Results 12,221-12,240 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Papal Visit (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Government has warmly welcomed the Pope’s forthcoming visit to Ireland, which it regards as a major event with a high degree of public participation and a strong international profile. As the primary focus of the Papal visit will be to attend the World Meeting of Families, the Catholic Church, together with the World Meeting of Families, are the key stakeholders and in this...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 74 together.I was appalled by the images which recently emerged of immigrant children being separated from their parents at the southern US border and held in detention by the US authorities. I made my, and the Government’s, view of this policy very clear when I spoke on June 20 last week in the course of the Dáil debate on this issue. I...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Administration (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service already has a system for reminding passport holders that their passport is due for renewal. Passport holders must first enter their passport details on https://www.eforms.gov.ie/en/reminder/passport/ and they will be sent a reminder three months prior to the expiry date of the passport.Passport renewals for all categories of applicants seeking to renew a passport in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The report issued by Human Rights Watch is a careful and sober account of the violence on the Gaza border in recent months. It is largely in line with the analysis I received at the time from my Department, on which I based my public statements and my contributions in the Dáil on this awful situation. I stated clearly that the lethal force used by Israeli forces was not justified by the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: As I have previously stated, in this House and elsewhere, I am extremely concerned about the current situation in Yemen, which is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Three years of war have had devastating consequences for civilians, with allegations of violations of human rights, international humanitarian law, and significant loss of life. Three quarters of the population are...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Data (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Online Passport Application service is the cheapest and most convenient way for an adult to renew a passport as it can be done online anywhere in the world, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and removes the requirement for forms, witnesses or printed photos. Since its launch, over 200,000 applications for passport renewals have been received online. For online applicants, the target...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Treaties (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: Respect for the fundamental values on which the European Union is founded and which are set out in the Treaty, including respect for the rule of law and freedom of expression, are crucial underpinnings for all the EU Member States. There have been concerns over the civic space available for NGOs to continue to operate in Hungary. The Taoiseach, when he met with Prime Minister Orban on 4...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Relations (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The bilateral relationship between Ireland and Cuba has been a historically warm one and the very successful visit of President Higgins to Cuba in February 2017 marked a new high point in the relationship. The Memorandum of Cooperation to which the Deputy refers was signed in the sidelines of that visit and it provides a solid foundation upon which to expand our relations with Cuba. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Presidency (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Austrian Presidency takes place at an important time for our Union as we continue to face key challenges. We will work with the Austrian Presidency to address these challenges including in relation to securing economic prosperity and competitiveness, the negotiations on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, the negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service has a dedicated Communications Units to respond to queries from passport applicants. This Unit can be contacted by telephone, email or by web chat. The Passport Service is currently in its peak season for passport demand with the vast majority of applications being received between February and August each year. Accordingly, the Communications Unit has been dealing with a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: While the UK’s decision to leave the EU has serious implications for Ireland, we maintain a strong and constructive bilateral relationship with the UK. We are fully committed to developing and enhancing this relationship over the coming years. Additionally, we will work to secure the closest possible positive relationship between the UK and the European Union.The Good Friday...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Government closely follows developments in relation to the treatment of members of the LGBTI community in Russia and, in particular, the widespread reports of the persecution of gay men in Chechnya. Senior officials of my Department met the Russian Ambassador last year to convey the grave concerns of the Government, and of the Irish public, at these reports. During the meeting, officials...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (27 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: Human Rights (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: Since the most recent escalation of violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar, in August 2017, approximately 700,000 members of the Rohingya community have fled across the border to Bangladesh where they now reside in precarious conditions in refugee camps. The exodus of refugees has been accompanied by credible claims of serious human rights violations by the Myanmar Security Forces. These...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service is currently in its peak season for passport demand with the vast majority of applications being received between February and August each year. So far this year, the Passport Service has received over 500,000 applications. Applications received in the first 5 months of this year have increased by over 8% compared with the same time period last year. The Passport Service...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: In 2017 the Passport Service issued over 780,000 passports. This represents an increase of over 6% compared to 2016 when over 730,000 passports were issued. Over 500,000 passport applications have been received by the Passport Service so far this year. Applications received in the first 5 months of this year have increased by over 8% compared with the same time period last year. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill 2017-2019 has been under consideration from the British Houses of Parliament since July 2017. It is a significant element of the UK’s legislative preparation in advance of its withdrawal from the European Union. While this is first and foremost a domestic matter for the UK, it is very much in Ireland’s interests that the necessary...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Government is closely following the political developments in Hong Kong, and I had an opportunity to discuss these issues directly with Chief Executive Carrie Lam during my visit to Hong Kong on 12 March. Ireland fully supports the 'One Country, Two Systems’ principle, which provides the basis for the high degree of autonomy which Hong Kong enjoys. The Basic Law provides the basis...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: Dealing with outstanding issues relating to the legacy of the Troubles is of the utmost importance to the Government. The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to building on the progress made to establish the comprehensive institutional framework for dealing with the past that is provided for under the 2014 Stormont House Agreement.Victims and survivors have had to wait for far too...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Cases (27 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: I am aware of the difficult situation which human rights defenders continue to face in Honduras. The loss of life and violence which has occurred since elections took place in Honduras in November 2017 is particularly worrying. Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are the cornerstones of any functioning democracy and those rights must be guaranteed. While Ireland does not have...