Results 10,201-10,220 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: It is not true to say that we have been dilly-dallying on this issue. There are three Bills dealing with insurance and we have had some success in respect of motor insurance in particular on the back of recommendations from a report. We are also implementing recommendations on the cost of insurance for small business. The Deputy is right, though, in that there is a particular concern...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: I can understand the frustration of very many families, but it is important that we deal with the facts. The circumstances are not the same as what happened in October. In this instance, the UN is responsible for organising the rotation flights to transfer the current United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, UNDOF, contingent back to Ireland. We have been advised by the UN that the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: This was an issue between UN officials and their counterparts in Beirut.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy knows, or at least he should, that that is not how these UN rotations work.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: We will get them home as quickly as we can.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is no secret to this House that, while an extraordinary amount of detailed work on how Ireland and the EU collectively would respond in a no-deal scenario has been completed and published, the most difficult issue to put a contingency plan in place for was always going to be how we would manage an all-island economy in the context of a no-deal...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: An internal discussion is taking place, but it is important that the options are weighed up and that we agree on something before we start informing the public. Otherwise, anything we say will be twisted by some in Westminster to get a political message across that is not accurate. That has happened over and over again with regard to alternatives to the backstop. People stand up in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy had many questions. I will deal with the Lariam issue first. It is important to emphasise that malaria is a serious disease that has killed hundreds of thousands people. We need to protect our troops when they are in malaria zones in different parts of the world. Let me be very clear with the House, however, that the health and welfare of the men and women of the Defence Forces...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: We are introducing a patient safety Bill that will require open disclosure.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: It is being brought through the system. The Government has committed to that Bill and we will fully follow through on it. Deputy Clare Daly and I have spoken before about the broader issue of the approach to Lariam. She knows this is not a straightforward issue to deal with. Families have made certain accusations and they need to be tested. Those families have chosen a legal route to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: I will deal with the specific issues relating to Limerick in a minute, but it is important to give a broader picture nationally of what is happening with regard to trolley figures. The trolley numbers for the first quarter of this year are the best for five years, so it is important we deal with the numbers and the facts. I know there are some hospitals under severe pressure and staff under...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Government is addressing this but it is taking time. Let us look at Cork University Hospital. This morning, according to the HSE count, the number of patients waiting on trolleys in Cork was 25, down 31 from yesterday and 55 from Tuesday morning.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: The hospital has got on top of what was an unacceptable situation at the start of the week. Let us look at what the Government is doing in the medium term in order to increase capacity. What is required is a combination of increased capacity and improved efficiency and management systems. Increased capacity is a priority for the Government, as we have stated. An additional 241 beds were...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: -----to which I referred earlier involves upgrading of the Limerick facilities in order that we will have more efficiency in the not-too-distant future, when we get through the pressures we face today.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: I am still not quite sure whether the Deputy welcomes the new approach to orthodontic care.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: It is certainly a hugely positive new policy, with eight new packages of care for children up to the age of 16, and an attempt by the Government to be proactive. For what it is worth, there was extensive consultation before the new approach was launched. On the second issue raised by the Deputy, in 2015, the HSE received a review report it had commissioned following receipt of a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: It is important to remember that these files go back to the period from 1999 to 2002 so they relate to quite a long time ago and there are many patients are involved - 7,500. My understanding is that this audit is likely to be completed in the next couple of weeks. That is the indication I have from the Minister.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: I do not have a direct answer to that question but I presume the patients will not be contacted until the audit has been confirmed and we understand what we are dealing with and they can be informed properly. I can confirm the position for the Deputy later. The priority is to finalise the audit to understand the number of patients involved and the detail of each of those patients so that we...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: State Bodies Data (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: There are no State Boards under the remit of my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (4 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: It is important to note in the first instance that both the Irish and British Governments have confirmed that neither Irish citizens in the UK nor British citizens in Ireland are required to take any action to protect their status and rights associated with the Common Travel Area. The Common Travel Area (CTA) is a long-standing arrangement between Ireland and the UK which means Irish...