Results 12,161-12,180 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: I thank all parties in the House for the support they have given the Government. Politics in Ireland is remarkably different from politics in the United Kingdom on the issue of Brexit. The work the Government has been doing on behalf of everybody here has, by and large, been supported very strongly by all parties even though we come from different places on so many different issues. That...

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: For anyone who has been following the detail of what has been happening, suggesting that this is the best strategy for which the UK could have hoped does not make sense. What we have got is consistently conflicting messages from different British Government Ministers. This has made it very difficult to progress anything, including for Britain. No country needs an agreement before October...

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: Is Deputy Calleary substituting for Stephen?

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for raising those issues. The House has spent the past hour and a half talking about healthcare. Deputy Donnelly was here - Deputy Calleary is now filling in for him, according to the Ceann Comhairle - asking the relevant questions. The Deputy asked what we are doing to recruit consultants. We have active recruitment campaigns both at home and abroad. We are...

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: I understand that Dr. Kieran Moore did not have a waiting list and I compliment him on how he managed the challenges he faced.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: He has expressed concerns over the service in the south east-----

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: -----and we are addressing those concerns directly.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: On the broader challenges of recruitment, the State is limited in what it can offer in terms of salary levels and consultant contracts. We have consultant contracts that we believe to be appropriate. However, there is competition for consultants in certain specialist areas globally. We will need to continue to review how we get the numbers we need into the health system. I assure the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: Co-ordination of the whole-of-Government response to Brexit is being taken forward through the cross-Departmental coordination structures chaired by my Department. Contingency planning for a no-deal or worst-case outcome, bringing together the detailed work being undertaken by individual Ministers and their Departments on issues within their policy remit, is now well advanced. Its focus is on...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service has confirmed that an application for the person to whom you refer, has been received. I have instructed staff of the Passport Service to update the applicant’s mother on the outstanding requirements for the application.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Meetings (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: I attended the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 25 June, where Ministers discussed security and defence, the implementation of the EU Global Strategy, developments in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, and Jordan. We were also briefed on the situation in Yemen by the UN Special Envoy. My EU colleagues and I discussed ongoing work on security and defence issues, and took stock of...

Other Questions: Humanitarian Aid (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: There is an intensive political debate going on in Europe right now about how we can put together a collective and comprehensive response to the migrations challenges that we have. I do not agree with the Deputy when he says that our decision yesterday does not really mean anything. I was Minister for Defence when we agreed to send a ship to the Mediterranean, which was the first time we...

Other Questions: Humanitarian Aid (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: We have been proactive but it is not enough yet. There are substantial new schemes to try to ensure that we stem the flow of migrants coming from many African countries - Nigeria, Mali and many others - via what is essentially a trafficking route through Libya. We are working with governments in countries where the migration begins. We are also trying to deal robustly with traffickers and...

Other Questions: International Election Monitoring (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Government issued a statement expressing serious concerns when the co-chairs of the HDP, Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş, were arrested in November 2016. Ireland made clear its concerns regarding the proportionality of the Turkish authorities’ response to the attempted coup in July 2016, and regarding the scale of the arrests of human rights defenders,...

Other Questions: British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: I do not disagree with anything the Deputy has just said. There needs to be urgency. The two Governments need to work together. Significant issues linked to Brexit are being discussed by the two Governments, which involves Northern Ireland, Border issues and east-west relationships. The focus in London has been on the build-up to the June summit relating to Brexit. Anybody who watches...

Other Questions: British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The two Governments need to work together with all of the parties in Northern Ireland to progress a dialogue that can result in a functioning executive again, in all likelihood post summit.

Other Questions: British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: One of the most impressive contributions that day was from Peter Robinson, former leader of the DUP, who gave a very positive contribution in the spirit of reaching out. I assure the Deputy that the import of this issue is not lost on me. I have spent much time north of the Border and have learned a lot in the last year about the complexity of the political challenges in Northern Ireland....

Other Questions: British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: Some of the questions have been paired. We just dealt with three questions together.

Other Questions: Humanitarian Aid (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: I was at a Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday and a General Affairs Council meeting yesterday when I read and heard about the plight of the new vessel, the MV Lifeline, which is on its way to Malta. It was unable to dock elsewhere in the Mediterranean. There are 230 migrants on that ship. The conditions on the ship are not good. I felt that Ireland should show some solidarity with...

Other Questions: Passport Applications (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: I am aware of the problems that have arisen this year because they have translated into political requests. Virtually every Member of this House has been asked to solve individual problems for families and constituents. That is an ineffective way of dealing with tens of thousands of passports each week. We have to put systems in place that deal more comprehensively with people's concerns....