Results 37,281-37,300 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukraine War (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: At the United Nations, Ireland has been at the forefront of efforts to hold Russia internationally accountable for its actions. Ireland has been fully engaged at each of the 13 times when the Security Council discussed Ukraine to date in 2022. We have actively supported Security Council and General Assembly meetings on Ukraine, and have urged others to join us in condemning Russia’s...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Stormont House Agreement was reached collectively in 2014 by the Irish Government, the British Government and the political parties in Northern Ireland after a period of intense negotiation, and provides a balanced and comprehensive framework to address the painful legacy of the Troubles. The Government has engaged consistently with the British Government to underline the importance of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: EU-UK talks on the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland are ongoing. I welcome the meeting of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee on 21 February, and the meeting of the Specialised Committee on the implementation of the Protocol held on 8 March. I note the determination expressed in the resulting joint statements to ensure that durable solutions are found as soon as...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukraine War (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: As a founder member, Ireland is deeply committed to the Council of Europe and to its central role in the protection of human rights across the continent. On 16 March, on the unanimous recommendation of members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, including the Deputy, the Committee of Ministers decided that the Russian Federation be excluded from the organization with...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Funding (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Global Ireland Media Challenge Fund is dedicated to facilitating media coverage of global developments impacting on Ireland. The Fund aims to increase knowledge, understanding and citizen engagement of global issues. By building the capacity of media outlets, the Fund will support the provision of public information about major geo-political developments and the changing nature of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukraine War (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 146 together. Ireland is committed to enhancing the EU’s ability to promote international peace and security in support of the principles of the United Nations Charter. Our participation in the European Peace Facility (EPF), an off-budget instrument established by the EU in March 2021 and aimed at funding EU Common Security and Defence...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukraine War (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: It is important to note firstly that it is a matter for the European Commission to decide to financially sanction Member States via the measures provided for in the Regulation on a General Regime of Conditionality for the Protection of the Union Budget. No decision has been taken to financially sanction a Member State pursuant to the Conditionality Regulation. On 10 March 2022, the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukraine War (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136, 140 and 158 together. Ireland believes we need to maintain the strongest possible pressure on Russia to bring the illegal invasion of Ukraine to an end. We are looking at every available avenue open to us and reviewing the impact of our actions to date. A new EU sanctions package was adopted last week, introducing further restrictions on Russian...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: I am concerned by the situation in East Jerusalem where tensions remain high. I am deeply troubled by the evictions and demolitions carried out by the Israeli authorities in the neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah on 17-18 January. The recent ruling of the Israeli Supreme Court in favour of four Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah is a welcome development, but residents of Sheikh Jarrah and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Military Neutrality (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: Ireland’s policy of military neutrality has long been an important strand of our independent foreign policy. The policy means Ireland does not participate in military alliances or mutual defence arrangements. However, while militarily neutral, we have always been politically active and we have continued to participate constructively at EU level in the development of the Common...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: I travelled to the United States for on 7th March for a series of bilateral and UN Security Council engagements in New York. Over the course of the two-day visit, I met with senior UN officials, foreign policy organisations, and representatives from the local Irish American community. On 8th March, International Women's Day, I participated in a UN Security Council open debate on the theme...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Council of Europe (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: On 20 May, Ireland will assume the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, the Council's principal intergovernmental decision-making body, for the seventh time, having last chaired it in 2000. Preparations for the Presidency are well advanced, with an extensive programme of conferences, seminars, and other events planned in Strasbourg and across Ireland, alongside multiple high-level...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: Under Section 14(1) of the Passports Act 2008, the consent of a child’s guardian(s) must be given before the Passport Service can issue them a passport. In order to protect the integrity of the Irish passport and the rights of the child and their guardian(s), it is important that the Child Identity and Consent form is correctly completed and validated by the Passport Service for...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: Ireland’s programme of development and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people is an integral part of Ireland’s contribution to the achievement of a just, enduring and stable peace in the Middle East. Ireland will provide more than €15.5 million in development and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people this year. My Department supports the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: The approach of any Government in relation to Irish unity is guided by Article 3 of the Constitution, as amended by the people in 1998. The Government respects everyone’s right on this island to make the case for the constitutional future they wish to see for Northern Ireland - whether the continuation of the union with Great Britain or a sovereign united Ireland. The Good Friday...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: North-South Ministerial Council (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: Meetings of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) take place on dates agreed between the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. Normal practice is for an indicative schedule of future meetings to be agreed at each NSMC plenary meeting. At the plenary meeting on 30 July 2021, an indicative schedule of meetings was agreed, including a plenary meeting in December 2021....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: Since its entry into force at the beginning of 2021, the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) has provided a strong framework for continued trade and cooperation with Great Britain. The TCA builds upon the previous Withdrawal Agreement, including the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, in setting out the architecture of the EU-UK relationship. Effective implementation of the TCA...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: British-Irish Co-operation (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: The British-Irish Council meets primarily in two formats – bi-annual summit meetings with Heads of Administrations and work sector meetings. The next Summit meeting is due to take place in Guernsey in July 2022, and follows the recent Summit hosted by the Welsh Government on 19 November 2021, which both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste attended. There are eleven work sectors of the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: I am in regular and ongoing contact with UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on a range of issues including with regard to the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland. We met in London on 6 January and in Munich on 19 February. We also spoke on 28 January after the Foreign Secretary’s visit to Northern Ireland. The Protocol is the only agreed EU-UK solution that...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: Concerns regarding the UK’s failures to implement the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland have been clearly expressed by the EU since shortly after the Protocol entered full operation in 2021. These include concerns expressed around a series of UK unilateral extensions to various grace periods, and the limited EU access to customs and goods movement data. Accordingly in March 2021,...