Results 36,121-36,140 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consular Services (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Government is committed to doing everything possible to support and facilitate the resumption of safe international air travel, and especially to ensure that Irish citizens living abroad are able to return home to Ireland for visits and to reunite with friends and family here. Singapore determines its own policies and regulations on who can enter that country and what measures and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: My Department is responsible for citizenship by descent through the Foreign Births Register under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that as of Monday 15th November, the processing of Foreign Birth Registration has resumed and will be gradually scaling up in line with the recruitment of additional resources. Foreign Birth Registration...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the applicant mistakenly applied for a first time passport when completing the application form online. As a result, the estimated issue date given is in line with processing times for first time applications. The Passport Service has contacted the applicant and informed them of what is required to progress their...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 197 and 215 together. The Passport Service Customer Service centre has been operational since June 2021 in line with the scaling up of passport operations as pandemic restrictions were eased. Currently, 75 officers are responding to customer queries by phone and webchat as well as with enquiries related to Emergency Passport cases. Since June, Customer...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 198 and 199 together. At an early stage in the Withdrawal Agreement negotiations, both the UK and the EU acknowledged the unique circumstances on the island of Ireland, recognising the necessity of protecting the gains of the peace process, including avoiding a hard border and protecting North-South cooperation. To recall, the Protocol is the joint EU-UK...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Government has dedicated substantial time and resources into preparing for the political and economic effects of Brexit since 2016. The Withdrawal Agreement, including the Protocol on Ireland / Northern Ireland, and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement agreed by the EU and the UK mitigate many of the potential political and economic issues that might have arisen as a result of Brexit. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: I have met with UK Minister of State David Frost on a number of occasions in the last year, most recently in September, at the meeting of the British Irish Association in Oxford. I have also discussed the Protocol in meetings with other UK ministers, including with the UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss on 13 October and the Minister for Europe and Americas at the Foreign, Commonwealth...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Protection (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 202 and 203 together. Ireland condemns the regime of Alexander Lukashenko for its exploitation of migrants for political purposes. At the November Foreign Affairs Council meeting, EU Foreign Ministers discussed the escalation in the crisis along the EU’s borders with Belarus. We took swift action and agreed to broaden the listings criteria for...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 204, 205, 210, 212, 213 and 214 together. The promotion and protection of human rights is a foreign policy priority for me as Minister, and for the wider Government. As well as bilaterally through our mission network, Ireland contributes strongly to United Nations and European Union efforts to eliminate human rights violations and abuses. The rights of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Protection (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: Further to my earlier response to the Deputy, I emphasise again that Ireland condemns the regime of Alexander Lukashenko for its exploitation of migrants. Earlier this year, Irish Aid responded to the migrant crisis in the Lithuania-Belarus border region by providing €100,000 in humanitarian assistance to the International Federation of the Red Cross for transmission to the local...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Union (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland has always been, and will remain, a strong supporter of enlargement of the European Union, provided that candidate countries meet the necessary conditions for membership. We recognise the value of enlargement as a transformative driver for stability and peace in candidate countries. It was welcome that the draft Declaration adopted at the EU-Western Balkans Summit this year contained...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: Whilst the Defence Forces are not a primary response agency for non-security related emergencies, as defined in the Framework for Major Emergency Management, they provide the fullest possible assistance to the appropriate Lead Department in the event of a natural disaster or emergency situation in its Aid to Civil Authority (ATCA) role. In this regard, the full spectrum of Defence Forces...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Programme for Government committed to an independent commission to undertake a comprehensive review of the Defence Forces. An independent Commission on the Defence Forces was subsequently established by Government in December 2020, with a mandate to report within 12 months. The Government also approved the terms of reference, based on the Programme for Government, and the membership of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: The siege of Jadotville was a prominent event that occurred during Ireland's peacekeeping mission in the Congo in September 1961 where "A" Company, 35th Infantry Battalion, came under attack. From the 13th to the 17th September the men of “A” Company endured almost continuous attack. At the end of the Siege, the men were taken into captivity until finally released on the 25th...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: I am advised by the military authorities that the Air Corps operate a maintenance plan which endeavors to ensure that the maximum number of operational flying hours is available from the current aircraft fleet when most needed. The maintenance of the Air Corps fleet falls into three broad categories: scheduled, unscheduled and routine/daily. The use of performance based maintenance contracts...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 221 and 223 together. I am advised by the military authorities that the Air Corps operate a maintenance plan which endeavors to ensure that the maximum number of operational flying hours is available from the current aircraft fleet when most needed. The maintenance of the Air Corps fleet falls into three broad categories: scheduled, unscheduled and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (18 Nov 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 and developed. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government, as set out in the White Paper on Defence. I am advised by the military authorities that the Air Corps operate a maintenance plan which endeavors to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Civil Defence (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Defence is responsible for the development of Civil Defence at national level. In this context my Department provides policy direction, centralised training through the Civil Defence College, administrative support, guidance and centralised procurement of certain items of uniform and equipment in support of local authority Civil Defence efforts. The local authorities have...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: The military authorities have advised that the National Flag which drapes the coffin of personnel who die in service is presented to the next-of-kin at the time and place of burial or cremation. At present it is not custom for the National Flag to be presented to the next-of-kin of former Defence Forces personnel. Administration Instruction A10 sets out that in certain circumstances,...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (18 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 228 together. The table below details the strength of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) for each of the past five years:- Year 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Strength WTE 9,126 9,173 8,957 8,659 8,572 I am advised by the military authorities that the...