Results 5,321-5,340 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: International Agreements (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland follows developments in the Pacific closely, including the recent trilateral security deal known as AUKUS. I am also aware of comments made by other regional actors about the deal. The AUKUS announcement identified that the first major initiative will be to develop a nuclear-powered submarine fleet for Australia. It will be important to ensure that no proliferation risk or...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: International Agreements (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: In truth, I do not believe we could succeed, even if we tried, in getting a specific emergency Security Council meeting on this issue. I do not believe the permanent member states would accept that and one must get consensus before one can get an emergency meeting on anything. It is important to be upfront about that. This is an issue Ireland raised at the start of this week when it...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: International Agreements (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: I welcome the question on this and I would be happy to have a more detailed discussion, if that is what Members would like. Ireland has actively contributed to the development of the EU's new Indo-Pacific strategy, which was announced on the same day that this pact was announced. That is a source of real frustration for the EU because we did not even know that this pact was going to be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foreign Birth Registration (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is correct to keep raising this issue. As of this week, we have opened the Passport Office for people to get appointments for emergency passports for the first time in many months. People can apply for appointments online now to get a rapid turnaround of a passport and so on. It is only in recent weeks that we have had full staffing levels back in the Passport Office. I have...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foreign Birth Registration (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: As I stated, when there are urgent cases that need to be addressed, we deal with them. There is a process to deal with them and we have dealt with 4,500 of them so far this year. If there are cases involving people in war zones or children who are stateless because they do not have a passport, there is a mechanism to deal with those cases. Let us be clear regarding what is available to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Passport Services (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy will be aware that the operations of the Passport Office were severely disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, as were many other government services. Emergency passport services were maintained during the pandemic. That required staff to be on site to process and issue passports. As a result of well-implemented safety protocols, 67,000 passport books and cards were issued between...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Passport Services (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: The passport service is currently working closely with the human resources division of the Department and the Public Appointments Service on an ongoing basis to recruit additional staff to meet the current and forecast demands for passports. Additional staff have been assigned to the Passport Office sites on Mount Street and in Tallaght, with plans to assign additional staffing to the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Relations (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: IDA Ireland is an autonomous statutory agency, which operates in accordance with the Industrial Development Acts, 1986 to 2019, and under the aegis of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, who is best placed to comment on the agency’s activities and decisions and is responsible for trade. The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has answered a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Relations (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: I am sorry, but we make a distinction between Israel and the occupied territories. I do not believe that settlements are legal and I have said many times on the record that settlements and their expansion in occupied territories is illegal under international law. I raise that issue probably more than any other EU Minister on an international stage, whether it is in EU Foreign Affairs...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Relations (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: It is not a contradiction at all.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Relations (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: My position on Israel and on our relationship is important and this also an important agent to deliver change in its policy towards Palestinians, which I have been very critical of and I continue to be. I am not responsible for IDA Ireland and the line Minister has answered questions on this and will continue to answer questions if they are raised. My position is clear, however. Ireland...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Relations (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: They talk to each and when there are differences, they discuss them. Ireland continues to be one of the most outspoken countries in the world in the context of the relationship between Israel and Palestine-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Relations (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: ----- and the need to move towards a negotiated peaceful with solution and that is what we will continue to do.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foreign Birth Registration (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: I am glad that the Deputy has asked this question because it is good to put this issue on the record. My Department is responsible for citizenship by descent through the Foreign Births Register under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the processing time for foreign birth registrations, FBR, applications stood at 18 months due to an...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Relations (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy. I am aware of the European citizens' initiative to which he refers. Following its registration, the European Commission has six months to consider the initiative and any proposals arising from it. My officials will actively follow developments on the issue. Ireland has previously raised at EU level the question of whether goods from occupied territories, including...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Relations (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: The case the Deputy makes reinforces the position I am taking. I have always said in respect of the occupied territories Bill that this is a trade matter for the EU collectively and the European Commission to make recommendations and decisions on. That has always been our position. It is why Ireland on its own cannot make decisions in this area. If it did, would not be able to implement...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Relations (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: I received extensive advice from the previous Attorney General and the current one. The advice is the same. It is that this is an EU competence, not a member state competence, in regard to taking the actions the Deputy has suggested. The threshold that would need to be overcome for Ireland to act on its own is not deemed to be met. If there is to be a sanction or trade measure introduced...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Relations (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: That is why we should focus on what is possible and is already there, which is clear differentiation on labelling. That should be implemented across member states.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland and our EU partners remain committed to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan and to supporting the Afghan people. We continue to engage on the Afghanistan crisis at international level. As the President of the UN Security Council for the month of September, Ireland chaired a meeting on Afghanistan on 9 September. In our national statement, I placed a strong emphasis on full and safe...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Visa Agreements (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Coveney: Visas fall under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Justice.  The Government at its meeting earlier this week, approved the introduction of a new Afghanistan admission programme. Under the new programme, current or former Afghan nationals resident in Ireland can apply for close family members in Afghanistan, or who have recently fled Afghanistan to certain countries, to be...