Results 6,521-6,540 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Historical Conflicts (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: My Department examines this question on a regular basis. What we see from the available data is that there continues to be no consensus and little clarity on this. The tragedy of the Armenian people was recognised as genocide by parliaments of over 20 countries, including 16 EU member state legislatures and by the European Parliament but recognition at the level of government amounts to a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Northern Ireland (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 73 together. The position of the Government with respect to the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland has been clear and consistent for a number of years now. The Stormont House Agreement framework was reached collectively by both Governments and the political parties after intensive negotiations. To be completely accurate, the UUP did not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Northern Ireland (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: On Ballymurphy, the significance of the report that was released today should not be underestimated. This happened over a three-day period almost five decades ago. The families involved are representative of many families across Northern Ireland from different backgrounds and communities who have been tortured for decades because they have not been believed, understood or listened to and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Humanitarian Access (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: At present, there is not agreement that it will be extended. We are working on that and speaking to the key actors. Clearly, Russia is an absolutely key actor here, as is Turkey, as is Iran. Of course, some of these countries are not on the Security Council but are influential over countries that are. The reason I am so exercised about this is that if one speaks to the NGOs that are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Historical Conflicts (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Government views the terrible events which saw the deaths of a large number of the Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire as a tragedy. We have previously expressed deepest sympathy for the enormous suffering of the Armenian people during this period and I do so again here this evening. The Government has not taken a stance on whether those terrible events should be described as a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Historical Conflicts (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: We regularly review this issue. It might be helpful to outline why it is a difficult question to answer. In December 1948, the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide described genocide as carrying out acts intended "to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group". The dispute about whether these events were genocide centres...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Relations (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: This has come up in engagements with the Chinese ambassador here. Obviously we have raised this, and I outlined a series of instances where we have raised it, in international fora, whether at the UN Human Rights Council or other fora. The term "genocide" has a particular meaning in international law, and recognition of events defined as genocide involves an analysis of facts and law....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Relations (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: We know some of what is happening, and I have been very critical of it, as has the Dáil and Seanad. A very strong motion was tabled by Senator McDowell and others, which was supported by all parties, a number of months ago. Ireland has not been quiet on this issue. We have raised it. With regard to the issue of how we define it legally, certainly the advice I have from the Department...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Humanitarian Access (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: As the civil war in Syria enters its 11th year, humanitarian needs remain extremely high. Across Syria, 13.4 million people need humanitarian assistance, including almost 3 million people in the north-west of the country, which is the population served by this crossing. On the Security Council, Ireland acts with Norway as co-penholder on the Syrian humanitarian file. In this role, we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Humanitarian Access (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: The reason this is so complicated is that north-west area is essentially Idlib province. The strategy within Syria in terms of the conflict there has essentially been to push the resistance and opposition to the regime in Syria into the north-west. Some of those who support the Assad regime see aid flowing in a structured way from Turkey into north-west Syria essentially as feeding the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tourism Industry (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: I take the point that there much concern in the travel industry generally and in the tourism sector around wanting to understand, plan for and prepare for timelines around facilitating international travel again. As of yet, the Government has not given a clear timeline around that issue. The Tánaiste said today that he hopes to see travel between Britain and Ireland facilitated to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tourism Industry (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: I can understand the frustration, particularly for those who have airports in their constituencies, but for everybody. It was not too long ago when many Members were calling on us to put anyone who was coming from anywhere into mandatory hotel quarantine. I am not saying the Deputy was saying that but many Members were saying that. We are trying to get the balance right in managing risk...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Relations (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 112 together. Ireland, along with our EU partners, remains deeply concerned about the treatment of Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in the province of Xinjiang. We are closely following the situation, including on reports of systemic abuse, torture, arbitrary detention, forced labour, forced sterilisations and restrictions on freedom of religion...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: United Nations (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: It is true to say that in many countries the Covid-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on women and their role in society. It has also had a disproportionate impact on girls' education as many schools have closed and the priority in some cases has been to educate boys rather than boys and girls. That is why we are putting an enormous amount of public money from the Irish Aid...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: EU Meetings (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Israeli ambassador is able to speak for himself and he will come before the foreign affairs committee tomorrow, potentially to give the Israeli perspective. He will do as the Deputy might expect, which is to give an Israeli perspective on security and the reason the Israeli Government felt it had to respond the way it has to protect its population against rocket fire from Gaza and so on....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: EU Meetings (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: Do I make two contributions?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: EU Meetings (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: I will make a quick reply with the indulgence of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: EU Meetings (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: It is like chalk and cheese. Essentially, we have gone from an American Administration in Washington DC that really denied there was a climate emergency at all to one that wants to be a global leader with the ambition around the required response to deliver the targets of 2030 and 2050, which are dramatic. The truth is that if the US and EU combined are not effectively a force for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tourism Industry (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: I do not believe there is any confusion. There is no clear decision from the Government yet on moving away from our current approach to international travel, which is very restrictive. There is hope, of course, that as we move through summer that position will change as more people are vaccinated and society becomes more protected with the shield of vaccination. Other countries across the...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Diplomatic Representation (11 May 2021)

Simon Coveney: As I said, they are part of the training programme, part of providing services and advice and assessments at times. Right now, the Department of Foreign Affairs is probably talking to the Department of Defence more than it has ever done, for the obvious reason that the same Minister is over both Departments. Therefore, where appropriate, we of course work together and there are some good...