Results 35,141-35,160 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: My Department takes the quality and standard of our interactions with the public and their elected representatives very seriously. Whether it is through the provision of consular or passport services to Irish citizens, at home and abroad, or answering queries from members of the public or their elected representatives, my Department has produced several policies underpinning its desire to...

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

Simon Coveney: The position of the Government on the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland is clear and consistent. The Stormont House Agreement is the way forward on these issues. It was agreed in 2014 by both Governments and the political parties after intensive negotiations, and it represents a balanced and comprehensive framework to address the painful legacy of the Troubles, based on the principles of...

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

Simon Coveney: Ireland has been vocal in strongly condemning the unjust detention of political prisoners in Belarus. We are committed to keeping the situation in the country high on the international agenda and that is what I told Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya during her recent visit. The number of those detained simply for holding or expressing views that the Lukashenko regime do not like continues to rise and...

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

Simon Coveney: My Department has a rigorous system of planning, monitoring, evaluation and auditing to ensure the efficient and effective use of resources and deliver value for money. All funds and programmes are closely monitored at headquarters and mission level using a Standard Approach for Grant Management to ensure they deliver on the intended results and meet their objectives. The independent...

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

Simon Coveney: Since taking up our seat on the UN Security Council on 1 January, Ireland has been active across the broad range of geographic and thematic issues on the Council agenda, including on Colombia, in line with the three core principles underpinning Ireland’s term: Building Peace; Strengthening Conflict Prevention; and Ensuring Accountability. Ireland has long been a supporter of...

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

Simon Coveney: My Department, including the Embassy of Ireland in Bogotá, closely monitors the human rights situation in Colombia and has been active, in co-ordination with our EU partners, in responding to human rights concerns that have emerged in Colombia in the context of the recent national strike. I would like to express again my serious concern at the reported violence by the police in...

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

Simon Coveney: I share the concern about the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable communities, including those in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). Ireland’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is informed by our commitment to reach the furthest behind first, as set out in our international development policy ‘A Better World’. At the global level, Ireland is playing its part to...

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

Simon Coveney: Ireland’s position on the US embargo on Cuba is long-standing and clear. Fundamentally, Ireland believes that the embargo serves no constructive purpose and that its lifting would facilitate an opening of Cuba’s economy to the benefit of its people. Ireland, along with our EU partners, has been a consistent supporter of the annual Resolution put forward by Cuba at the UN General...

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

Simon Coveney: I firmly believe that universal and equitable access to safe, effective, and affordable diagnostics, treatments and vaccines is crucial in the global fight against COVID-19. I am determined that Ireland, in particular the Irish Aid programme, plays its full part in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment leads on Intellectual Property...

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

Simon Coveney: The Government is committed to the full implementation of the Stormont House Agreement. Where the British Government are proposing significant changes to the Stormont House framework, such as through its proposals published on 14 July 2021, we have made clear that any changes must be discussed and agreed by both Governments and the parties to the Northern Ireland Executive. Following a...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 866, 867 and 872 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 is -...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 868, 869, 870, 873 and 874 together. The position of the Government on the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland is clear and consistent. The Stormont House Agreement is the way forward on these issues. It was agreed in 2014 by both Governments and the political parties after intensive negotiations, and it represents a balanced and comprehensive framework...

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

Simon Coveney: The Conference on the Future of Europe (COFOE) is a series of conferences aimed at promoting greater citizen involvement in the European Union and engendering reflection on Europe’s future direction. My Department is the lead Department for the Conference and Minister of State Byrne has been assigned lead responsibility within Government for Ireland’s participation in the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: My Department publishes a report on Ireland's Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme on the Irish Aid website each year. The report includes statistical information on programme expenditure in a series of annexes which clearly show the distribution of aid, including the amounts given to developing countries, and the amounts allocated to our priority focus areas as set out in A...

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

Simon Coveney: My Department publishes a report on Ireland's Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme, known as Irish Aid, each year on its website. The report includes statistical information on programme expenditure in a series of annexes which clearly show the distribution of aid, including the amounts given to developing countries, and the amounts allocated to our priority focus areas as set out...

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

Simon Coveney: The Irish Aid Centre in Clonmel Street, Dublin provides workshops for Junior Cycle, Transition Year and Senior Cycle pupils on global issues such as the Sustainable Development Goals, food and hunger, and the role of international development. While the premises are temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centre’s facilitators have been providing on-line, virtual...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: The detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available, but my Department is retrieving and collating the information requested. I will arrange to have it forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: The EU's Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) was established on 08 June 2017 with the aim of enabling the EU to react in a faster, more efficient and effective manner as a security provider outside its borders. The MPCC is responsible for the operational planning and conduct of the EU’s non-executive military missions. It comprises personnel deployed by EU member States to...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: Mobility is a key component in the ability of the Defence Forces to maintain a flexible and agile response regarding such tasks and operations it undertakes. In order to maintain the requisite military mobility in the operational, logistical and training spheres it is my priority to ensure that the various vehicle platforms which comprise the overall transport fleet are maintained and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Corps (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained to the greatest extent possible. This is primarily to enable the Defence Forces to carry out their roles assigned by Government as set out in the White Paper on Defence. Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are being considered in...