Results 12,061-12,080 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy does not want to recognise the facts.

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy can quote whatever figures he wants, but I am quoting the CSO's.

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: There is only one person rambling on this issue. I am giving the facts.

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy might not like the facts. Looking at the social housing challenge, the truth is we need to look back to see where we were in 2011 when the previous Government had to fix multiple problems.

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: There were 3,000 ghost estates, as well as a decrease of 90% in the level of construction activity. Almost two thirds of jobs in the construction sector were lost. House prices had fallen by 50% in most of the country. That is the legacy of others in the House.

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: The record of my party in government, in working with the Labour Party, is very different. We have created a partnership Government which has a dedicated Minister with responsibility for housing.

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: For the first time we have established a multi-annual budget - €6 billion - which will deliver an extra 50,000 social housing units by the end of 2021 and a lot more after that.

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy should look at the facts rather than the political narrative he is trying to sell.

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy might appreciate that I may not be able to give him full information on the particular case he raises. I recall, however, that on the Order of Business on Tuesday, the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Jim Daly, responded to similar concerns expressed by some Fianna Fáil colleagues. My understanding of this case is that it is a decision to be made by...

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: My understanding is that the HSE did meet the families concerned but I will need to speak to the Minister of State about whether that consultation was extensive enough.

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: No. My understanding is that there was a meeting about it many months ago, but I will come back to the Deputy with the dates and the detail of those meetings. Regarding dementia care more generally, the national dementia strategy implementation programme agreed by the Department of Health, the HSE and Atlantic Philanthropies committed €27.5 million for a number of specific...

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Government encourages questions on this issue. That is why the discussion and questioning at the Committee of Public Accounts this morning are, and will continue to be, appropriate. The Government is an open book on the issue. The Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, the Taoiseach and many others have prioritised the support of the women and families involved in the scandal since it...

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: I respectfully ask Deputy Calleary to be responsible in terms of how this issue is discussed and covered. The figure of 221 is correct but that is not new information. The Committee of Public Accounts was informed at its meeting on 14 June that the audits of a further 12 women were close to completion. That is the additional 12. The Minister is also ensuring these women are receiving the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Proposed Legislation (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: I have received legal advice from the Attorney General on the Private Member’s Bill in question. It is not the practice of the Government to publish the advice of the Attorney General. However, in the general terms the advice is that there are a number of significant legal difficulties with the Bill, to which I made reference in the debate on the Bill in the Seanad in January. ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Military Uniforms (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: The wearing of foreign military uniforms in the State is governed by section 317 of the Defence Act 1954 which prohibits the wearing of a foreign military uniform in the State without ministerial permission. In accordance with the requirements of the Defence Act 1954, express permission was granted by the then Minister for Foreign Affairs in January 2003 to the US authorities to allow for...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff Training (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: My Department commenced preparations for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in mid-2016, with the appointment of a Data Protection Officer, who holds a professional qualification in data protection. The Data Protection Officer has overseen and delivered a suite of data protection training across the Department, both at home and abroad. At Headquarters, data protection training...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Travel (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: I visited the United Nations Headquarters for the official launch of Ireland’s campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the term 2021-2022 on 2 July. Such formal launches are commonly part of Security Council election campaigns. In addition to the launch event I attended a ceremony to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Ireland’s participation in UN...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (5 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Tánaiste attended the concert in New York on 1 July on the eve of the official launch of Ireland’s candidature for election to the Security Council for the term 2021-2022. Close to 150 Member States were represented at the concert. The event provided representatives of the UN Member States with an opportunity to experience one of Ireland’s best known cultural acts...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (4 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: President Juncker’s address to the Houses of the Oireachtas on 22 June underlined the continued importance of contingency planning and preparedness. This was also stressed in the Conclusions of the European Council (Art 50) on 29 June. The Government’s process of preparing for the UK’s exit from the European Union has been ongoing since the result UK referendum two years...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (4 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: The implementation of the All-Party Dáil motions relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings is a priority for the Government, as highlighted in the Programme for a Partnership Government. The All-Party motion on the 1974 Dublin Monaghan bombings that was adopted by the Dáil on 25 May 2016 has, like those adopted in 2008 and 2011, been conveyed to the British Government. These...