Results 2,721-2,740 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Passport Services (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Office continues to outperform its previously busiest year, 2019, by more than 20%. More than 623,000 passports have been issued to date in 2022. This is 105,000 more passports than were issued at this point of the last most busy year which was 2019. The processing time for first-time applications is now 25 working days, down from 40 working days in March. In the space of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Northern Ireland (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Government has been very clear in its response to the British Government's decision to introduce legislation which, if enacted, would disapply core elements of the protocol on Northern Ireland and breach international law. The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and I, along with all other Ministers, have expressed our deep disappointment and concern at the British approach. Far from fixing...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Northern Ireland (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: I want to use this opportunity to try to speak directly to the Unionist community in Northern Ireland. I want to say to them that we in the Irish Government and, I can assure them, in the EU also, within the European Commission, want to respond to their legitimate concerns in regard to how the protocol is implemented and the need to make a clear distinction between goods that are staying...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Northern Ireland (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: It is important to call out what is happening in an open and blunt way. The approach towards political stability and maintaining that in Northern Ireland post the Good Friday agreement, for nearly 25 years now, has been based on partnership and trust between the British and Irish Governments, when it was needed, to provide a platform and a foundation to help the parties agree to compromise...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103, 105 and 109 together. Ireland takes a very active role in supporting human rights defenders, indigenous communities and civil society space in Colombia and engagement on these issues is a strong component of our bilateral relations with Colombia and our support to the Colombian Peace Process. Ireland is a longstanding supporter of comprehensive...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Climate Change Policy (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: A key priority in my Department’s approach to climate diplomacy is to help build a coherent international response to climate-induced Loss and Damage. This will assist the responses of people living in the most vulnerable communities, particularly in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, to the effects of climate change on the places where they live. I...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ports Policy (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: Visits from foreign naval vessels are a long-standing and common practice in Ireland and worldwide.   Foreign naval vessels are granted permission by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to visit Irish ports on condition that they meet the necessary policy stipulations. In particular, these require that naval vessels visiting Irish ports do not carry nuclear weapons and do not...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110, 159 and 161 together. As has been the case throughout the Brexit process, the Government continues to undertake a coordinated and consistent approach in support of our Brexit priorities, which includes working with the Commission to find jointly agreed solutions to the challenges around the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland. ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 152 together. On 13 June, the UK Government published draft legislation in the form of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill. The Bill proposes to disapply much of the Protocol without the agreement of the EU, including elements in relation to the movement of goods, VAT, excise and state aid, and the role of the European Court of Justice. ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 134 together. The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland was designed and agreed by the UK and the EU to protect the Good Friday Agreement in all its dimensions, to mitigate the inevitable disruption arising for the island of Ireland from Brexit, and to protect the integrity of EU Single Market, and Ireland’s place within it. The Protocol...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: I met with the Leader of the Official Opposition in the UK, Keir Starmer MP, and the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter Kyle MP, on 9 June 2022 in Dublin. At the meeting, we discussed a broad range of issues including the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, the legacy of the Troubles, and the impact of recent British Government decisions on Northern Ireland. I...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: In the past four weeks, the Passport Service has issued an average of 30,000 passports per week. 99% of all child and adult online renewal applications are issued within the standard turnaround time and almost half of all adults who renew their passports online will receive their new passport in the post within 2 working days. Processing time for first time applications now takes 25 working...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 151 together. The promotion and protection of all human rights remains a key foreign policy priority for Ireland. We continue to highlight the need for protection for media workers across the world, both at the UN Security Council, and at the UN Human Rights Council, as well as through our participation in intergovernmental alliances dedicated to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Union (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 154 together. On 17 June the European Commission recommended in a formal opinion that Ukraine be granted candidate status, on the understanding that certain steps are taken. Ireland strongly supports the Commission's recommendation. If endorsed by the European Council, it will place Ukraine on a firm path towards EU membership, where it...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Government remains committed to advancing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in line with the agreed parameters for a resolution. I am clear on this in my engagement with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. As I have previously stated, our commitment is to recognise a State of Palestine as part of a lasting settlement to the conflict, or when we believe...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukraine War (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: On 29 March, the Russian Ambassador to Ireland was informed that four senior officials from the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Dublin were being expelled.  The judgement that the government has made is that despite our strong disagreement with the actions taken by Russia, it is better to keep diplomatic channels open. Open lines of communication facilitate diplomacy, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 120, 129, 130, 140 and 147 together. The Passport Service is already outperforming any previous year, despite the challenges that it has encountered over the past two years. The Passport Service continues to outperform its previous busiest year, 2019, by over 20%. Over 623,000 passports have been issued to date in 2022. This is 105,000 more passports than were...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 148 together. The Middle East Peace Process remains a key priority for Ireland during our term on the UN Security Council. Ireland engages actively in monthly Security Council meetings on the situation in the Middle East, which focus on the Palestinian question. On 24 June, Ireland will co-chair with Mexico, a meeting of the UN Security...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 122, 132, 136 and 160 together. The Passport Service is already outperforming any previous year, despite the challenges that it has encountered over the past two years. The Passport Service continues to outperform its previous busiest year, 2019, by over 20%. Over 623,000 passports have been issued to date in 2022. This is 105,000 more passports than were...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (23 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: My Department is currently providing consular assistance to a small number of citizens prevented from leaving other jurisdictions. Citizens can be prevented from leaving such countries for a variety of reasons, including where legal processes are pending or ongoing, fines are owed, or the citizen is on parole.  It should be noted that it is not possible to provide precise statistics...