Results 21-40 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Increasing Employment Participation for Persons with Disabilities: Disabled Persons' Organisations Network (25 Sep 2024)

Simon Coveney: The witnesses are all very welcome. They are here to talk to us about a topic to which the State needs to find a much more impactful way of responding than we have managed to date. I was the Minister for enterprise until relatively recently. In the build-up to last year's budget, we had a number of meetings with the Department of Social Protection and the Department of equality to discuss...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Increasing Employment Participation for Persons with Disabilities: Disabled Persons' Organisations Network (25 Sep 2024)

Simon Coveney: I have a brief follow-up point. I agree with others that the outcomes in terms of the number of people with disabilities who are in employment in Ireland is nowhere near where it needs to be. However, I do not necessarily agree that there is no appetite to try to address the issue. That is true in the Department of enterprise, which I was in, and in other Departments. The truth, however,...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Business of Joint Committee (24 Sep 2024)

Simon Coveney: I think we would all like to be associated with that.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Chair. At the outset, I wish to acknowledge that everybody wants to be helpful here but we also want to ensure that the committee is doing its job. I know what it is like to try to move legislation forward when there are time challenges relating to drafting elements of it. I have sat before committees on more than one occasion, asking that there be a recognition that further...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Simon Coveney: That is helpful. I hope the committee can work with the Minister on that. It would also be great if the Minister could share as early as possible what the amendments look like, particularly with the Senators who were involved in the Private Members’ Bill in the Seanad, so we try to get as many people on board as early as possible. My fear is we will have a debate around process and...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Simon Coveney: If I may, I will ask a brief practical question. Is the legal draftspersons office okay with the strategy that the Minister is proposing, namely, that we move ahead with the main block of the legislation and then introduce the amendments on non-disclosure agreements on Committee Stage? Is that the agreed strategy? That is how these things work.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Simon Coveney: It is important that the committee hear that. Given what the Minister is saying, we can have a bit of faith that he will try to make this happen. Being a Minister and a party leader gives him a great deal of clout when trying to make something happen before an election date. I am certainly a lot clearer on where we are at. It has demystified some of the curiosity the committee had. For...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (23 Jul 2024)

Simon Coveney: 1279.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when it is likely that a person (details supplied) will get a decision on their appeal for invalidity pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31811/24]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Energy Infrastructure (23 Jul 2024)

Simon Coveney: 1644.To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to safety concerns relating to a small number of installations of solar photovoltaic panels on roofs of agricultural buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31810/24]

International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Motion (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Coveney: That is just not true.

International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Motion (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is better than that.

International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Motion (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Coveney: I am very pleased to have the opportunity to speak on this debate on the EU migration and asylum pact. As we know, inward migration has become central to the political discourse and debate in Ireland particularly in last year. The truth is that strongly-held views on immigration are no longer only coming from people of one political persuasion. The discussion has become very much...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Report on Assessments of Need for Children: Discussion (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Coveney: The Minister of State is welcome. I have five questions and the first is a general one on recruitment. Among the recommendations in the report this committee produced were a lot of asks for money and the Minister of State delivered an awful lot on those at budget time. However, what of the ask around effectively designing a new recruitment process both at home and abroad? It would be good...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Report on Assessments of Need for Children: Discussion (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Coveney: I seek a clarification. Is the Minister of State saying a parent can choose the CDNT area from which they want to access supports? They could choose the CDNT where the school happens to be placed but their home is 40 miles away, or they could choose to stick with the area in which they live.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Report on Assessments of Need for Children: Discussion (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Coveney: That is available to them at the moment.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Report on Assessments of Need for Children: Discussion (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Coveney: I do not think parents are aware of that.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Report on Assessments of Need for Children: Discussion (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Coveney: I have two brief points. The first is on the issue I asked about the last time as to whether parents have this choice of opting into different CDNTs, whether it is around the school or the home. It is important the HSE communicates with parents to make sure they know about that. That is not a criticism; it is a suggestion, in that we need to make sure all the parents know that is an option...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Animal Welfare (13 Jun 2024)

Simon Coveney: I believe the Minister of State, the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and the Department are taking this very seriously. However, I have a few questions. Regarding my question about Shannonside Foods Limited and whether it should continue to be operating, my view is that it should close until we have more clarity about the evidence we saw last night. If it is to remain open, it needs to be...