Results 40,541-40,560 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Waste Management: Motion (Resumed). (4 Jul 2007)

Simon Coveney: Fine Gael's policy on incineration is absolutely clear. When Deputy Noonan, as party leader, visited the Cork Harbour area of my constituency five and a half years ago, he launched a policy document that had been written by Deputy Clune, who was quoted earlier and who is an engineer with knowledge of this sector. The document clearly stated that——

Waste Management: Motion (Resumed). (4 Jul 2007)

Simon Coveney: Give me a break.

Waste Management: Motion (Resumed). (4 Jul 2007)

Simon Coveney: The document in question, which remains an expression of Fine Gael's policy in this respect, states that incineration should not be part of the mix of waste disposal strategies. Many of us had great hopes for the new Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on this issue. If he states tomorrow morning, as he has the power to do, that the Government has changed its policy...

Waste Management: Motion (Resumed). (4 Jul 2007)

Simon Coveney: That is the point. We know, as a result of our experience in Cork, that the meetings which are held in the Poolbeg area, at which certain public representatives shed crocodile tears with the residents, do not really matter a damn at the end of the day. We won the argument when the oral hearing took place at An Bord Pleanála level. I was not at the hearing but I know many people who were,...

Waste Management: Motion (Resumed). (4 Jul 2007)

Simon Coveney: It does not matter how much activism there is within the constituency. If the Ministers who comprise the Government take a policy decision that incinerators must go ahead nationally, An Bord Pleanála is a convenient vehicle for seeing that through. That is why An Bord Pleanála should not and cannot be given that excuse on this occasion. If the Green Party is to make a real difference in...

Waste Management: Motion (Resumed). (4 Jul 2007)

Simon Coveney: When the Government was formed, I wished the Green Party well. I meant that and I still mean it. The Green Party has an opportunity to clarify and change Government policy on a specific issue. In 2002, it had a Deputy elected in my constituency on the basis of his stance on this issue. The Green Party can make a fundamental difference to the planning decision that will be taken within a...

International Agreements: Motion. (4 Jul 2007)

Simon Coveney: I might not use my allotted ten minutes but I wish to retain the option of doing so. I did not intend to speak on this issue and was not even aware it was on the agenda until the Order of Business. I decided to speak for a number of reasons, primary among which was registering my concern about how this arose. I recall speaking on the issue last October when it was debated in the European...

Written Answers — UN Reform: UN Reform (3 Jul 2007)

Simon Coveney: Question 127: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the contact he has had with other EU Governments regarding UN reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18703/07]

Drug Seizures. (3 Jul 2007)

Simon Coveney: I wish to share time with Deputy P.J. Sheehan. It is important to let Deputy Sheehan have his say on this incident as it took place a couple of hundred yards from his home. Last night and today people have being following the extraordinary story of attempted drug smuggling off the west Cork coast, near Goleen. Garda sources now say that up to 1.5 tonnes of baled cocaine have been recovered...

Order of Business (3 Jul 2007)

Simon Coveney: Last week, in the absence of the Taoiseach, I asked the Tánaiste about an update on legislation against human trafficking. He told me it was a matter for the Minister to prioritise it in the autumn. The Taoiseach has given me commitments on this issue on a number of occasions. The Government has also signed a Council of Europe convention on human trafficking. We have also made...

Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 32 (3 Jul 2007)

Simon Coveney: Under Standing Order 32, I wish to raise a matter of national concern, namely, the attempted landing of significant quantities of cocaine off the west Cork coast, with an estimated street value of up to €300 million, more than the entire value of all drugs seized in 2006, its interception by authorities purely by chance and good fortune and, therefore, the need to assess Ireland's state of...

Order of Business (28 Jun 2007)

Simon Coveney: What is the updated position of the Criminal Law (Trafficking in Persons and Sexual Offences) Bill? This time last year the Taoiseach assured the House we would see anti-human trafficking legislation before the end of the year. We were later assured that the Bill would be a priority for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform at the start of 2007 and a number of months ago the...

Co-location of Hospitals: Motion (Resumed). (27 Jun 2007)

Simon Coveney: I am pleased to have the opportunity to express concern at the Government's plans to build private hospitals on public hospital lands. I thank Deputy Hayes, our new spokesperson on health, for bringing this motion forward so quickly. It is appropriate that we are debating two of the key issues concerning the electorate in the first week of the new Dáil. Earlier today we discussed stamp...

Co-location of Hospitals: Motion (Resumed). (27 Jun 2007)

Simon Coveney: How can we maximise the potential of public landbanks on public hospital sites? Fine Gael has no problem with the principle of private hospitals being built on private sites and it is ridiculous for Government spokespersons to suggest otherwise. We have not been inconsistent at any stage in what we have said on this issue. However, we are strongly opposed to the sale of precious landbanks...

Written Answers — Recycling Policy: Recycling Policy (5 Apr 2007)

Simon Coveney: Question 46: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action he will take to increase recycling in the construction industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13417/07]

Written Answers — Recycling Policy: Recycling Policy (5 Apr 2007)

Simon Coveney: Question 64: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action he will take to increase recycling amongst businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13416/07]

Kyoto Protocol: Motion (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Simon Coveney: Four out of five.

Kyoto Protocol: Motion (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Simon Coveney: If the Deputy checks her record against his party's MEP, he will find she has voted far more often.

Kyoto Protocol: Motion (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Simon Coveney: I will stick with my team.

Kyoto Protocol: Motion (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Simon Coveney: I wish to share time with Deputy Neville, if he turns up. If he does not, I will speak for 20 minutes. I am happy to have an opportunity to speak in this debate and I am sorry that there are not more people and journalists watching it, although hopefully some of them are watching on their monitors. The previous speaker was passionate about this issue which is central to his party. The rise...