Results 45,801-45,820 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: The standard Irish passport issued to adults is valid for 10 years. Passport fees were last updated in June 2019 and are set out in Statutory Instrument No. 259/2019 - Diplomatic and Consular Fees. At that time the fee for adult passports applied for through the Passport Online service was reduced from €80 to €75. The fee for passports applied for through postal service...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Directives (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: EU infringement proceedings arise when Member States fail to properly transpose EU Directives into national law within the prescribed timeframes, or when the transposition is incomplete or incorrect. These cases are initiated by the European Commission as part of its role as guardian of the Treaties to ensure uniform application of EU law across all Member States. The Commission follows a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: An important component of Irish foreign policy is the sharing of lessons from the Northern Ireland peace process, a conflict once considered intractable. While each context is different, characterised by specific challenges and complexities, Ireland and other parties to the peace process have drawn several relevant lessons from it. I can assure the Deputy that a willingness to share such...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 188 and 189 together. All passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008, as amended (“the Act“). The Act provides a legal basis for the various policies and procedures that are applied by the Passport Service in the issuing of passports. The Passport Service takes its responsibility to protect the integrity of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: A number of States, including Ireland, pursue a policy of military neutrality. In practical terms, Ireland’s policy of military neutrality, as pursued by successive Governments, is characterised by non-membership of military alliances and non-participation in common or mutual defence arrangements. There are no plans to alter this policy at this time. Ireland’s policy of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: All passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008, as amended. Section 7 of the 2008 Act provides that before issuing a passport to a person the Passport Service shall be satisfied as to the identity of the person. The Passport Service requires the submission of a long-form birth certificate as a key supporting document in all first-time passport applications. ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Relations (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: Ireland’s consistent position remains that we need a substantive, calm, measured and comprehensive dialogue on trade with the United States. The suspension of some US tariffs, along with the EU also pausing its own re-balancing measures, has created the conditions for meaningful negotiation. Ireland, as part of the EU, wants to play a constructive role and will continue to be a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Relations (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: The conflict in the Middle East remains a central focus of Ireland’s foreign policy and my engagement with my EU and international counterparts. The immediate focus of the international community must be on efforts to ensure an immediate ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages, and a surge in vital humanitarian aid into and throughout Gaza. In parallel to these efforts,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Relations (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: On 28 May, Ireland marked one year since the official recognition of the State of Palestine. Ireland, together with Spain and Norway, took that decision as an expression of our view that Palestine holds and should be able to vindicate the full rights of a State - including self-determination, self-governance, territorial integrity and security. Ireland’s recognition of the State of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: As this House will be aware, the Government carried out an extensive analysis and review of the Occupied Territories Bill late last year. The Government’s analysis was that substantive amendments would be required to most, if not all, of the Bill’s provisions in order to bring it in line with the Constitution and to try to reduce the risk of EU infringement procedures. ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Air Navigation Orders (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: Sports diplomacy is an important part of Ireland’s engagement with our partners globally. Sport has long been a vehicle for Irish people to foster people-to-people links abroad and highlight the best of the country’s values. In recognition of the strength of Ireland’s sporting influence and the value placed sport by communities around the country, I launched...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: United Nations (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: Elections to international bodies are typically decided by secret ballot. This was the case in the recent election for the Presidency of the United Nations General Assembly. In a setting such as the UN, an approach of this type facilitates the conduct and management of sensitive international relationships. With regard to the crisis in Gaza, Ireland, in cooperation with other Member...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: This conflict remains a central focus of Ireland’s foreign policy and my engagement with my EU and international counterparts. I strongly condemn the continuing Israeli military operations in Gaza, which have brought fresh suffering to the people of Gaza and have breached the ceasefire. Israel's plans to expand its military operations in Gaza and establish its prolonged presence...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Travel (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: There has been significant bilateral high-level political engagement in recent years between Ireland and Canada, including in recent months with the new Canadian administration. Over the St Patrick’s Day period in 2025, Minister Timmy Dooley visited Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto and Minister Alan Dillon visited Vancouver. Prime Minister Mark Carney joined Minister Dooley to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Agreements (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: The Government is committed to supporting free, fair and open trade. Indeed, recent developments in the global trading environment have highlighted the importance of market diversification via an expanded set of EU free trade agreements. EU FTAs support more opportunity for exports and investment, help support jobs and growth at home, maintain strict EU standards on food safety, animal and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: The Irish Passport has a strong international reputation and currently ranks third in the Henley Global Passport Index as it provides our citizens with visa-free access to 189 countries. As such, the Passport Service takes seriously its responsibility to protect the integrity of the Irish passport. Since the introduction of Passport Online in 2017, adults renewing their passports through...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: The Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism were an initiative of the former US Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combatting Antisemitism, Professor Deborah Lipstadt. They were developed in response to the wave of antisemitism being experienced by Jewish communities in many parts of the world. The European Commission signed on to the non-legally binding guidelines on 17 July 2024, along...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 and 206 together. The IHRA definition of antisemitism and its accompanying illustrative examples aim to provide guidance in cases where antisemitism may arise. It is clear that antisemitism can take many forms, some obvious and some more insidious. The IHRA itself notes that the list is context specific. It is not a legal instrument and does not...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, the IHRA definition emanates from an international organisation, comprising academics, civil society and Member States. Some of the particularity that the Deputy outlines with respect to the IHRA definition may reflect the particularities and magnitude of the Holocaust, its unique legacy, and the related responsibility of the international community to combat...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 208 and 209 together. Thank you, Deputy, for raising this case. I can confirm that officials in my Department and the Embassy of Ireland, Israel, are aware of this case and are providing consular assistance to the citizen concerned. Since first being notified of this case, officials in the Irish Embassy have been actively engaging with the relevant...