Results 10,601-10,620 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: We have not. The Deputy should not mislead the House.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: We have repeatedly-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I did not.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: In case there was any confusion earlier, I would never suggest that Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan is not interested in humanitarian aid. She is one of the people in this House for whom I have much regard on issues such as this. She has made a long and distinguished contribution to humanitarian assistance in many conflicts and difficult situations. I want to put that matter to bed. If that was...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: EU Issues (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: The nomination of the Irish Commissioner to serve as a member of the next College of Commissioners will be taken by the Taoiseach and Government in due course. Following the election by the incoming European Parliament of the new Commission President, which is expected to take place in July, I expect the new President to begin working with member states who will designate Commission...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: First, the EU is co-ordinating with Uruguay. The EU has set up a contact group to focus on peaceful democratic solutions. That is the contribution it is making. The Deputies appear to be focused solely on the US approach to this, but it is important to point out that the EU has made its own statements and decisions regarding Venezuela and how we should respond to a totally unacceptable...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: We do not accept that the election was run in a free and fair way, without intimidation. What we are trying to do now is ensure there is an interim mechanism that will facilitate free and fair presidential elections. Members referred to Yemen, Iraq, the DRC, Libya and so forth. We talk about those issues all the time. I was speaking specifically about some of them in the United Nations...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Humanitarian Access (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I do not agree with the Deputy when she seems to suggest that there were free and fair presidential elections last time out in Venezuela.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Humanitarian Access (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I do not think that stands up to scrutiny. On 3 February last, in the absence of an announcement by President Maduro to call fresh elections in Venezuela, a number of EU member states began issuing statements recognising Juan Guaidó as interim President of Venezuela. On 6 February, I joined the vast majority of my counterparts in other EU member states in acknowledging and supporting...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Humanitarian Access (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: There is a far broader coalition of countries involved.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Humanitarian Access (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: We did not make any decisions lightly. This is a collective EU effort to try to bring about democratic change in Venezuela responding to an extraordinary humanitarian crisis. People seem to totally ignore that. There are 3 million refugees.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Humanitarian Access (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy seems to be making the case for no change.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Humanitarian Access (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: Ireland was one of the last EU countries to recognise Juan Guaidó as interim President to facilitate free and fair presidential elections. We are not alone in this. That is the only objective here. We reject any approach that may involve military intervention, absolutely. We are looking for peaceful democratic decisions to allow Venezuelan people decide on who is their President.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I have semi-answered this question already.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 7, 26 and 27 together. That givesme a bit of time to read a full response.As stated in reply to the previous question, Venezuela is currently experiencing the worst social, humanitarian, political and economic crisis in its history. This crisis is having a dire impact on the population, and has resulted in mass migration, affecting countries in the region...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Human Rights Cases (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: Recent reforms in the socio-economic sphere in Saudi Arabia have been overshadowed by reports from the UN and a number of human rights agencies of an intensive crackdown on domestic dissent and a near total restriction of the civil society space. Reports of torture, abuse and dire detention conditions for the prisoners in question are worrying. It is unacceptable that women should be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Human Rights Cases (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: We are already doing things. I am not quite sure what the Deputy is suggesting we do. This week, the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, and I were at the Human Rights Council in Geneva and in a contribution I made I referred specifically to the need to protect human rights defenders. I have met the Saudi ambassador in Dublin on two occasions to talk about Yemen and the Khashoggi case with...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Human Rights Cases (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: What are the Deputy's?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Human Rights Cases (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: The straight answer to that question is that I do not think Saudi Arabia is going to act on the basis of threats from Ireland.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Human Rights Cases (27 Feb 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy just said that if they do not do it, we should threaten sanctions. We need to be realistic about what we can do here. That does not mean we should not ask the hard questions. In fact, we are asking them. My understanding is that the request by a British parliamentary delegation to visit the prisons concerned has not been granted. If access is not granted to a UK delegation, it...