Results 37,621-37,640 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Sanctions (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: There are many in this House who have a knowledge and connection with Belarus - I suspect Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan is probably one of them - as have I. Since the fraudulent presidential elections, the European Union has focused on trying to support and facilitate democracy in Belarus. Certainly, the facilitation by the Belarusian authorities of a Russian military build-up in Belarus...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Sanctions (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: My focus is to do everything we can as a country and as a member of the European Union to bring this war to an end and to promote democracy in Belarus to ensure that the people there get the government and the president they elect, as opposed to skewed election results. The only tools we have available to us for doing that for now are sanctions. Belarus is so reliant on Russia now for its...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Northern Ireland (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for his question. 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 the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and with the parties. I met virtually with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 5 May, the day of the Assembly elections,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Northern Ireland (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: Generally, the security co-operation discussion revolves around the co-operation between the Police Service of Northern Ireland, PSNI, and An Garda Síochána. If there are cases, and the Deputy has mentioned some to me in the past, of individuals in prison or awaiting trial that he would like me to raise with the Secretary of State to get an answer, I am happy to do that for him....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Northern Ireland (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: To be honest, the focus of the conversations has been on trying to get stability and a return to a functioning Executive and Assembly as soon as possible after the election. This has been a divisive election, and that is not a criticism of the parties. At present, there is significant work to do to get the Assembly to elect a Speaker and to function and, importantly, to get an Executive up...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Trade Relations (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: As the question had a specific focus on congestion at the Port of Shanghai, I went to some trouble to try to get the Deputy an answer on this particular issue. The Department of Foreign Affairs, together with the embassy in Beijing and consulates general in Shanghai and Hong Kong, is closely monitoring the Covid-19 situation in China. This includes the current challenging circumstances in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Trade Relations (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I have quite a lot of information on the number of citizens and so on that I can send to the Deputy afterwards if it would be helpful. He clearly has an interest in this issue. The Irish Embassy in Beijing, together with our consulates in Shanghai and Hong Kong, are working closely with State agencies to assist Irish businesses and citizens to manage the impact of the ongoing Covid-19...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Trade Relations (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: Foreign direct investment has deeply embedded Ireland in global value supply chains and, in turn, supported Irish companies to access value chains driving productivity and innovation growth. The current geopolitical environment, coupled with the impact of Covid and the twin green and digital transitions, has placed increased focus on future global value supply chains. In this context,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Human Rights (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I am aware of reports of the scale of administrative detention currently in operation by the Israeli authorities. I have called on the Israeli authorities to end this practice completely. Ireland’s position on these issues is, and will continue to be, based on international law. Detainees must have the right to be informed of the charges underlying any detention, have access to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Human Rights (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I have just told the Deputy about a range of things we have been doing in terms of raising the matter. However, Ireland does not control the foreign policy decisions of other countries. We try to make arguments that can build consensus around international action on a range of things, including the Middle East peace process, be it arbitrary detention, illegal expansion of settlements,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Human Rights (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: We often have these discussions in respect of acting unilaterally on the assumption that Ireland doing something on a unilateral basis will force fundamental change internationally. That is not always the way it works. From my experience of international politics, you must build consensus and coalitions around change and pressure, which is why we are putting pressure on Russia as a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Passport Services (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82, 83 and 85 together. There has been a lot about passports this evening, but I will keep talking about them if Members want me to. I will arrange to have the figures requested by the Deputies on passport applications from counties Dublin, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Galway and Donegal shared directly with them following this session. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Passport Services (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Deputies have asked a lot of very fair questions and I will try to respond to them all. First, there was never a suggestion of a system for Oireachtas Members where they could apply for passports on behalf of the public.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Passport Services (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: We cannot turn Deputies' offices into a passport service. What we do have is an Oireachtas phone line that handles queries. It is not perfect but so far this year more than 10,000 calls have been taken on that line and the customer service hub has handled 95,000 queries this year. It is really busy and sometimes there are interruptions in the system, as there have been over the past few...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy will be aware that, when Russia proposed to conduct naval exercises in part of Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone in February, I wrote to the Russian government and requested that these planned exercises in Ireland's EEZ not take place. The Russian government acceded to this request.  I am not aware of any future intentions by the Russian Federation to carry out naval...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 87, 89, 102, 119 and 135 together. I am aware of a broadcast on a Russian television station which contained an animation depicting a wave hitting Ireland and Britain, caused by a Russian nuclear weapon. We should not allow ourselves be distracted by such rhetoric from the real atrocities being committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. At the beginning...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Travel (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I travelled to the United States from 27 - 29 April for engagements in Washington, D.C. and Boston. In Washington D.C., I participated in a public discussion at the German Marshall Fund on Ireland’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as Ireland’s unique position within the transatlantic relationship. I underscored the need for strong international...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: The people of Northern Ireland came out in sizeable numbers to take part in the democratic process and to make their voices heard. It is now for the parties to work together to form an Executive to serve all of the people of Northern Ireland. It is important, in the first instance, to acknowledge everyone that contested the election and congratulate those who have been elected. It will take...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service is developing an online portal that will allow Oireachtas Members to query the status of passport applications on behalf of their constituents.  The testing element of this project is yet to be completed. Once the online portal is finalised, the Passport Service expects to roll it out over the summer of this year.  In the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Travel (10 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 94, 136 and 144 together. On 14 April I visited Kyiv and the town of Bucha. I was the first Foreign Minister to visit Kyiv since the Russian invasion began on 24 February. While in Ukraine, I met with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov. I expressed solidarity with and extended condolences to Minister Kuleba and the...