accountability of Da’esh (UNITAD), which was established by UNSC Resolution 2379 in 2017. UNITAD supports efforts in Iraq to hold ISIS accountable by collecting, preserving, and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Anti-Racism Measures (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland strongly condemns all manifestations of racism, xenophobia, and related intolerance. Ireland is strongly committed to the promotion and protection of tolerance, non-discrimination, freedom of expression and freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief. This commitment is reaffirmed in the Global Island: Ireland’s Foreign Policy for a Changing World. Ireland ratified the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119, 136, 151 and 154 together. The Protocol on Ireland / Northern Ireland is an integral part of the Withdrawal Agreement. It was jointly negotiated, and jointly agreed, by the EU and the UK – the result of a painstaking process which took more than four years, during which a whole host of options were explored. Ultimately, the Protocol was - and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Good Friday Agreement (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: The full implementation and safeguarding of the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent Agreements in a crucial priority for the Government. The Good Friday Agreement consists of two elements; the Multi-Party Agreement reached between the Northern Ireland political parties and the two Governments, and an Agreement between the Irish and British Governments to which the Multi-Party Agreement...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Programmes (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Programme for Government commits to increasing the presence of Irish people in the EU Institutions. The new Strategy to implement this, ‘A Career for EU’, was approved by Government at the beginning of May and subsequently launched by the Minister for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, TD on 6 May 2021. As the Deputy is aware, Ireland faces a ‘demographic cliff’...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Programmes (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland supports engagement by non-EU Member States in Horizon Europe by way of association.  With respect to Israel, I refer the Deputy to my response to Parliamentary Question 667 of 15 June 2021 and Parliamentary Question Nos. 277, 278, 279, 280 and 281 of 3 June 2021.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: I note with concern reports regarding outbreaks of Covid-19 in Jau prison in Bahrain. Ireland urges all States to safeguard the human rights of prisoners and detainees, including provision of healthcare services, as set out in the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Mandela Rules. At the most recent EU-Bahrain Human Rights Dialogue in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: Yemen is the world's worst humanitarian crisis, driven by seven years of conflict, economic collapse and the breakdown of public institutions and services which has left over 24 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Ireland and the European Union fully support the efforts of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, to bring about a political resolution to the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Government is committed to the full implementation of the Stormont House Agreement, which was collectively agreed by the two Governments and the political parties in Northern Ireland after extensive talks.  The framework of the Stormont House Agreement provided for a set of institutions to deal comprehensively and fairly with the legacy of the Troubles, and this framework...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127, 128, 143, 144 and 153 together. The Passport Service scaled up to more normal operational levels on 4 May 2021, in line with the phased easing of restrictions set out in “COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 – The Plan Ahead”. The Service has been focused since then on four priority areas. - Clearing the COVID-19 backlog of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Relations (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland and the EU attach considerable importance to the management of our complex relationship with Russia and to developments within that country. It is discussed regularly at EU level including at the Foreign Affairs Council on 21 June. Relations with Russia will also form part of the discussions at the European Council taking place on 24/25 June, where An Taoiseach and his counterparts...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Relations (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: Repression in Belarus has intensified since the fraudulent election last year and there has been a further deterioration in the human rights situation in the country with massive crackdowns against political dissidents, human rights defenders, civil society organisations and minorities (including the Polish community). Ireland believes a strong, coordinated international response is...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Relations (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 139 together. I am deeply concerned by the deteriorating democratic and human rights situation in Nicaragua, in particular the ongoing repression of opposition politicians, members of the media, human rights defenders and civil society representatives. I am alarmed at the recent arrest and detention of a number of potential Presidential...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: On 26 May Dáil Éireann adopted a motion which declared that the scale, pace and nature of Israel’s settlement policy in occupied Palestinian territory amounts to unlawful de facto annexation.  Ireland’s long-standing opposition to settlements is well known by the Israeli Government. Ireland has been consistently vocal in its opposition to settlement expansion...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: United Nations (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland is almost six months into our two-year term as a member of the UN Security Council. The work of Ireland’s Permanent Mission in New York is at the core of our engagement across the Council agenda. As co-penholder for Syria Humanitarian issues, Ireland is working closely with Norway to secure the renewal of the mandate for cross-border delivery of humanitarian assistance to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: United Nations (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: I wish to acknowledge the Deputy's question and refer to my earlier reply to his Parliamentary Question of 21 April 2021 (PQ reference 20851/21) which outlines the overall and unchanged position in this regard.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 and 150 together. The concept of an independent consultative forum was first established under Strand One of the Good Friday Agreement, as a consultative mechanism on social, economic and cultural issues. It was envisaged to comprise of representatives of the business, trade union, voluntary sectors and such other sectors as provided for by the First...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: The New Decade, New Approach Agreement (NDNA) reached in January 2020 was a very significant shared achievement by the parties in Northern Ireland together with the British and Irish Governments, in restoring the power-sharing institutions of the Good Friday Agreement to operation. As outlined in the Programme for Government, its full implementation is an important priority for the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Relations (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: Strengthening bilateral relations with the US is a priority for Ireland as set out in our Programme for Governmentas wellin our Strategy for the US and Canada (2019-2025). Ireland has always maintained close relations with the US and will continue to do so, including through our Embassy in Washington D.C., our other diplomatic Missions across the US and through the US Embassy in Dublin. This...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (24 Jun 2021)

Simon Coveney: With regards to the human rights report referenced in the Question, I would like to express my serious concern at the reported violence. I trust that the Colombian authorities will fully investigate and bring those responsible for abuses or human rights violations, be they members of the security forces or other individuals, to justice.  I note the recent statement by the UN High...