Results 8,021-8,040 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Middle East (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: My position is well understood on that and the legal position is crystal clear on this issue. Deputies can keep calling on me to do something that they know I cannot do but they want to do this for political reasons. It does not advance the arguments very much.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Middle East (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: It is actually not. We have done a great amount to try to advance the cause of the two-state solution and to focus the world’s attention on illegal settlements and their expansion. We have contributed to international pressure that has prevented Israel from moving ahead with plans to annex large parts of the West Bank in the summer. We have been active at UN level and have been...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Middle East (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: As I have said, if we had this debate last June people would have predicted that in July Prime Minister Netanyahu would have moved ahead with annexation of parts of the West Bank, and possibly even the Jordan Valley. That did not happen because of international pressure. The perception was that Israel had been given the green light to do that and it did not. It was talked out of doing so...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: US Presidential Election (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: Divisive language in politics that pits people against each other is never something that should be supported. Supporting or encouraging racist forces is something that should never be supported and I hope will always be stamped out in this country and in other democracies. I am not somebody who is afraid of mincing my words on some of these issues. As I said, we are a few weeks away...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Human Rights (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: I am very concerned at developments relating to LGBTI+ people in Poland. The principles of equality and non-discrimination are enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. It is important that these principles are protected and promoted throughout the Union. The Government has expressed its concerns regarding this issue publicly. My colleague, the Minister of...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Human Rights (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: I will commit to writing to my counterpart. There is a new Polish foreign minister who I have not gotten to know yet, but I have spoken to him briefly. It is worth noting that the Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, quite pointedly referred to this issue when she gave her state of the Union address a number of weeks ago. That was an indication that the European Commission takes it...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Human Rights (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy. I wish to acknowledge the work done by the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, Deputy O'Gorman, who continues to work in this area. He has spoken to me about it and has expressed real concern. It is important that we try to advocate for and deliver change. We have to figure out the best way of doing that. Sometimes within the European Union...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Middle East (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy. It is unusual that it has taken this long to get to the Middle East peace process in foreign affairs questions. I am glad we have gotten there at nearly 12.30 a.m. Israel's announcement on 13 August that it will suspend plans to annex parts of the occupied Palestinian territory is, of course, welcome, although that proposal should never have been on the table in the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: US Presidential Election (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: My visit to Washington D.C. last week came at important time for both the United States and Ireland, and offered a valuable opportunity to discuss key priorities, including Brexit, Northern Ireland and our upcoming tenure on the UN Security Council. Having met with members of the U.S. Administration, Congress and friends of Ireland from across the political spectrum, the visit naturally...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Meetings (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: On 28 September, I travelled to the United States for a series of engagements in Washington D.C. Over the course of the two-day visit, I met with senior members of Congress from both the House of Representatives and the Senate, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Representatives Richard Neal, Peter King, Brendan Boyle, Mary Gay Scanlon and other members of the Friends of Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Preparations (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: The Brexit Readiness Action Plan supports and assists business and citizens prepare for the significant changes that will arise on 1 January 2021. Extensive work continues across Government on implementing the Plan, coordinated by my Department and the Department of the Taoiseach. Following publication of the Action Plan, Revenue sent Brexit Readiness Checklists to over 90,000 businesses....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Issues (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: I am aware of Prime Minister Orbán’s recent letter to European Commission President Von der Leyen calling for the resignation of Commission Vice President Jourová. I want to make clear that I fully support the European Commission Vice President in carrying out her duties and that Ireland has full trust in the Vice President. The Commission has a role as the guardian of the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Sanctions (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: In recent months, the United States have taken a number of different steps to reimpose sanctions on Iran. In August, the US announced its intention to impose "snapback" of UN sanctions against Iran, in response to Iran's breaches of the nuclear agreement, the JCPOA. The US asserted that this triggered a 30 day period for reimposition of UN sanctions. However, I note that the US...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Undocumented Irish in the USA (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 133 together. The status of the undocumented Irish in the US has been a high priority for successive Governments and continues to be one of my key priorities. Immigration issues have been raised on an ongoing basis in our engagement with the US Administration and political leaders, including by the Taoiseach during calls to members of the US...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: Yemen remains the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, driven by conflict, economic collapse and the breakdown of public institutions and services. Ireland and the EU fully support the efforts of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, to bring about a political resolution to the conflict in Yemen. In particular, I welcome efforts made towards a Joint Declaration between...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: The Government is aware of and very concerned about the detention of 82 executives of the opposition party HDP on 25 September. Among the detained are seven former HDP MPs, including the current Mayor of Kars, and some of whom have serious health issues. These arrests apparently relate to protests which took place in 2014. The strong suspicion is that these latest arrests are politically...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112, 114 and 143 to 145, inclusive, together. It is vital that the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland be implemented in full and in good faith. The publication and passage through the House of Commons of the UK Internal Market Bill in September caused grave concern. The Bill, in its current form, undermines the Withdrawal Agreement and the Protocol....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: “Global Ireland – Ireland’s Global Footprint to 2025", sets out the Government’s ambitions for expanding and deepening our international presence. It includes the expansion of Ireland’s Mission Network which will deepen our impact across priority regions, provide opportunities to grow our trade and inward investment, strengthen political relationships with...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: On September 4, the European Commission issued a proposal on a co-ordinated approach to travel restrictions within Europe in response to COVID-19. The German Presidency has been leading intensive negotiations in Brussels at official level on the proposal. One of the measures under discussion is the introduction of a traffic light system under which countries and regions within the EU and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 140 together. This is an issue of serious concern, as was underlined last week by the series of worrying reports on Xinjiang. Ireland has not been quiet on this matter, and I have spoken in this House about our concerns regarding the situation in Xinjiang on numerous occasions. We, along with our EU partners, remain deeply concerned about the...