Results 241-260 of 450 for going forward speaker:Simon Coveney

Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Government has acted in a way that has been consistent for months and we do not intend to move away from that position. We regard the responsibility of the Government in the Brexit negotiations as being hugely important in the context of the national interest on the island of Ireland as a whole. That is why we have tried to listen to all views from political parties in government and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (5 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: ...’ Approach”published on 2 May. In this regard, the views and analyses of business representative groups such as the British Irish Chamber of Commerce will continue to be important as we further elaborate our position going forward. The British Irish Chamber of Commerce is the leading business group representing the interest of businesses with interests in Britain and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I will set a context for the meeting and put on the record some of the issues the Government is trying to address at present. I thank the committee for the invitation to meet and look forward to our discussion and to continuing to engage with the committee on the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process, which I think we would all agree is at a critical phase. I know that the committee...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: ...Bill, I believe that it would be difficult to simply exempt it, but I certainly believe that there needs to be language in any final agreement. The withdrawal Bill is the way in which the British Government is dealing with how it sees Brexit going from a legislative point of view. What actually matters here is the final written agreement between the EU negotiating team and the British...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: ...of the issues about which we are talking because they impact the unionist community as much as they impact the nationalist community. Deputy O'Sullivan raised the issue of Justice for the Forgotten and the Hooded Men. I can read out the official answers here, although I suspect she has heard them before. First of all, we want to acknowledge at the outset those across the House,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: ...have stopped for the past two weeks but there was certainly a ten-week period when we tried to facilitate private discussions on a bilateral basis between the two parties, with the support of both Governments and the Northern Ireland Office. Many issues were discussed. I would not like to pretend that the discussion was all about the Irish language and other culture and identity issues;...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Negotiations (16 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I hope that is Deputy Cullinane's position now too. If it is, his position has changed somewhat into a more realistic position. The Government's position is that we would like to see Britain as a whole not only stay in the customs union but to stay as an extended part of the Single Market. That would solve many problems for many people and livelihoods. This is a negotiation, however, and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Diplomatic Representation (16 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: ...is why it is being managed by the Department of the Taoiseach, although my Department has a big role to play. Regarding new embassies and consulates, it will be my Department that will come forward with the suggestions as to where they should be opened. The reason we are opening in Chile and Colombia is that both countries have trade agreements with the EU. We have quite a dramatic...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (16 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: ...since 2015. Ireland is also working through the UN system to address the human rights situation in Yemen. At the Human Rights Council in September 2017, Ireland was part of a small core group of countries that drove forward the adoption of a Resolution on Yemen. This Resolution established a group of international experts to examine allegations of human rights violations of human...

Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)

Simon Coveney: This is comprehensive legislation and it is going forward for pre-legislative scrutiny. It essentially will modernise our rates legislation that dates back to the 1920s. It will allow local authorities to have more autonomy in terms of altering those rates up and down in a way that can drive commercial activity into certain parts of certain counties and cities. This legislation is badly...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Diplomatic Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (24 Oct 2017)

Simon Coveney: ...noted, neither I nor my Department has a role in deciding whether an amendment is ruled in or out of order. From a policy perspective, the Deputy deserves to understand why we have not brought forward a similar proposal to what he has set out in the amendment which has been ruled out of order. During the Second Stage debate my predecessor, Deputy Charles Flanagan, explained the rationale...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Message to Dáil (24 Oct 2017)

Simon Coveney: ...'s prerogative. This is my first time before this committee, dealing with two quite technical pieces of legislation. There are many other things we need to tease through and discuss. I look forward to being asked back to the committee again. I would like us to have regular interaction on Northern Ireland in particular. I know that the Chairman is very interested in and knowledgeable...

Financial Resolutions 2018 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (11 Oct 2017)

Simon Coveney: ...by €23 million in 2018, which will comprise a €21 million rise in current expenditure and a €2 million increase in capital expenditure. I will address where that increase in funding will go as well as some broader priorities the Government has focused on, in particular regarding Brexit.. As the Minister responsible for ensuring cross-Government co-ordination of our...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (20 Sep 2017)

Simon Coveney: ...Birth Registration Certificate to obtain a newForeign Birth Registration Certificate in their newgender. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is making preparations for the register to go live once the Statutory Instrument is in place, which we expect in the coming months. A gender recognition certificate will be required in order to obtain a new Foreign Birth Registration...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: It is typical of the Deputy that he is trying to put a negative spin on something that does not even exist. We are not going to sign off on any financing deal until we see the detail. It is up to the local authority to finalise the detail in negotiations with the various developers on site, as is the case with many of the other aspects of the Cherrywood development. We have assisted that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: ...are in the assessment process, some are in the Part VIII process and others are on-site. I agree there is a need for urgency. When I became Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government I asked the same question that Deputy O'Sullivan just asked. When I, or the Minister of State, Deputy English, visited local authorities, we were told that they could not get decisions...

Residential Tenancies (Housing Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (18 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I thank Deputies Bríd Smith, Boyd Barrett and Gino Kenny for bringing forward the Bill and providing us with another opportunity to discuss the development of the rental sector, which is an absolute priority for me and for the Government. As Deputies will be aware, I have tabled an amendment to the motion. Unfortunately, I will be unable to support the legislation as is. While I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Water in Public Ownership) (No. 2) Bill 2016: Discussion (4 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: ...with the work it must do. In regard to privatisation of the water system, or concerns around that issue, when local authorities were in charge of the water system there was a lot more privatisation going on in terms of treatment plants. Local authorities did not have the capacity to put in place large water treatment facilities and so they contracted people in the private sector to build...

Report of the Joint Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services: Motion (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: ..., as a country, we have allowed ourselves to be convulsed by a negative and divisive debate in respect of it for far too long. My focus on water since taking office as Minister almost a year ago has been to put a process in place that could move us on from political division and uncertainty and to achieve a majority consensus to progress a new approach which responds to the various...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: ...The adoption of this amendment will make it administratively easier to move to automation and to make more efficient use of electronic communication in planning matters. I also wish to signal that I propose to bring forward further Government amendments at Dáil Report Stage in order to further enhance and supplement the e-planning provisions already in the Bill. In respect of...