Results 11,061-11,080 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consular Services Provision (22 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I can confirm to the Deputy that I am fully aware of this difficult and long-running consular case. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been providing extensive and ongoing consular assistance to this citizen and his family since 2011.  The local Irish Embassy has been engaging continuously with the local Foreign Ministry and other relevant local authorities. Earlier...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Meetings (22 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I met with Michel Barnier on 21 January, in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. We discussed the disappointing but not unexpected outcome of the 15 January vote in the House of Commons on the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement. Both Mr Barnier and I are in agreement that what we need from the UK is clarity on how it proposes to move forward, and ultimately what it wants to...

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: My understanding is that neither Aer Lingus nor Ryanair is more than 50% owned by shareholders in the EU. Should the UK leave and not be an EU member state any longer, there may be issues in terms of qualification as EU airlines-----

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: -----but I also understand that both Aer Lingus and Ryanair have plans should they need to change their status. That is a matter between the airlines and the regulator. If the United Kingdom crashes out of the EU without a plan on 29 March, on the following day it will be a third country and the changes would take effect straight away.

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy poses many interesting questions. The question of an application for an extension to Article 50 is a matter for the British Government and Parliament. I do not think it is up to us or anybody else to advise them on that because it is a democratic choice they will need to make. If an application is made for an extension of Article 50, the Taoiseach and I have indicated that we...

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: As a former Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I know - and the current Minister, Deputy Creed, knows - how sensitive the agriculture and fishing industries would be to a bad Brexit. We need to protect and shelter the sector in a worst case scenario, and we will. That will not be easy. It will be challenging but we will work with farming and fishing representative bodies to...

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I was criticised earlier by Deputy Crowe for not giving more detail. I must inform him that, in view of the time constraints, I was anxious to let some of my colleagues contribute. As I have time now, I wish to respond to some of the concerns outlined by colleagues. In terms of the politics of this Dáil, I thank all parties for their patience and co-operation on what has been a...

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: On the last question, I do not accept the premise that because the British Parliament has voted by a large majority against ratification of the withdrawal agreement and the future relationship declaration, because they come as a package, that all of a sudden the withdrawal agreement and its elements are dead. I do not accept that. The EU's response has been very clear.

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: Let me answer the question. The withdrawal agreement may well be passed by the House of Commons if the future relationship declaration changes, for example, because that changes the context entirely. That is why people like me, the Taoiseach and others, in particular, Michel Barnier, have said that if the UK decides to change its red lines - in other words, if it can tell us what it wants...

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: -----unless we get a picture of what that is. The context of the withdrawal agreement and the backstop changes entirely if one changes the red lines of the future relationship declaration. On the common travel area, CTA, the plan is to shortly sign what is needed to trigger the preparation of the necessary legislation in Dublin and London to ensure, as Deputy Rabbitte mentioned earlier,...

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: What I am saying is that we have competing responsibilities towards peace on this island, towards relationships on this island and, as a member of the European Union, towards protecting the integrity of the Single Market.

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: If the Deputy looks at what the British Prime Minister is saying and at what we are saying-----

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: If the Deputy would let me answer his question, because he does not seem to want to hear the answer-----

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: It is a fair question. We cannot just hope that this issue will go away. As the Prime Minister said, the solution to the Border will not emerge simply because people sit around and say we will not have one. It is not just about aspiration; it is about practicality at this point and providing guarantees in law. That is what we are at here. There is a shared responsibility on this...

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: On aviation, which is hugely important from an Irish perspective, because we are an island, about half the people who come to Ireland by air come from the UK airports. Connectivity is hugely important and the majority of people who come via the UK come via Aer Lingus or Ryanair. They are by far the two most important airlines for Ireland. In December the EU provided reassurance on a...

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: It will be up to the regulator to assess the ownership model and controlling shareholding and whether that qualifies an airline as an EU airline or not. In simple terms, if the airline is more than 50% owned by EU or EU-based shareholders, then that qualifies the airline.

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: May I finish my answer because others will ask the same question?

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: I will be brief. I clarified the position that is consistent with the approach we support on the backstop, namely, that we will not support border infrastructure even in a no-deal scenario. Contingency planning on the issue goes beyond the kind of planning needed in many other areas because it is highly political and highly sensitive. It will undoubtedly involve conversations with the...

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: We have spoken to the Commission about a relaxation of state aid rules in certain circumstances. The issues and the challenges, however, will have to be much closer to materialising than they are in order for that to be sanctioned. The European Commission is unlikely to move away easily from its state aid rules, but there is undoubtedly a recognition that in certain circumstances Ireland...

Government's Brexit Preparedness: Statements (17 Jan 2019)

Simon Coveney: If the UK has an arrangement that will allow for that in its jurisdiction, that will be the case. If there is no arrangement to recognise insurance cover in a third country, however, a mechanism will be needed to show that is the case, which is the purpose of the proposed green card although I hope it will not be necessary by 29 March.