Results 4,961-4,980 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: That is a matter for the Business Committee.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: The short answer is that there is a lot going on, involving the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, myself and others. Obviously, we are working with EU counterparts and speaking directly to the Biden administration. I got a chance to speak to one of President Biden's most senior advisers this week and to members of Congress, such as Congressman Brendan Boyle and others, at COP26. However, the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy kindly flagged that he was going to raise this issue. I am trying to get more detail about how best we can respond to it. Let us not forget that Childline is not a State agency. It is a service that gets some State funding, but it gets a lot of private funding as well. It is providing a very important service and we have to put some thought into how we can ensure that the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: I will have to refer back to the Deputy with a date for the legislation. However, it is a clear commitment in the programme for Government on which we have to follow through.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: On those two suggestions, there is a strong historical link between the Air Corps and Knock in terms of using the airport's facilities for refuelling and conducting operations in the west of Ireland. When the Air Corps was central to the search and rescue, SAR, operations off the west coast, Knock was used as a strategic location. However, since the Air Corps withdrew from SAR operations in...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: In the recent budget there was an emphasis on trying to recognise the fact that there is fuel cost inflation and increased costs for families and homes. Independent assessments of the budget have shown that the Government is successfully compensating for that. We will keep this under review as we go through the winter in terms of the energy issues we discussed earlier.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: I am sure there will be an opportunity to ask the Minister his rationale in the context of these appointments. My understanding is that both of these individuals are eminently qualified for the job they are being asked to do. I am sure the Minister will give full details of the basis of that decision and how it came about.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: There is no doubt that there significant reform is under way. I will ask the Minister for Justice to come back to the Deputy directly rather than me giving him a stock answer now.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: That is a very detailed proposal. If the Deputy wants to put it in writing or give me a call afterwards, I will follow up properly on it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy probably knows, I have probably been more vocal on this issue than any other foreign minister on the planet. I was in the Middle East last week. I visited Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Jordan. I appeared on international and national media to voice my concern about the fact that the six Palestinian NGOs were effectively designated as terrorist organisations....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: The local property tax, LPT, allocation for next year to Galway County Council is €14.5 million. That includes €2.7 million in equalisation funding. As the Deputy knows, it is open to councillors to decide whether they want to increase LPT rates. That has happened in Clare, Limerick, Donegal and Sligo, which have all decided to increase their rates by 15%. Mayo decided to...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: I understand the frustrations regarding the time it takes from route selection to the final delivery of a project of scale. We have a lot of experience of that in my constituency in the context of some TII projects there. I do not have the power to do what the Deputy is asking, but I will raise the matter with the line Minister.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is correct. It is difficult for me to give a comprehensive response within this timeline. I have been vocal on this matter and I have raised it directly with Israeli Government Ministers. The EU has also been quite vocal on this issue in terms of expressing concern. I have parliamentary questions on foreign affairs on Thursday next week and I would happily discuss it then....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: The straight answer to the Deputy’s last question is “Yes”. The Government has confidence in the Office of the Planning Regulator and in the individual referred to by the Deputy. The role of the Office of the Planning Regulator is clear. This office ensures that county development plans, as they are developed, are consistent with national planning framework. If...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: I have not read the judgment. I said I was familiar with the case and the issues around it as are others in this House. I have spoken to the Minister about it at different points because it is an issue that has been ongoing for quite a period of time. It involves both Cork City Council and Cork County Council and an ambition to develop a big new retail centre in east Cork.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: Yes, if it is a landmark case, we will learn from it. That is what the courts are there for.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: Cork County Council felt aggrieved on this issue and took a court case. We now have a judgment and we need to act on it. That is how the system works.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: That does not mean that the role of the Office of the Planning Regulator is not still an important one. It is. If mistakes were made here, they need to be corrected and we need to learn lessons from that. I do not want to comment on the judgment or its text because I have not read it yet but, as I said, I am familiar with the overall issue here and the tension and differences of views...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: No, I do not think we are but we are at risk of losing investment if we cannot provide the assurances that investors need. If we look at the investment flow that has come in over recent years, through IDA Ireland work predominantly and elsewhere, it has been a very strong pipeline of investment. The strength of foreign direct investment here and its expansion have been hugely helpful...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy and I have had this debate many times in the House. He is right on one thing. Overly relying on rental supports is not a long to medium term solution for the housing challenges we face. Supply is the solution, with more social housing, more affordable housing, more targeted and tailor-made solutions for people who need housing and who want to own and pay for their own homes but...