Results 36,521-36,540 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: As part of the Government’s commitment to supporting the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and maintaining strong relationships, I remain in regular contact with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the First Minister and deputy First Minister and party leaders, as well as other civil society, business and religious leaders in Northern Ireland , In the past three...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 58 together. Ireland remains active in discussions on Afghanistan both at EU level and at the UN Security Council, where it has featured regularly on the agenda since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. Promoting human rights and the protection of civilians are key priorities for Ireland on the Security Council. We have consistently advocated for...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: Ireland has strongly and consistently supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine as I have conveyed personally to Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, on a number of occasions over the past year. Ireland is concerned by the build-up of Russian troops on its border with Ukraine and I continue to call on Russia to de-escalate tensions. In my own remarks, I have...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (27 Jan 2022)

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, Hans Grundberg, to bring about a political resolution to the conflict in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: Ireland strongly condemns the coup carried out by the Myanmar military and its attempts to legitimise the military regime. The coup is a reversal of the progress made towards democracy and rule of law in Myanmar which took years to establish. Ireland is actively engaged on this issue in our role as an elected member of the Security Council, including by calling on the military and all parties...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: The processing of Foreign Birth Registration applications 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, the large increase in applications received following the Brexit vote in the UK, and the pause in the Service due to necessary Covid-19 restrictions, applicants should...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: A Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland is a central provision of the Good Friday Agreement. The Agreement sets out that a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland should be based on the European Convention on Human Rights, enhanced by additional rights to “reflect the principles of mutual respect for the identity and ethos of both communities and parity of esteem.” The full...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 47 and 70 together. Ireland is a strong and consistent supporter of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and condemns Russian violations of Ukrainian sovereignty. The build-up of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine is a matter of great concern. It is important that dialogue be maintained, with the primary goal of de-escalating...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 46 together. I have been clear in my engagement with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority of the commitment of this Government to advancing a two-State solution, in line with the agreed parameters for a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Government has pledged to honour our commitment to recognise the State of Palestine as...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Dublin-Monaghan bombings saw the largest loss of life on a single day in the Troubles, with 33 people tragically killed and many more injured. The Government will continue to seek the full truth of these appalling attacks, and some measure of closure for those affected, in accordance with the three Motions passed unanimously by Dáil Éireann. The all-party motion that was...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: The rollout of the EU Digital COVID Certificate is a matter for the Department of Health. My Department continues to work closely with the Department of Health to ensure that Irish citizens vaccinated overseas are able to apply for the EU-DCC. Irish citizens vaccinated abroad are advised that if the first dose was administered in Ireland and the second dose in another country, then the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Meetings (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: I attended the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, which took place in Brussels, on Monday 24 January. The Council discussed the current security situation in Eastern Europe at length. We held an exchange with US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, by video conference during which we reiterated our shared commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In our...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Gender Balance (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: My Department is committed to embedding a culture of dignity and respect in the workplace, emphasising gender, equality, diversity and inclusion, as set out in the Department of Foreign Affairs Statement of Strategy 2021-2023. Advancing gender equality is a key objective in the Department's Human Resources Strategy 2019-2022. Since the launch of this Strategy, my Department has published a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Communities Abroad (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: The establishment of the Consulate General of Ireland in Manchester in July 2021 has allowed us to strengthen our relationship with Ireland’s diaspora and Irish community organisations across the North of England. I saw this first hand during my visit to open the new Consulate General on 1 October 2021. I engaged with representatives of numerous Irish community organisations at the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: Ukraine features regularly on the OSCE agenda. I understand the Deputy to be referring to the recent meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on 13 January, the first under the Polish Chair-in-Office. Working to find a peaceful resolution of the conflict in and around Ukraine is a priority of the Polish Chair and will remain high on the OSCE agenda. Ireland participated in the Permanent...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Foreign Affairs’ Mission network plays an important role in advancing Ireland as a destination for business and investment. The Mission network works to increase trade, diversify our markets and support Irish companies to take advantage of new opportunities, which is particularly relevant as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mission network plays a key...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: Ireland has consistently made clear its support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and has supported Ukraine in a range of international fora in this regard. Along with our EU partners, Ireland has called on Russia to de-escalate the tensions caused by its protracted military build-up. The build-up of Russian troops near its border with Ukraine is a significant cause for...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61, 71 and 81 together. I continue to be deeply concerned by recent developments in Kazakhstan. 225 people are reported to have been killed in violent clashes, and over 12,000 people arrested. Kazakh authorities have indicated that almost 1,000 people are still detained. It appears that initially peaceful protests at the beginning of the year rapidly...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy will be aware, there are risks associated with international travel generally in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 led to the introduction of new global restrictions on travel, many of which have since been eased. However, restrictions remain subject to change at short notice and this may remain the case for the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Data Protection (27 Jan 2022)

Simon Coveney: Issues relating to retention of European citizens data are primarily for the Minister for Justice. The GDPR entered into force in 2018 and provides for higher standards of data protection for individuals and imposes more detailed obligations on bodies in the public and private sectors that process personal data. The GDPR also increases the range of possible sanctions for infringements of...