Results 6,721-6,740 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland’s approach to the Israel-Palestinian conflict is based on respect for international law and the agreed international parameters, including relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. Ireland is a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and is a firm supporter of the role and work of the ICC. Ensuring accountability is one of the key principles...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: UN Human Rights Council (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 839, 847, 855, 872, 873 and 876 together. The human rights situation in Bahrain remains a matter of serious concern. Although Bahrain has repeatedly stated its commitment to improving its human rights record and safeguarding human rights as enshrined in the Bahraini Constitution, Ireland is concerned by ongoing instances of violations of fundamental...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland’s position on the US embargo on Cuba is longstanding and clear. Fundamentally, Ireland believes that the embargo serves no constructive purpose and that its lifting would facilitate an opening of Cuba’s economy to the benefit of its people. Ireland, along with our EU partners, has been a consistent supporter of the annual Resolution put forward by Cuba at the UN General...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 841 and 856 together. My Department is following events closely after recent attacks on LGBTQI+ campaigners in Tashkent that led to the hospitalisation of a prominent blogger known for his stance on LGBTQI+ issues and criticisms of the Government. These attacks and the public backlash against the victims are deeply troubling and have reportedly forced many...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 842 and 849 together. I strongly condemn the coup carried out by the Myanmar military, and I am deeply shocked and saddened by the abhorrent and indefensible killing of unarmed civilians, including women and children. As the political crisis has grown, so too has the human cost. The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. Tens of thousands of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: UN Security Council (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 843 and 853 together. Ireland took up its seat on the UN Security Council on 1 January 2021. Since then, we have been engaging actively across the full Security Council agenda, which includes some 30 country and regional files and 20 thematic files. The Government has set out three overarching principles for Ireland’s membership of the Security...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland’s position on the illegality of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory informs our engagement with the State of Israel across a range of bilateral issues, including our trade, and will continue to do so. Ireland distinguishes between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967. This position is common across all Government...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: I am aware of the case of the journalist in question. I do not wish to comment on individual cases but it is nevertheless disappointing and worrying that responsible and respected journalists feel that they cannot continue to do their work in mainland China. I also note the statement by the EU Spokesperson on this case, from the 2nd April. Ireland actively works to promote and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 846 and 850 together. I am seriously concerned at the decision of the President of Turkey to withdraw from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, otherwise known as the Istanbul Convention. The Convention is the most far-reaching legal instrument to prevent and combat violence against...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: UN Security Council (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland, along with our EU partners, remains deeply concerned about the treatment of Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in the province of Xinjiang, including in relation to reports of systemic abuse, torture, arbitrary detention, forced labour, forced sterilisations, and restrictions on freedom of religion and belief. The term “genocide” is a term that has a particular...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Citizenship Applications (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: The processing of Foreign Births Registration (FBR) applications has been temporarily paused since Ireland entered Level 5 restrictions of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. The application in question is incomplete and thus cannot be approved for entry into the Foreign Births Register. The Department wrote to the applicant on 14 December 2020 to inform them of this and to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: Without clarity as to the legal basis on which the policies of the company concerned are informed, it is not possible to comment on this individual case. However, I would like to set out the general position on cross-border working. I am conscious of the cross border nature of many people’s lives, and have prioritised continued facilitation of this throughout the Brexit process....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: Discussions regarding travel documents have taken place at a European level, after which the European Commission decided not to recommend a coordinated extension of the validity of Member States' travel documents. Accordingly, there are no plans at present for the validity of passports to be extended beyond their expiry date. In line with Government guidance the Passport Service...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Data (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: My Department has responsibility for the provision of diplomatic clearance to foreign military and State aircraft to land in and overfly the State. Questions with regards to the financial operations of Shannon airport and the operations of civil aircraft, including those under contract to other States, should be directed to the Department of Transport. Permission for foreign military...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: In line with Government guidance at Level 5 of the National Framework on Living with COVID-19, the Passport Service continues to provide a high-quality essential service in line with Government measures to reduce social contact and combat the spread of COVID-19. Applicants who require a passport for emergency purposes, or for non-essential travel with a reasonable excuse, should contact the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: In line with Government guidance that at Level 5 of the National Framework on Living with COVID-19 the Passport Service continues to provide a high-quality essential service in line with Government measures to reduce social contact and combat the spread of COVID-19. Applicants who require a passport for emergency purposes, or for non-essential travel with a reasonable excuse, should contact...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: In line with Government guidance at Level 5 of the National Framework on Living with COVID-19, the Passport Service continues to provide a high-quality essential service in line with Government measures to reduce social contact and combat the spread of COVID-19. Applicants who require a passport for emergency purposes, or for travel with a reasonable excuse, should contact the Passport...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service is composed of three constituent offices located in Mount Street, Dublin, Balbriggan, County Dublin and South Mall, Cork. The total number of staff employed across all offices of the Passport Service is 458. To assist with the wider State response to COVID-19, Passport Service personnel have been redeployed, at the request of different Departments, into other,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Shannon Airport Facilities (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: My Department is responsible for the provision of diplomatic clearance. Arrangements under which such permission is granted for foreign military aircraft, including US aircraft, to land at Irish airports are governed by strict conditions. These routinely include stipulations that the aircraft must be unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives and must not engage in intelligence...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Coveney: The processing of Foreign Births Registration (FBR) applications has been temporarily paused since Ireland entered Level 5 restrictions of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. Prior to this pause, it took twelve to eighteen months to process applications. This was due to a heavy demand on the FBR service, the complex nature of FBR applications, as well as constraints on output...