Results 3,661-3,680 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: The full implementation and effective operation of the Good Friday Agreement and all subsequent implementing agreements is a central priority for this Government. The Agreements, as well as the principles and values underpinning them, are at the core of the Government’s commitment to peace, reconciliation and prosperity on this island. The Civic Forum was first established under...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Acht na Gaeilge (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: All parties to the Good Friday Agreement recognised the importance of respect, understanding and tolerance in relation to linguistic diversity, which in Northern Ireland includes the Irish language, Ulster-Scots and the languages of the various ethnic communities. The New Decade, New Approach Agreement (NDNA) reached in January 2020 was a very significant shared achievement by the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Visa Applications (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: The visa application the Deputy is referring to is currently being processed by the Embassy of Ireland in Cairo. The applicant should make an appointment with the Embassy as advised during the online visa application process, in order to advance the application.

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

Simon Coveney: My Department advises in the consular context on the repatriation requirements for Irish citizens who pass away overseas. I would suggest that in this case the family engages with the Embassy of the person’s nationality in the respective country to clarify any relevant guidelines or requirements in relation to repatriation to a third country. In general, I understand that...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 224 to 231, inclusive, together. Since the illegal, unprovoked and unjustified further invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces on 24 February 2022, Ireland has stood in unwavering solidarity with the people and government of Ukraine. Ireland is working at the UN, EU, International Criminal Court, the Council of Europe, the OSCE - and across all relevant...

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

Simon Coveney: Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine continues to cause immense suffering and has forced millions of people, mostly women and children, to flee their homes and their country. Every part of Government is working intensely to respond to what has been the fastest growing refugee crisis since World War Two. The Department of Taoiseach is coordinating the response...

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

Simon Coveney: I recognise that there is a clear link between the risk of gender-based violence (GBV) and the disproportionate impact of weapons on women and girls in conflict, particularly small arms and light weapons. Ireland is a State Party to, and strong supporter of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which recognises the link between conventional arms transfers and gender-based violence, mandating that...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Enlargement (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: Ireland has always been, and will remain, a strong supporter of enlargement of the European Union, provided that candidate countries meet the necessary conditions for membership. We recognise the value of enlargement as a transformative driver for stability and peace in candidate countries. Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania, alongside Turkey, are all currently recognised as...

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

Simon Coveney: The sources of conflict around the globe have grown in complexity in recent years and the international community and Ireland have had to adjust how we engage and respond to these crises. The number and complexity of humanitarian crises globally, for example, has increased significantly. At the beginning of 2022, the United Nations estimated that 274 million people were in need of...

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

Simon Coveney: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued the passport to the applicant.

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

Simon Coveney: The total amount of passport fees collected by the Passport Service since 2012 is outlined in the following table. A breakdown of the fees collected by application type as requested by the Deputy is not available as our current system does not easily facilitate this. This is further complicated by the many other factors which would need to be taken into consideration including the channel...

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

Simon Coveney: The current fees for a standard Irish passport are outlined in the following table. The fee for a standard ten year adult passport through Passport Online is €75. There is an additional €5 charged for ten year adult passports through An Post’s Passport Express service. The Passport Express fee of €80 has remained unchanged since 2009, when it was raised by...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Historical Conflicts (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: As amatter relating to the IRG recommendations remains before the courts, it would not be appropriate for me to provide any further information in relation to the various recommendations made by the IRG at this time. Once the case has been settled in the courts, the recommendations made in the report will be progressed and an update can then be provided on their implementation.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Commission on the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment in the Programme for Government and the Government decision in December 2020 which also agreed its terms of reference and membership. The report was published on the 9th February 2022. The Commission undertook a significant body of work encompassing their wide-ranging terms of reference. The report contains 69...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 74 together. With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has issued passports to the applicants.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (23 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: My Department is responsible for citizenship by descent through the Foreign Births Register under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. The processing of Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) has resumed and will be gradually scaling up in line with the recruitment of additional resources. Due to the complex nature of the FBR process, the large increase in applications...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Contracts (23 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: My Department has engaged the services of the company referred to by the Deputy from 2011 to date in 2022. All contracts in my Department for these services were carried out in accordance with the Office of Government Procurement’s (OGP) Public Procurement Guidelines for Goods and Services which promote competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement in order to deliver the best...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71, 75 and 78 together. With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update on the status of the passport applications to the applicants.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (23 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: Ireland currently has 97 diplomatic and consular missions around the world. This includes 14 new missions established under the Government’s Global Ireland strategy, with a further 12 new missions planned to open by the end of 2025. Global Ireland's strategy envisages the most ambitious expansion of Ireland’s international presence and influence and will strengthen...

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

Simon Coveney: Respect for human rights is an integral part of Ireland’s foreign policy and we consistently seek to raise our concerns on human rights issues through the most appropriate and effective channels. I am aware of the concerns regarding the human rights situation in Bahrain. Officials from my Department have raised concerns over the human rights situation in Bahrain directly with the...