Results 36,781-36,800 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: This was not a social gathering, and the report is quite clear on that. These were people at work in their workplace who then breached guidelines for about a minute because they posed for a photograph celebrating a big event in the Department that evening. It is important to make the distinction between a social gathering and a workplace incident. The answer to the Senator's question is...

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 a question for the person who was Secretary General at the time. From reading the report and the evidence given that resulted in the conclusions of the report, my understanding is that the bottles of wine involved were purchased privately and were used privately.

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

Simon Coveney: All I can say is that I have not deleted any texts and I have complied with the rules under FOI.

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

Simon Coveney: I have not deleted any texts. My understanding is that I have complied fully with my obligations under FOI in relation to this issue.

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

Simon Coveney: I cannot remember the exact time I saw it but it was after I had gone back to my office when we were planning for the following day. That, along with a whole range of other things, was mentioned to me. The following morning, I was told that it had been taken down and the mistake had been acknowledged.

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

Simon Coveney: There was no cover-up here. The Deputy has a detailed report with a lot of documentation to back up its conclusions. Everybody who was involved in the incident concerned was interviewed and we are here to answer questions on it. There was absolutely no cover-up. This was a very public mistake. Thousands of people follow the former Secretary General on Twitter. This was a very public...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued the passport.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update to the applicant's parent as to the steps they must take to progress the passport application.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 393 to 395, inclusive, 400 and 406 together. With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update on the status of the passport applications to the applicants.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service takes every opportunity to remind citizens to check their passport validity including through messaging on the Department's website, via social media and also as part of our extensive media campaigns. My Department recently ran a multimedia campaign reminding passport holders to renew their passports. This successful campaign included two weeks of advertisements on radio...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: Passport Online has been the most significant innovation of the Passport Service in more than a decade. The Passport Online Service was first launched in 2017 to facilitate adults renewing their passport. This was expanded in 2018 to child renewals and again at the end of 2019 to first time applicants, irrespective of age both children and Adult in Ireland, UK, and all EU and EEA countries....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (15 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: In April 2021 I participated in a virtual event on migration issues that was also attended by the Ambassador of Mexico to Ireland (see detail in table below). In the course of 2021 and to date in 2022, my Department has maintained close working relations and extensive contacts at official level with Mexico, both through the Embassy of Mexico to Ireland, and through our Embassy of Ireland in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: The figures requested by the Deputy are outlined in the table below. In January 2022, the Passport Service received over 137,000 new passport applications. This is the highest volume of monthly applications ever received and is as a direct result of the pent-up demand for passports following the relaxation of necessary travel restrictions due to the Covid pandemic. The Passport Service...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (15 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 401 and 402 together. Amnesty International is a respected NGO, and I value the role it and other civil society organisations play on these issues. I note the publication of the detailed and comprehensive report issued on 1 February. I have asked my officials to review the detail of the report. Ireland’s position on these matters is – and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consular Services (15 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Foreign Affairs is aware of this case and I can assure the Deputy that we continue to actively engage with the individual concerned and their family in Ireland. We will maintain this contact as we work through the complex details of the case. As with all consular cases, I cannot comment on the specific details.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has confirmed that a member of staff contacted the applicant's parent on 5th February to inform them that the application would be cancelled. The Passport Service regrets that, due to an oversight, the application was not cancelled at that time. The application has now been cancelled and the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (15 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Foreign Affairs cannot intervene in the provision of state services of another jurisdiction. In this instance, we would advise the citizen to make direct contact with the relevant US authorities in order to obtain their social security number.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Correspondence (15 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: In late January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov wrote to OSCE counterparts regarding the principles underpinning European security, as outlined in various previous OSCE agreements and acts. I received this correspondence on 31 January. On 10 February, the EU High Representative/Vice-President Borrell issued a response on behalf of all EU Member States. This reply addressed the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Military Activities (15 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 exercises...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Personal Injury Claims (15 Feb 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Army Pensions Acts provide for the grant of pensions and gratuities to former members of the Permanent Defence Force in respect of permanent disablement due to a wound or injury attributable to military service (whether at home or abroad) or due to disease attributable to or aggravated by overseas service with the United Nations. Section 13(2) of the Army Pensions Act, 1923, as...