Results 9,361-9,380 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (3 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: I am getting to that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (3 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: I am providing some context. I am about to tell the Deputy where the money has gone. The 2019 funding includes a contribution of €2.5 million to the UN Turkey humanitarian fund for the Syrian response, which supports the emergency cross-border response to the current humanitarian situation in north west Syria. Ireland also supports the EU's humanitarian response to Syria through its...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (3 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: Deputy Niall Collins asked about the migrant crisis. My understanding is that a temporary deal was reached at the meeting in Malta. This deal will be presented to the Council of Ministers in Luxembourg on 8 October next. I hope we will be able to buy into that and support it. I think there is a broader question here. The temporary deal essentially involves trying to respond to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (3 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: In terms of migration, I agree with Senator Lawless on the issue. We all need to speak up about the issue. Ireland has been remarkably responsible about migration generally.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (3 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: There are always exceptions, am I right? Somebody will try to get a headline and be in sync with a community that might be worried or angry about something that they have not been told about and feel something has been sprung on them. That is a human reaction. Communities, by and large, will be reasonable in this space if they are treated with respect, given information in advance, if it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (3 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: In terms of numbers, although we are not bound by the relevant EU justice and home affairs legislation, Ireland voluntarily opted into an EU relocation decision that was made in 2015 and agreed to take up to 4,000 migrants. To date, Ireland has admitted more than 2,600 people under EU relocation and resettlement programmes. It is expected that the rest of these numbers will be filled by the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (3 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Chairman. I agree with every word he has just said. I am very familiar with paragraph 49 of the December 2017 agreement. I quote it all the time to people. We worked really hard to get it agreed. I think the then Prime Minister, Ms May, understood the complexity of trying to protect the Good Friday Agreement and relationships on the island of Ireland at the same time as...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: Deputy Micheál Martin, who is a party leader, is playing constituency politics.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: Our relationship with China is one of constant engagement. We have good and regular engagement with the Chinese embassy in Dublin and raise a spectrum of issues, including those relating to human rights, on a regular basis.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: It is a tiny percentage.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is playing politics.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: It was not.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: It was to get planning permission more quickly and the Deputy knows it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: That is not what happened.

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Statements (1 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: I am grateful for this opportunity to again brief the Seanad on developments on Brexit. Political developments in the United Kingdom cast a long shadow and we are in a period of extraordinary uncertainty and volatility. In this challenging environment we are continuing our efforts across Government to protect Ireland's priorities and to mitigate the effects of the UK's withdrawal on Irish...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Statements (1 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: To clarify, neither the Taoiseach nor I said that. In a no-deal scenario, some checks will be required. There will not be checks one way or the other if we get a deal. Any deal will be based on not having checks.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Negotiations (1 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: My officials and I remain in close contact with the European Commission and Taskforce members on Brexit matters.  Last Friday, I met with Michel Barnier to take stock of developments. He reiterated the EUs strong commitment to ensuring a fully operational solution in the Withdrawal Agreement that avoids a hard border on the island of Ireland and protects the all-island economy and the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Negotiations (1 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: Ireland, and our EU partners, stand by the Withdrawal Agreement.  Equally, we are committed to finding a way forward, and, as we have repeatedly said, are open to hearing any credible, fully worked-out proposals from the UK. These should be raised with the European Commission. Negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU are a matter for the European Commission Task Force, led...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: UN Conferences (1 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: My Department is currently consulting with EU partners regarding participation in the upcoming, fifth,  session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises which will take place in Geneva from 14 to 18 October. At that meeting it is expected that the main focus of attention will be consideration of the text of a draft legally...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (1 Oct 2019)

Simon Coveney: The National Plan on Business and Human Rights was launched in November 2017 on foot of the Government's commitment to give effect to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.  The principal objective of the Plan is to promote responsible business practice at home and overseas by all Irish business enterprises. Ireland is now one of only 22 countries worldwide...