Results 36,341-36,360 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Update on Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs (24 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: We needed democratic legitimacy for it. One of the asks of the British side was that the protocol should and could never be imposed on Northern Ireland against the will of the majority there. That is something I absolutely agree with. As much as I think the protocol can work, if the majority of people in Northern Ireland do not want it, we have to accept that. The are extraordinary...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Update on Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs (24 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: No, the way in which that vote takes place is it is effectively a simple majority of MLAs every four years. If there is a large majority of more than two thirds, then the next vote can be put off for eight years. My hope would be, and this may be naive, is that if we can get compromise and flexibility in a way that allows business and many in the unionist community to accept the protocol,...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Update on Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs (24 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: I have not received a briefing from today's discussion. Generally what happens is the two teams meet on Wednesday and Thursday, and it is every second week in Brussels and London. Then the two principals meet on Friday to assess progress, or not, as the case may be. Two weeks ago, there was a noticeable change in tone coming from the British side, which certainly suggested to the EU that...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Update on Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs (24 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: This is a robust negotiation. Lord Frost is a good and tough negotiator and good luck to him. The EU also has concerns that need to be protected. As Vice-President Šefovi said at this committee, its priorities are the integrity of the Single Market, not compromising it, protecting an all-island economy, protecting a peace process and ensuring there is no need for any physical...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Update on Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs (24 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: We could not get agreement.

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Update on Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs (24 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: On the trust question, now is not the time for me to talk about who is at fault throughout these negotiations over the past nine months. There will be plenty of opportunity to do that if we can get an agreement. I am anxious to focus on the limited but nevertheless evident progress over the past ten days or so and to try to encourage that progress even further. It is not helpful for me to...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Update on Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs (24 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: I have not had long conversations with my counterpart in Northern Ireland on this. This is a political decision for the Executive. I will not overreach as I sometimes get criticised for doing that by politicians in Northern Ireland. This is a matter for the Executive. It is its issue. We have signalled for some time that we want to do this, we think it is a good public health measure and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (19 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: First time passport applications are necessarily complex to process, since they are essentially applications for Irish citizenship. The Passport Service must validate the true identity of the applicant and take measures to confirm the applicant’s entitlement to Irish citizenship. Passport applications are valid for six months for a number of reasons...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (19 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service cannot process an application until the required supporting documents have been received. The Passport Service has provided an update to the applicant's guardian as to the steps they must take to progress the passport application.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (19 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 619, 652, 660, 666 and 668 together. With regard to the passport applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has issued passports to these applicants. 

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (19 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service cannot process an application until the required supporting documents have been received. The Passport Service has provided an update to the applicant's guardian as to the steps they must take to progress the passport application.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (19 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 621, 622, 623, 628 and 629 together. The Middle East Peace Process remains a priority issue for Ireland, including in the context of our current membership of the UN Security Council. I am seriously concerned by the designation of six Palestinian NGOs as terrorist entities by the Israeli Ministry for Defense and I underlined this position to the Israeli...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (19 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: The definition of complete vaccination for the purposes of international travel to France is unaffected by the French Government’s policy change on 15 December to which I understand the Deputy is referring.  EU Digital COVID Certificates issued to persons over 65 years of age therefore continue to be accepted for travel to France, including where the person has not received a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consular Services (19 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 625, 627, 630 and 632 together. It is the understanding of the Department of Foreign Affairs that Mr. Binder was arrested in Greece in 2018 and has been charged with a number of different offences. His trial was due to start on 18 November in Lesbos but has since been delayed, following a decision to refer the case to a higher court. As Mr. Binder is a German...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Visa Applications (19 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: As the processing of US visas is solely a matter for the US authorities, I cannot advise on this specific case. My general advice to those seeking to apply for a US visa or for a visa waiver is to get information from the website of the US Embassy in Dublin and to engage with them directly on their application. I understand that this is a challenging and uncertain time for many, not least...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Data (19 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: A total of 108 Irish citizens and their dependents have been assisted in evacuating Afghanistan since the crisis broke in mid-August. My Department, including our Embassies in Abu Dhabi and Ankara, has worked with EU Member States and partners in the region to support the ongoing evacuation efforts. Work is ongoing to support the small number of Irish citizens and their dependents, less...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (19 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: Ireland maintains bilateral relations with the State of Israel on a range of issues, including through political and diplomatic engagement and in respect of economic and trade relations. The Government does not support boycotts on Israel. Such actions would be ineffective and counterproductive. Ireland’s position on the illegality of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (19 Jan 2022)

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. The processing of Foreign Birth Registration has resumed and will be gradually scaling up in line with the recruitment of additional resources. Due to the complex nature of the Foreign Birth Registration process and the pause in the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (19 Jan 2022)

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. The processing of Foreign Birth Registration has resumed and will be gradually scaling up in line with the recruitment of additional resources. Due to the complex nature of the Foreign Birth Registration process and the pause in the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Data (19 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: The reference in Article 40.2.2 of the Constitution to "title of nobility or of honour" has been interpreted, in accordance with advice from the Attorney General, as referring to honours conferred by or on behalf of a sovereign authority, the recipients of which become entitled, by the law or custom of the foreign State in question, to use prefixes to their names such as “Sir”,...