Results 7,521-7,540 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Issues (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: The EU is committed to agreeing a renewed, comprehensive partnership with Africa at the EU-African Union Summit in 2021. A more effective EU-Africa partnership is an objective of the Government’s Africa Strategy and Ireland has actively engaged in the work undertaken to prepare a new EU-Africa partnership. Minister Coveney called for an ambitious EU approach to the partnership...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service has paused the processing of Foreign Births Registration applications as Ireland is at Level 5 of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. Applications that have been sent to the FBR team are being held securely and will be processed, in date order of receipt, when normal services resume at Level 3. Foreign Births Registration, by its nature, can be a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: All passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008, as amended (“the Act“). The Act provides a legal basis for the various policies and procedures that are applied by the Passport Service in the issue of passports. Section 10 of the Act provides that a passport will issue in the name of a citizen as it appears on his/her birth certificate or...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Peace Process (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: Ireland and the EU stand by the internationally agreed parameters for a negotiated peace agreement and continue to urge the Israeli Government to uphold its international legal obligations, including under the Fourth Geneva Convention, on the treatment of civilian populations. Jerusalem is one of the permanent status issues to be settled in a final peace agreement. Ireland provides...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service has paused the processing of Foreign Births Registration applications as Ireland is at Level 5 of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. Applications that have been sent to the FBR team are being held securely and will be processed, in date order of receipt, when normal services resume at Level 3. Foreign Births Registration, by its nature, can be a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: The human rights situation in Iran is very worrying, and has long formed an important part of Ireland's engagement and dialogue with Iran. The inability of members of the Bahá’í faith to access higher education is deeply concerning. It is unacceptable to discriminate against individuals on the basis of their religion. Ireland has consistently raised the discriminatory...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consular Services (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has been providing ongoing consular assistance to this citizen through our Consular Assistance Unit in Dublin, our Embassy in Beijing and our Consulate General in Shanghai. Our Consul General has been meeting and engaging regularly with the citizen since we were first informed of this complex case last year, and continues to provide all...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: I know there are only two amendments for us to consider but I will say a few things before we formally move through Committee Stage. I thank the Chairman and members of the committee for the opportunity to make a brief statement. Although this is a relatively short Bill, it addresses some important matters. The principal issues dealt with by this legislation relate to overseas operations...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: What we planned to do here, when this legislation was originally drafted, was effectively done because we fastforwarded it and it was done in the Covid emergency legislation. I went through that in some detail at Second Stage and I can do it again if people like. Effectively, what is in this section is catered for in law already and, therefore, we do not need to repeat it for obvious reasons.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: Yes, it is about the re-enlistment of former enlisted members of the Permanent Defence Force and, this is because, in the context of Covid, we wanted to bring back skillsets. It was part of the recruitment and retention issues, basically, and it still is. We are re-enlisting people now. We have not achieved the numbers we would like but there is a steady stream of people seeking to come...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: I thank Deputies. We had quite a good debate on this on Second Stage. The Bill is quite technical. It does not change fundamental policy on defence, but I was anxious to use this opportunity to put in place legislation as a foundation, from a legal perspective, to allow the commission to make recommendations to the Government on the future of the Reserve in terms of its function. Nobody...

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 3: In page 11, line 14, to delete "Minister for Justice and Equality" and substitute "Minister for Justice".

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: Section 12 is on the Companies Act.

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Financial Resolutions (25 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: I move the following resolutions: THAT section 58 of the Value-Added Tax Consolidation Act 2010 (No. 31 of 2010), which relates to the retail export scheme, be amended in the manner and to the extent specified in the Act giving effect to this Resolution. THAT the Finance Act 1999 (No. 2 of 1999), the Finance Act 2001 (No. 7 of 2001), the Finance Act 2003 (No. 3 of 2003) and the Finance Act...

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Order for Committee Stage (25 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: I move: "That Committee Stage be taken now."

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 1: In page 10, lines 26 and 27, to delete “Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation” and substitute “Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment”. This is very unusual legislation. It has 22 parts and has 11 different Government Ministers dealing with the legislation as a whole. I thank Opposition parties, in particular...

Seanad: Inquiry into the Murder of Mr. Patrick Finucane: Motion (25 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: I would also like to welcome John Finucane, MP, and his family, in particular his mother, who I know are watching remotely. I welcome this opportunity on behalf of the Government to speak in support of this motion. As Minister for Foreign Affairs, I have had the opportunity to meet with Geraldine and the Finucane family to discuss their campaign to secure justice for Pat. Most recently, I...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (25 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: Many countries allow for their citizens resident overseas to vote in national elections. In most cases, voting is facilitated by the country’s network of diplomatic Missions, with Embassies operating polling stations. My Department is responsible for liaising between Embassies based in Ireland and the relevant Irish authorities when an Embassy wishes to operate a polling station in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (25 Nov 2020)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service has paused the processing of Foreign Births Registration (FBR) applications as Ireland is at Level 5 of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. Applications that have been sent to the FBR team are being held securely and will be processed when normal services resume at Level 3. Foreign Births Registration, by its nature, can be a detailed and complex process,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Citizenship Applications (25 Nov 2020)

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. Entitlement to Irish...