Results 1,161-1,180 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: That were a lot of questions. I am not sure how much time I have to respond to them.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: Maybe 17 minutes. As Members know, I am quite interested in the energy debates. These are serious questions. Obviously the Government is watching closely where energy prices are at now versus international wholesale prices. We see petrol and diesel prices at the pump, for example, falling to their lowest level in a number of years, which is a good thing, and likewise in regard to home...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: As we have discussed many times in the House, individual cases often require individual answers. There are both local authorities and housing bodies with significant funding from the State there to work with families in vulnerable situations. From what the Deputy said, this is a very vulnerable situation - five children and very stressed parents, and one of the children with a disability,...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: Many of them are not, by the way.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: We learned from reports this morning that up to half of eviction notices are not valid and should be challenged. If this one is then of course we have an obligation through the housing departments of local authorities primarily to try to find accommodation and solutions for cases such as this one.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: I wish first to recognise the role of the Deputy in building that connection with the Irish diaspora throughout the world when he was Minister of State with that brief. He made a significant impact. He and I discussed many times the commitment that the Government has made to extend voting rights to Irish people living abroad for presidential elections. I am still committed to this. It is...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: Nobody is being persecuted here. My understanding is that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage will give guidance, if it has not already, to local authorities in this space regarding the planning considerations involved. In some parts of the country the role of Airbnbs is particularly important, particularly this year when many of our hotel rooms are not available for...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: Of course, they do. The State needs to continue to add more and more special needs places as well as special needs assistants and increased staff in schools and other educational settings in regard to autism and indeed other disability areas as well. I am quite familiar with that from my constituency and some of the pressures we are trying to deliver on. I will have to get the Minister of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy knows, we have had a number of announcements from technology companies in Ireland about global redundancies. This has had an impact on Ireland but, in most cases, the percentage impact here has been considerably less than the percentage global reduction because Ireland continues to be a favoured location for many technology companies. In the cases of the redundancies that have...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: We had a discussion on this at Cabinet yesterday and my understanding is that the census figure for vacant properties is 167,000 but the actual real, likely figure for vacancies, given the fact that a lot of people are simply away from their property when the census form comes in or do not fill it out-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: I ask the Deputy to hear me out. My understanding, and the figure we were given by the Department of Finance, is that approximately 57,000 is the real figure in terms of habitable vacant properties right now. However, when looking at the different exemptions that are in place for the tax, for example, works going on, the property being up for sale or stuck in probate, and a whole range of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: Having been in the Department of Foreign Affairs, I know how complex and difficult some consular cases can be. I will raise this issue with the Department and remind officials of the urgency of the case the Deputy has raised.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy knows, this Government set up a task force to look at the potential of the Shannon Estuary. My understanding is that in the next couple of months its report will come in. I have met that group on more than one occasion. It has a fantastic chairman who is very ambitious for the Shannon Estuary. A big part of that report will be around offshore wind and redeveloping the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: First of all, I have huge sympathy for the O’Donovan family and businesspeople who find themselves in the kind of financial pressure they are clearly feeling at the moment. Every bank in Ireland has an obligation, in my view, to behave fairly towards their clients. When we hear slogans like "We're backing brave" and all the rest of them coming from advertisements for banking in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: I am the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. I have responsibility to try to ensure that businesses are treated fairly, and that enterprise has an opportunity to thrive and grow. That includes the relationship, obviously, with the banking sector. I will be happy to get more detail. I do not recall getting the details of this. Maybe that correspondence came into my constituency...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: If Deputy Gould could give me the details on that I will follow up. Emergency accommodation-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: -----is there for that particular reason. If people have nowhere to go, regardless of their income, and they require State emergency accommodation, that should be made available to them.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: -----and social housing. Deputies selectively quote targets that are not being reached but what about the target of close to 30,000 houses, which is significantly above the target that was set of just over 24,000 for last year, which was the expectation? On the biggest target of all, namely the overall delivery of housing, we are way ahead of schedule and we need to be. Let us look at this...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: I agree with an awful lot of what Deputy Naughten has said although I think a cheap shot at Deputy Ryan is beneath the Deputy. I have huge time for the Deputy as he knows. The ambition this country has for offshore renewable is in large part due to Deputy Eamon Ryan's relentless pursuit of this agenda for a long time in politics and long before this Government, and his vision in this regard...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: In terms of onshore wind this country's record is not bad. We are one of the best performing countries in Europe. We provide approximately 30% of our electricity needs from onshore renewable wind farms currently and we will do a lot more. Now we are moving into solar also. I take some of the criticism but I also want to put on the record the delivery we have seen in recent years in terms...