Results 7,181-7,200 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Government looks forward to working closely with President Biden and the new US Administration on our bilateral agenda, including in relation to Northern Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement. A longstanding commitment to peace on the island of Ireland continues to be felt strongly in the US. The Good Friday Agreement and the peace process in Northern Ireland are not simply an...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Programmes (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: The purpose of the EU Capacity Building Programme is to assist Irish civil society organisations, including NGOs, community groups, and local authorities, to better access European Union funds. This will be done by publicising EU funding opportunities through social media and website channels, and by providing a direct support service through targeted training and information events. This...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland assumed its seat on the UN Security Council on 1 January 2021. We are committed to actively supporting human rights across the full Council agenda, which includes some 20 thematic files and 30 country and regional file. Three core principles will frame our approach: building peace, strengthening conflict prevention and ensuring accountability. In our approach to ensuring...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Foreign Affairs’ Mission Network, Embassies and Consulates General, play an important role in advancing Ireland’s international trade as a key component of Team Ireland overseas. They provide support for Ireland’s State Agencies, including through supporting their strategic objectives and activities in overseas markets. The role of the Mission Network...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, which forms part of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, came into effect on 1 January. It plays a vital role in protecting the Good Friday Agreement and the gains of the peace process, including avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland, as well as protecting the integrity of the Single Market and Ireland’s place in it. It means that...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: At present, the Department of Foreign Affairs mission network consists of over 90 offices, including Embassies, Consulates and Representative Offices. 'Global Ireland – Ireland’s Global Footprint to 2025', sets out the Government’s ambitions for expanding and deepening our international presence. To date new Embassies have opened in Wellington, Bogotá, Amman,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Enlargement (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland recognises the value of EU accession as a transformative driver for stability and peace in the Western Balkans. We have always been, and will remain, a strong supporter of enlargement of the European Union, provided that candidate countries met the necessary conditions for membership. In this regard, we welcome the reform agenda underway in the countries of the Western Balkans and the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Issues (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland is a firm supporter of the rule of law and the values of the EU enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union. The rule of law is and should remain a fundamental principle that all EU Member States respect, protect and promote, both within and beyond the EU. Ireland has advocated broadly for respect for the rule of law at EU and international level. We believe that it...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: The troubling practice of child, early and forced marriages is one in which the Government is committed to ending both at home and abroad. However, this is not a task that can be done single handedly and Ireland will continue to work with partners in multilateral fora. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is central to the protection and promotion of children’s...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Investigations (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: The recruitment of child soldiers remains a serious problem with tens of thousands of children recruited into conflicts around the world. The UN Secretary-General issues an annual report on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) which examines both trends and specific country situations, listing all armed groups that recruit and use children. In his latest 2019 report, the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Peace Process (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: I have given high priority to the Middle East Peace Process since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2017, and I continue to do so in the current Government in line with the Programme for Government. Ireland remains ready to support any peace initiative that respects the international parameters for a Two-State Solution and the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: European External Action Service (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: The EU and the United States enjoy close diplomatic and political relations as well as enduring economic, cultural and people-to-people connections, which span across the political spectrum in the US. The EU is strongly committed to the transatlantic partnership and is eager to work with the new US Administration in addressing the key global challenges of our times. I welcome the EU's new...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: Along with the EU, Ireland welcomed the cessation of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan and we hope that the November 2020 agreement can lead to renewed efforts to settle the long-standing territorial dispute. The trilateral agreement provides for a lasting truce and the restoration of economic and transport ties in the region and the early indications suggest that its provisions are...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Correspondence (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 400, 403 and 410 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, we are concerned by ongoing instances of violations of fundamental freedoms, including...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: State Visits (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: Strengthening bilateral relations with the US is a priority for Ireland, as set out in the Programme for Government. Ireland takes great pride in President Biden’s election, and we in Government look forward to working closely with the new Administration on our bilateral agenda, on developing the EU-US relationship, and on tackling the pressing global challenges facing us all. ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Meetings (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: At the December meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, Ministers were briefed by HR/VP Borrell on a number of current affairs items, and there were discussions on Transatlantic Relations and on EU Strategic Autonomy. Security and Defence issues were not the central focus of any of these agenda items, but were touched on in the course of discussions. Ministers agreed and adopted...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: 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. While the Passport Service has paused processing of routine applications while Ireland is at Level 5 of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19, they continue to provide an emergency passport service for Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: It is not possible to extract historical data for applications under process for particular days in the past. However, I can provide the numbers of applications received and passports processed for November and December 2020 and until 20 January 2021. Passport Applications received Passports issued November 2020 20,426 7,971 ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Data (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: The numbers of passport books and cards issued in each month during 2020 are detailed in the following table. January 79,616 February 85,063 March 54,792 April 3,939 May 3,837 June 54,514 July 49,910 August...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Citizenship Applications (27 Jan 2021)

Simon Coveney: All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008. The Act provides, among other things, that a person must be an Irish citizen before a passport can be issued to him/her. In order to meet this requirement, each person must demonstrate an entitlement to Irish citizenship by providing acceptable documentary evidence of this entitlement. Where an Irish...