Results 35,121-35,140 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Appointment of Special Envoys and Update on Afghanistan: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence (31 Aug 2021)

Simon Coveney: I do not know. I do not really see the relevance either way but I am not sure which came first, to be honest. I was not aware of the event. I largely ignore these. A lot of people get texts with branded images, photographs or whatever. I was not even in the country so I was not focused on the event one way or the other. As it happens, I did not make the connection between the event and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Appointment of Special Envoys and Update on Afghanistan: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence (31 Aug 2021)

Simon Coveney: No, there were not.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Appointment of Special Envoys and Update on Afghanistan: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence (31 Aug 2021)

Simon Coveney: I am happy to answer the question on timelines. I have provided a number of timelines in the context of the first conversation I had with my Secretary General on 24 February. A food-for-thought paper was then prepared in the context of the Department's responsibilities and the implementation of the national LGBTI+ inclusion strategy. That food-for-thought paper, which followed the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: The role of the Implementation Group for the National Plan on Business and Human Rights is to focus on the implementation of the commitments made in the National Plan. These include a series of commitments in relation to human rights due diligence. Implementation of the National Plan is ongoing. Recent achievements include the publication of new guidance on business and human rights for...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 802 and 821 together. Our response to the COVID pandemic in Africa, as elsewhere, is informed by Ireland’s commitment to reach the furthest behind first, set out in the international development policy, ‘A Better World’ and reiterated in the Africa Strategy. Building on Ireland’s strong track record over many years of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 803, 807, 808, 811, 813, 814, 817, 818, 819, 822, 823, 824, 827, 828, 829, 830, 831, 832, 838, 841, 842, 855, 856, 865, 871, 877 and 878 together. With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service was in contact with the customers to provide an update on the status of the passport applications. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 804, 806, 815, 835, 836, 846, 847, 848, 849, 850, 852, 857 and 876 together. The Passport Service commenced the scaling up of operations 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...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Hydraulic Fracturing (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Programme for Government makes clear that the Government does not support the importation of fracked gas. Following upon a commitment in the Programme for Government, the Government published a Policy Statement on May 2021 which outlines both constraints and opportunities for Government action in this area, including in the context of Ireland's obligations as a Member State of the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: My Department has supported the UNESCO programme, Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3), since 2017. supporting the empowerment, health and resilience of adolescents and young people across Sub-Saharan Africa. Ireland has provided €1,850,000 in funding to-date, to support programming in four African countries; Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. €500,000 further funding to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I can advise the Deputy that my Department continues to work closely with the Department of An Taoiseach, the Department of Health and the HSE, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, Government Information Services, and the Department of Transport in relation to the EU Digital COVID Certificate. As the Deputy will appreciate, specific questions...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Asylum Seekers (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I can assure the Deputy that I am committed to continuing to work with our EU partners, including Greece, to resolve these specific issues and to ensure that humanitarian and legal obligations are fully met. Border control measures across Europe must be without prejudice to the rights of refugees and other people requesting international protection. While Member States have the sovereign...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department continues to work closely with the Department of An Taoiseach, the Department of Health and the HSE, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, Government Information Services, and the Department of Transport in relation to the EU Digital COVID Certificate. As the Deputy will appreciate, specific questions...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I can advise the Deputy that my Department continues to work closely with the Department of An Taoiseach, the Department of Health and the HSE, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, Government Information Services, and the Department of Transport in relation to the EU Digital COVID Certificate. As the Deputy will appreciate, specific questions...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Citizenship Applications (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 825 and 840 together. My Department is responsible for citizenship by descent through the Foreign Births Register. Prior to COVID-19 it took twelve to eighteen months to process applications. This was due to the complex nature of FBR applications and the very high volume of applications due to Brexit. The applications referenced were received and are...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I am very concerned about this recent change to Hungary’s laws and its potential to harm the rights and freedoms of the LGBTQI+ community in Hungary, particularly young people. Statements by myself and the Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne T.D., following the Hungarian Assembly’s passage of this legislation, made clear Ireland’s concerns about this...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I wish to express my sympathy to the people of India at the suffering that they are enduring from the devastating consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly since the second wave at the end of April. The impact of Covid-19 on India was one of the key agenda items for an EU Leader’s meeting with Prime Minister Modi held on 8 May in Porto, which the Taoiseach attended in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I am deeply concerned by the recent civil unrest that has taken place in South Africa, which has led to the deaths of at least 330 individuals and caused significant disruption to essential services and to the South African economy. The extent of the damage caused is still emerging, but estimates indicate that the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces has left 150,000 jobs at...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Bodies (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: There are no agencies or State organisations under my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: Passports are internationally recognised travel documents that attest to the identity and nationality of the bearer. The inclusion of titles such as Mr., Mrs., Dr., Rev., and Sir are not facilitated by the Passport Service as these are not required on a Passport to attest to a bearers identify or nationality.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 843 to 845, inclusive, together. My Department is responsible for citizenship by descent through the Foreign Births Register. Prior to COVID-19 it took twelve to eighteen months to process applications. This was due to the complex nature of FBR applications and the very high volume of applications due to Brexit. At present, there are just over 30,000...