Results 12,341-12,360 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (14 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service provides a range of application channels to Irish citizens wishing to apply for a passport. These include a postal application system, an online passport renewal application service and the network of Irish Missions worldwide. In the relatively small number of cases where citizens need to travel very urgently and do not have a valid passport, the Passport Offices in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Cases (13 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: I am aware of the case referred to by the Deputy, and that the individual in question has had his sentence upheld in a recent ruling by the Bahraini Court of Appeal. Ireland attaches a high priority to safeguarding human rights defenders, such as the person referred to by the Deputy. I remain very concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in Bahrain, which I have spoken on...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (13 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: Departmental Data (13 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Foreign Affairs provides travel advice for around 200 countries on its website atwww.dfa.ie/travel/travel-adviceand also 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. The travel advice is developed based on...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Cross-Border Co-operation (13 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: North South cooperation and cross-border trade has grown significantly in the years since the Good Friday Agreement, strengthening a growing prosperity which both supports and is supported by the peace process. Underpinned by the current shared EU regulatory framework, cross-border trade at present represents the first export market for 73% of Northern Ireland’s small and medium-sized...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Negotiations (13 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The fact of the UK’s presentation last week of a paper on a temporary customs arrangement, which it sees as relevant to aspects of the island of Ireland backstop, was a welcome, though incomplete, step forward. After its publication last week, Michel Barnier while also welcoming this step, raised questions and concerns about the proposal. The absence of anything on regulatory...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (12 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 149, 150 and 155 together. In view of the violent events in Gaza leading up to and culminating on 14 May, I requested that these tragic and destabilising events should be added to the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council on 28 May. Accordingly, it was discussed by Ministers in informal format over lunch. Many Ministers expressed their deep concern at...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (12 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: Brexit has been prioritised across the entire range of work of my Department. Additional staff have been assigned to the key Divisions with responsibility for Brexit matters, namely the European Union Division and the Ireland, UK and Americas Division (IUKA), to cover the issues arising from the UK exit process. The work of those staff is primarily targeted at the management of the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (12 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: Up to €2 million was allocated in Budget 2018 to cover initial expenditure by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the Doubling of the Global Footprint Initiative. Work has begun on the initial phase of the expansion of Ireland’s Diplomatic Network which includes the Government decision to open new Embassies in Santiago, Chile; Bogotá, Colombia; Amman, Jordan;...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (12 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The expenditure of the additional allocation to the Passport Service is in line with profile and is expected to be fully expended by the year end. There has been a strong increase in demand for passports due to a variety of factors including a general increase in the number of Irish residents travelling abroad, a growing population, as well as a significant rise in application numbers...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Data (12 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The numbers of passports issued in each of the years requested are as follows: Year Passports issued 2014 632,156 2015 672,760 2016 733,060 2017 781,375 2018 (January 1st – May 31st) 376,746 The numbers of passport applications received from Northern Ireland and Great Britain for the period requested are as follows: Year Passport applications from Great Britain Passport...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (12 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The turnaround timeframe for a passport application will depend, in the first instance, on the channel through which the application was submitted. The Passport Service provides a range of channels to Irish citizens wishing to apply for a passport. These include a postal application system, online passport application service, in person counter application facilities in Dublin and Cork and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (12 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: Following the elections held in March, consultations led by President Mattarella led at the end of May to agreement by the Lega (League) and Movimento Cinque Stelle (the Five Star Movement) to form a coalition government. Mr Giuseppe Conte was sworn in as Prime Minister on 1 June and last week both houses of the Italian Parliament voted confidence in the new Government, giving it its...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Syrian Conflict (12 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The brutal repression of dissent by the Assad regime has led to a conflict that over the past seven years has cost the lives of over 400,000 people, has left over 13 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and has caused the largest displacement of people since World War Two. The Assad regime and its allies have repeatedly targeted civilians, including through use of “starve...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Syrian Conflict (12 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The situation in Syria remains of grave concern. The conflict has cost the lives of well over 400,000 people, 13 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance, over 6 million people are displaced within Syria and an additional 5 million have fled to neighbouring countries and the wider region. There have been numerous brutal attacks on civilians by the Assad regime and others,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Data (12 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: Between 1 January and 31 May 2018, the Passport Service received over 46,000 passport applications from applicants resident in Northern Ireland. Of these, over 19,000 were first time applicants and over 26,000 were applying to renew existing passports. Between 1 January and 31 May 2018, over 35,000 passports were issued to applicants resident in Northern Ireland.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (12 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service currently has a dedicated channel of communication for Oireachtas representatives. To ensure resources are used effectively many of my Department’s functions, including communication channels, are centralised and accordingly, my office is the dedicated point of contact for public representatives. This ensures consistency, efficiency and fairness in responses to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (12 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service offers a range of convenient channels for submission of passport applications by Irish citizens and I am satisfied that the options available meet the current needs of passport applicants without the need for the establishment of a further passport office. An online passport application service was launched in March 2017 and offers the convenience of an online application...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Administration (12 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008 (“the Act”) which sets, among other things, special requirements for the issuing of a passport to a minor. The Passport Service is bound by Irish law, and under no circumstances may it deviate from these statutory requirements. Therefore, an applicant may not apply for an adult passport until...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Programme for Government Implementation (12 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: A Programme for a Partnership Government sets out the key Government commitments which will enable us to articulate ourselves on the world stage, contribute to peace-building initiatives across the globe, and share our culture and values. My Department has primary responsibility for twenty-nine actions, particularly in the Ireland and the Worldchapter. These commitments, alongside our...