Results 11,441-11,460 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: It is not that general. We have committed to taking on 1,077 extra inspectors at our ports and airports and 451 of them will be taken on next year. That is pretty specific. We are looking at up to €100 million of investment in our ports and airports for east-west trade

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: It includes some for Rosslare. What we are doing is examining how Ireland would respond to this and plan for it in the context of a no-deal Brexit. We are talking to the EU about it and it is planning for-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: We will look to brief the Opposition as appropriate, but I would certainly need to brief the Cabinet before briefing the Opposition.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: Resources follow the need. There has been a dramatic increase in the resources available for mental health services-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: -----for adolescents as well as adults. Resources are allocated on the basis of where they are needed most.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: It is important to note it is wrong to say people are not being given home help support. We know many more such supports are being given but the demand is increasing with that. It is like so many areas across the health sector, where we are dramatically increasing funding and improving the quality of services while trying to deal with a significant increase in demand at the same time. It...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: It is what we are trying to achieve and we are investing significantly more money to do that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter again as I know she raised it with the Taoiseach last week. I was present when she did so. I have received a note from the Minister for Health, who I know is probably anxious to respond to the Deputy on the matter. Maybe I can ask him to speak to the Deputy afterwards. The HSE is focused on responding to all requests for records as soon as...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: I will ask the Minister to speak to the Deputy afterwards to get the detail of the case as it is hard for me to respond on a case that may have-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: Okay, it is a number of cases. There may be reasons, legal or otherwise, as to why the delays have happened. We need to understand the detail of those cases and what the blockage is so we can act to remove the blockage as quickly as possible. The only motivation of the Government, the Minister, the HSE and all involved in the lessons learned from the CervicalCheck issue is to try to treat...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: On the permanence or otherwise of a backstop, that is there as a fallback position if nothing else can be agreed to resolve the Border issue through a future relationship agreement during a transition or extended transition period. It states that the objective of the withdrawal agreement is not to establish a permanent relationship between the Union and the UK. It also states that the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. We all share the common objective of improving the quality of life of older people. The home help support is a core service for older people and is highly valued by the service users, their families and the Health Service Executive, HSE, which provides the service. It provides supports that assist older people to live independently in their homes...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: We speak to all political parties in the UK all the time. I have got to know Mr. Keir Starmer, the Labour spokesperson on Brexit, well. He is a very fine person and is on top of the detail. We will continue to have conversations with all political parties. The Government needs to be careful not to pretend it can influence British politics, and it should not try to do so publicly because...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: We have an obligation to explain to the Irish people what has been agreed. We also have an obligation to reassure people that the agreement deals with core Irish concerns because many people were sceptical that it would be possible to get this deal done.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: It is the role of the Government to explain to people in appropriate language why this deal is no threat to nationalism or unionism in Northern Ireland or to the sovereign integrity of the United Kingdom. This is a practical compromise by all sides to allow for a managed, sensible Brexit to move forward in a way that protects core Irish interests and ensures we are not the collateral damage...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: I remind the House, as the Deputy has, that Brexit is not Ireland's policy. We do not agree with it. We believe it is a mistake but, at the same time, we must respect the decision of the UK as a whole, which has voted to leave the European Union. We also have an obligation to ensure that, because Ireland is uniquely exposed and vulnerable to the politics of Brexit, we remain very much part...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: I thank all parties in this House for their cautious welcome for the draft text of the withdrawal treaty that was supported last night by the British Cabinet and that we suspect will be supported also by the European Council. This has been a long and at times a very difficult negotiation and I want to pay tribute to the Irish teams of negotiators, and diplomats in particular, who have done...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: All passport applications are subject to the requirements of the Passports Act, 2008, as amended. Before a passport can issue the Passport Service must be satisfied as to the identity of the applicant and that the applicant is an Irish citizen. A vital document to verify the identity of an applicant is the applicant’s birth certificate. It provides unique primary identifying data such...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Energy Efficiency (15 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is part of the Public Sector Energy Reporting Programme. The Department has achieved a saving of 38% from 2009 to 2017. This is in excess of the public sector target of 33% by 2020, as set out in the National Energy Efficiency Plan. This was achieved in the Department including by the establishment of Energy Officers and teams; regular...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (14 Nov 2018)

Simon Coveney: Since the Northern Ireland Assembly elections of March 2017, the Irish and British Governments, as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, have worked tirelessly to support and facilitate the parties in their efforts to form a new power-sharing Executive. Unfortunately, to date, it has not proved possible to reach an agreement on the formation of an Executive, despite intensive...