Results 6,361-6,380 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for the Public Services 2021
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (20 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: I am told there is no real relationship between compensation and ongoing medical costs per se. We have an arbitration process in the Defence Forces that works reasonably well. I make a point of committing to the recommendations that come through this system and the same goes for the ombudsman. If there are better ways in which we can make decisions that avoid court cases I am totally open...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for the Public Services 2021
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (20 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: It is pretty straightforward this year. There is no funding shortfall.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (19 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: The processing of Foreign Births Registration (FBR) applications has been temporarily paused as a result of COVID-19 related restrictions. Prior to this pause, it took twelve to eighteen months to process applications. This was due to the complex nature of FBR applications, the very high volume of applications due to Brexit and exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19 restrictions. The Passport...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Military Aircraft (19 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: My Department has responsibility for the provision of diplomatic clearance to foreign military and State aircraft to land and overfly the State. This is subject to strict conditions. I can confirm that permission was granted in this case subject to the conditions that routinely apply to landings at Irish airports by foreign military aircraft: namely that the aircraft is unarmed,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (19 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: This week saw the 47th anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, in which thirty-three persons were killed and hundreds seriously injured, attacks which saw the largest loss of life on a single day in the Troubles. My thoughts are with the victims, survivors and the families of all those who were lost that day, as they remember their loved ones. The Government will continue to...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Properties (19 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: As previously confirmed to the Deputy, the City Council's request for access to lands has been facilitated. As part of this arrangement, the Defence Forces will continue to require access to lands for the deployment of trucks which enables water based training activities to take place. As these activities related to ongoing training and operational matters, the Deputy will appreciate that it...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff (19 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: My Department has been unable to clarify or confirm the details supplied by the Deputy. Officials from my Department will liaise with the body that appears to have issued the correspondence supplied with a view to progressing the matter.

Ballymurphy Inquest: Statements (18 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: I begin by joining with the Taoiseach and all of my colleagues in conveying our condolences to the Ballymurphy families for the terrible events that took their loved ones from them and in extending our sympathy and solidarity for the nearly 50 years that they have had to spend fighting to bring truth to those events. That is a lifetime of struggle. I was honoured to meet the families on...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Fishing Industry (18 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: I fully recognise the importance of addressing issues in relation to Rockall, and I continue to prioritise engagement on this matter, working with my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Minister McConalogue and I, and our respective officials, are in very regular contact on this issue and are working through all options for further engagement.  Over the last...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (18 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 414, 415 and 423 together. I am deeply concerned by the intensification of violence in the past week, including the launching of rockets from Gaza and the actions of the Israeli Defence Forces, and by the increase in tension and violence in the West Bank and in Israel.  Now is the time for de-escalation and all concerted efforts towards a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Social Media (18 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: No third-party online or social media monitoring costs were incurred by my Department in 2021.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Social Media (18 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Department monitors its own and external social media activity through free analytical tools provided by the major social media platforms. No Departmental officials are tasked with compiling reports on social media coverage of either the Department or Ministerial activities.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Investigations (18 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: No private investigation companies or persons have been engaged by my Department in the past three years to date. There are no bodies under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (18 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: I am gravely concerned by the continued violence, in which so many innocent Palestinians and Israelis have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and across Israel. I call for an end to violence and for all parties to abide by international law. On 16 May, I addressed an emergency open session of the UN Security Council on this issue. I called for a cessation of hostilities and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Meetings (18 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: I am looking forward to speaking with Foreign Minister Marise Payne on a suitable occasion in the near future, in follow-up to my discussion last October with the Australian Ambassador.  In this regard our Ambassador in Canberra is in direct contact with Minister Payne's office. Through these and other high-level contacts, Ireland is maintaining excellent relations with Australia...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (18 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: I am gravely concerned by the continued violence, in which so many innocent Palestinians and Israelis have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and across Israel. I call for an end to violence and for all parties to abide by international law. The provocations and clashes in East Jerusalem, which led to many injured at the holy site of Haram al–Sharif/Temple Mount, are...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Data Protection (18 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: My Department documents any personal data breaches that have occurred in the Department in accordance with its obligations under Article 33(5) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).The table below provides the number of data breaches by year since the introduction of the GDPR on 25 May 2018 to date.   Year Total Breaches 2018 ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (18 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland remains deeply concerned about the treatment of Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in the province of Xinjiang. We are closely following the situation, including in relation to reports of systemic abuse, torture, arbitrary detention, forced labour, forced sterilisations, and restrictions on freedom of religion and belief. As part of these efforts to remain informed about the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (18 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: The position of the Government with respect to dealing with the legacy of the Troubles has been clear and consistent. The Stormont House Agreement framework is the way forward on these issues. It was agreed by both Governments and the political parties after intensive negotiations, and it should be implemented.  Where the British Government are proposing significant changes to that...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (18 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland remains engaged in international efforts seeking to bring about a peaceful and democratic solution to the crisis in Belarus. Mr. Lukashenko has sought to legalise the severe repression of his regime, which has produced a chilling effect on dissent within the country. Impunity breeds violence and we have been clear in publicly calling for that impunity to end. We continue to work with...