Results 36,761-36,780 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Nuclear Waste (10 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: The matter of nuclear waste being dumped at sea comes under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications. The Defence Forces therefore do not have responsibility for undertaking a risk assessment of legacy issues associated with this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Military Activities (10 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: Military exercises or manoeuvres are traditionally recognized as being a part of the freedom of the high seas as captured in article 87 under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). These rights are transcribed directly into the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of coastal states. Under international law, including UNCLOS, states are entitled to carry out naval...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Sustainable Development Goals (10 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: In September 2015, 193 UN Member Countries including Ireland adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which consist of 169 targets around the 17 high level goals. The SDGs are a global blueprint for collective progress to a more prosperous and sustainable world by 2030. The SDGs are applicable to all countries, developed and developing, and action is required for their...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Electric Vehicles (10 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 318 and 321 together. The Department of Defence is currently investigating options available to it regarding Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points in all of its buildings, including the number of EV charging spaces it may require and the need for installing extra cabling to allow for future demand. At present the Department has no EV charging points...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Public Inquiries (10 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy will be aware, following Cabinet approval, an Independent Review Group has been established, under the Chair of Ms. Justice Bronagh O’Hanlon, to examine issues relating to sexual misconduct, bullying, harassment and discrimination in the Defence Forces. The overall aims of the Independent Review are to: - - Advise on whether the current legislative frameworks,...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Public Inquiries (10 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy will be aware, following Cabinet approval on 25 January last, an Independent Review Group has been established, under the Chair of Ms. Justice Bronagh O’Hanlon, to examine issues relating to bullying, harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct in the Defence Forces. The overall aims of the Independent Review are to: - - Advise on whether the current legislative...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: I thank members for this opportunity to speak with them. I know a lot is happening today. On 17 June 2020, Ireland was elected to a seat on the UN Security Council. This was a massive achievement. It was the successful culmination of a 15-year effort and an intense two-year global campaign by Ministers and Irish officials, showcasing Ireland's values of empathy, partnership and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: My understanding is that there was an interaction on social media. The mistake was raised with the Secretary General. He acknowledged that the Department had let its guard down and that it should not have happened in terms of the crowding together. He subsequently took it down. I think it was after midnight.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Secretary General has dealt with the matter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: My understanding, from reading the report, is that these bottles were purchased privately and were for private use. There was not any suggestion they were being given as official gifts to anybody.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: I did not say that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: I assume the Senator's comment was in response to the golfgate issue, when I was trying to explain that no one is above the law. That is the context in which I made those comments. This report says very clearly that there was no breach of the law or regulations, or certainly no evidence to suggest that. There was a breach of social distancing guidelines which was not acceptable, should not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: With respect, that is not a fair reflection on what was achieved. We were competing for two places in a group of three countries. The other two countries against which we were competing were Norway and Canada, two of the most popular countries in the UN. Certainly, Ireland getting through on the first round, just, was not expected by most people. It is true we have been on the Security...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: To be helpful to the committee on that issue, I will be more than happy to come back and deal with that but there are many issues on which I hope to be able to deal with this committee in the context of the reform of the Defence Forces and the defence sector as a whole. Tomorrow, we will publish probably the most significant document relating to defence that has been published for 50 years...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: I will be happy to deal as well with any individual incidents, of course, that are subject to review. I caution the Senator that judicial proceedings are also under way-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: ----- on an issue and a potential court martial and people need to be careful in that regard.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: That is not true-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: -----and we have been careful to ensure that is not the case.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: The honest answer to that question is that I do not know. The deletion of the tweet certainly did not arise from an instruction from me or anybody on my team. Having looked at the tweet afterwards because of the public interest in it, it looks to me that somebody raised the issue with Mr. Burgess on social media and pointed out that the people in the photograph were bunched tightly together...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: In response to Senator O'Reilly's comments, while it is of course the responsibility of the Secretary General to deal with staffing issues and so on, I do not want to suggest that I do not have some responsibility in this regard. I do. This is a political issue as well as a momentary failing in the form of a breach of guidelines. That is why I felt it was important to have this report and...