Results 11,901-11,920 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (19 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: I met with the families of some of the victims of the Ballymurphy massacre in Belfast on 22 November 2017 to hear their views and experiences and to express the Government’s support. The Government has supported the long campaign of the Ballymurphy families, including in 2015 in bringing forward the All-Party Dáil Motion, and the Government will continue to stand in solidarity...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (19 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: Ireland has consistently made clear our opposition to the building of Israeli settlements in occupied territory, which is illegal under international law. We have stated that both the overall policy and many of the actions taken to carry it out are likely to constitute serious breaches of international law. Ireland is a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and is...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Staff (18 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110 to 116, inclusive, together. The Government’s contingency planning for Brexit was initiated well in advance of the UK referendum in June 2016 and since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in May 2017 I have overseen a sustained intensification of these efforts. To this end, co-ordination of the whole-of-Government response to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: State Visits (18 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: It was announced on Friday 31 August by the White House that the US President proposed to visit Ireland in November as part of his trip to Europe to commemorate the end of the First World War. The Tánaiste and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade was informed of the proposed visit of the US President on Wednesday 29 August. Discussions took place at official level between the US...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Advisers Data (18 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: Details of Political Advisers employed by my Department since the commencement of this Government are outlined in the following table. Minister, Deputy Charles Flanagan Special Advisor Date of Commencement Date of Cessation Sarah Kavanagh 6 May 2016 15 June 2017 Tom Fabozzi 27 May 2016 16 June 2017 Minister of State, Deputy Dara Murphy Special Advisor Date of Commencement Date of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Relations (18 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: Ireland does not currently have plans to establish a bilateral consultation mechanism with Nepal. Ireland and Nepal, however, have strong and very friendly bilateral relations. The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, attended the Nepal-Ireland friendship day ceremony in Dublin on 18 August, which I understand was an extremely successful event. Ireland does not have a resident...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Visa Applications (18 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade does not have a role in regard to the issuance of visas for Irish citizens travelling to the Philippines. This is a matter for the Philippine authorities. In all circumstances citizens are advised to make contact with the closest Embassy or representative office of the country they intend to visit. An Irish citizen wishing to apply for a visa for...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (18 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: A meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, BIIGC, took place in London on 25 July. I and the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charles Flanagan, represented the Government. The UK Government was represented by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, David Lidington MP, and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP. The Conference was...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Administration (18 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 and 124 together. SAFE Level 2, SAFE2, registration is a process that allows a person to verify their identity for a number of public services provided by specified bodies. The Public Services Card and the relevant issuing process, which is managed by the Department of Social Protection, requires SAFE2 registration and verification. SAFE2 is secure...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Issues (18 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: In his “State of the Union” address to the European Parliament on 12 September 2018, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, gave a wide-ranging speech in which he touched on numerous issues. One of these, following on from his address of 2017, was a request to Member States to examine if there are foreign policy decisions in certain areas that could be...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Agreements (7 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40 and 41 together. Ireland has not concluded a Status of Forces Agreement with the United States. United States military personnel transiting or visiting Ireland are under a duty to respect Irish law. As with all other States, only military personnel duly accredited through their Embassy, under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 have a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (7 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: I have previously expressed my concerns about the passing of the Nation State Law in Israel. Much of the Law is declaratory in nature, and it remains to be seen how much direct impact it will have in practice. However, even on a symbolic level, it risks marginalising Israeli citizens who are not Jewish, in particular the 20% of Israeli citizens who identify as Arab or Palestinian. It sends...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Contracts Data (7 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: Details of costs associated with secure printing for my Department are outlined in the following table. These costs refer to spending associated with the printing of travel documents, including passports and emergency travel documents. Such documents, by their nature, require advanced security features which are only available from a specialist printing provider. Similarly, my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Travel Documents (7 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provides travel advice for around 200 countries on its website at . This information is also provided through our free-to-download SmartPhone App TravelWise and via our social media presence. The information provided is continuously reviewed and updated to ensure that it is as accurate and relevant as possible. Travel Advice is developed based on...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Refusals (7 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act, 2008 (“the Act”). This Act provides, among other things, that a person must be an Irish citizen before a passport can be issued to him/her. In order to meet this legal requirement, each person must demonstrate an entitlement to Irish citizenship in his/her application. The applicant to whom you refer...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (7 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 and 61 together. Yemen is currently the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with over twenty million people in need of assistance due to drought and the disruptions of war. Three years of war have had devastating consequences for civilians, with allegations of violations of human rights, international humanitarian law, and significant loss of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Citizenship Applications (7 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department takes its obligations in relation to the processing of applications for citizenship by descent very seriously. The Foreign Births Registration Unit of my Department is actively examining the application referred to in the Deputy’s question and, in this context, my officials are currently consulting with other Departments regarding certain...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Funding (7 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: In an increasingly competitive world for investment and tourism, our culture is a unique selling point for Ireland. It helps to raise our visibility internationally, promotes a positive image for the country and represents a powerful means to forge connections with other countries. It is a key driver for our tourist industry. Culture is also an important economic sector in its own right,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (7 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: The development of a practical toolkit on business and human rights for public and private entities is one of the initial priorities for the Business and Human Rights Implementation Group, to be established under the National Plan on Business and Human Rights. As provided for under the Plan, work is currently underway on a comprehensive baseline assessment of the legislative and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (7 Sep 2018)

Simon Coveney: The goal of the National Plan on Business and Human Rights 2017 -2020, published in November 2017, is to promote responsible business practices at home and overseas by all Irish business enterprises. A key commitment of the Plan is the establishment of a Business and Human Rights Implementation Group, to comprise representatives from Government, the business community and civil society,...