Results 10,361-10,380 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: We have looked at the idea of a passport office in Northern Ireland. The vast majority of applications received by the passport service from applicants residing on the island of Ireland, however, are submitted through Passport Express and Northern Ireland Passport Express. Northern Ireland Passport Express allows applicants living in Northern Ireland to apply for their passport through more...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: I take that point and would not like to be in any way dismissive of that. We need to keep that issue under constant review. On the reconciliation fund, we have increased it by €1 million, which is an increase of almost 25%. I would like to see us continuing to increase it. I hate to say it but politics in Northern Ireland and the relationship between communities is quite fragile....

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: That is all there is to programme A. I do not think there is anything controversial in it. It contains modest increases in important areas.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: On the staffing aspect of Brexit, the largest impact for us will be on the passport service. We have a communications unit dedicated to Brexit and, in sheer numbers, there has been a significant increase in the numbers we have taken on to ensure we will have an efficient passport delivery service. The other areas across Departments that have taken on significantly more staff in the context...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: The only place we can print passports in an emergency is Dublin. Even if someone goes into the Passport Office in Cork to see someone at the desk, the passport cannot be printed there and then. Many people who need passports quickly fly out of Dublin which is by miles the busiest airport. We are trying to move the process to a place where we can have a lot more interaction online as the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: We did have an exploratory meeting with the leaders of all the political parties a few weeks ago in Belfast. They outlined their positions and all said they wanted to get back into devolved government structures in Northern Ireland. There was, however, a fairly direct conversation about the expectations of different parties about what was required to do this. It is very difficult to create...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: I do not imagine we will need anything like as long a debate on programme B, apart from the pay and non-pay elements. The increases in the non-pay elements relate to Brexit information, campaigning and communications primarily. The pay elements relate largely to pay restoration decisions. The other areas relate to actions around EU engagement and other actions linked to our membership of...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: I wish to put the position on the record. Every time there is that kind of discussion, an Irish voice normally intervenes to remind people of what our Constitution says and our policy on military neutrality. Of course we are absolutely committed to the European Union and its future but there are different perspectives. The complexity of Common Foreign and Security Policy aims to try to...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: Under programme C pay and non-pay are pretty straightforward. The other figures relate to contributions to international organisations. A 2019 allocation of €34 million is essentially at the same level as the revised figure for 2018. It reflects the best estimate of mandatory contributions to international organisations in 2019. The Department is committed, on behalf of the State,...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: This figure is not our total contribution to the UN. This is a contribution to UN organisations that is subject to calculations made at a UN level under commitments made as part of a three-year cyclical process. We make a series of other contributions to UN agencies separately, including the World Food Programme, UNHCR and environmental NGOs. I imagine the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon,...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: That is right.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: It is the end year.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: We could.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: Under programme D pay and non-pay figures are self-explanatory. Again, there are no increases in the other areas but under the heading of promoting Ireland the published allocation is at the same level as at 2018. Funding under this programme enables the Department and its mission network to raise Ireland's profile internationally and support local and regional trade and economic...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: A very good person is chairing the committee. I do not know if the Deputy was at the last meeting we had on the subject.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: This has to be part of Ireland's sales pitch abroad and part of how we promote what we do across our mission network. As we see a significant increase in the number of our missions, I suspect the budget line will have to be increased in years ahead. For this year it is more or less the same budget as for last, with a difference of only some €1,000.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: This budget allows our staff to co-ordinate the expenditure from other Departments. Bord Bia and Enterprise Ireland, for example, have quite a lot of funding here and I would not like to suggest that we are not spending more money promoting Ireland through our embassy networks. We are doing that and we have just had comfortably the largest ever St. Patrick's Day programme, with 56 countries...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: Programme E covers the Department’s work in marshalling its human and capital resources at home and abroad to maximise Ireland’s influence internationally. It includes the management and development of staff, the management and mitigation of risk and compliance with statutory and legal obligations. The programme also covers communication by the Department of its policies,...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: I will turn to income accruing under appropriations-in-aid, which is referred to as Programme F. The total income under appropriations-in-aid in 2019 is estimated at almost €45 million, a marginal decrease on 2018. The primary source of income, which accrues directly to the Exchequer from my Department, comes from passport application fees and accounts for over 90% of all...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Mar 2019)

Simon Coveney: If the Deputy wants, I can try to come back to him later with a detailed answer. My understanding, in simple terms, is that a person can continue to drive in Ireland on a British licence if he or she is visiting Ireland, but if that person is permanently resident in Ireland and driving on a British licence, he or she needs to swap that licence for an Irish licence before Britain leaves the...