Results 13,321-13,340 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: What we are going to have, for the first time, is a planning framework and a new national plan which will be based in law through a new planning Bill, which, hopefully, will be concluded by Easter. That will require any future Government to ensure that, in the review mechanisms that are built into this plan, whereby it can be upgraded, changed and improved every six years, there is a...

Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: It has been made perfectly clear in the last number of months that the Government is taking this very seriously. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, has spoken about it over and over again and, indeed, has answered questions from Deputy Doherty on these issues. The Central Bank published its latest update on the tracker mortgage examination in late December. This indicated that in or...

Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: We are in a process here. The focus is to try to get people their money back, first and foremost. The Government strongly supports the Central Bank in the work that it needs to do to make sure that this does not happen again and to make sure that people who have suffered financially, not only get their money back, but get appropriately compensated also. The Minister for Finance has...

Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: This plan has been at least three years in the making. The job began when Deputy Alan Kelly was the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, continued when I was there for a year and is being finalised by the current Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. In that period, there have been over 40 regional engagements with stakeholders. I personally chaired meetings in Sligo,...

Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: The input that has gone into the plan will ensure that is the case. The north west must also be strategically incorporated into a population growth story. Currently, there is no city on the Southern side of the Border. Of course, the interaction with Derry is a huge part of Donegal's economy and that of the north west generally. I assure the Deputy that what people are looking at is a...

Leaders' Questions (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: By the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Controls (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008 (“the Act”). The 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 passport application. The applicant...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Strategic Communications Unit (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 449 of 7 November 2017. Since then, officials and advisors from my Department have continued to engage with the Government Strategic Communications Unit [SCU] at the Department of the Taoiseach on an ongoing basis. Formal meetings have included those of the Assistant Secretary-level Delivery Team Network of all Government...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Government's priority on protecting the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts and the gains of the peace process, including a hard border on this island, has always been clear. This is also important for the maintenance and protection of North South Cooperation and the all-island economy. In this regard, the Government welcomed the decision of the European Council on 15 December...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff Recruitment (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: The number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff permanently employed by my Department and currently assigned to the Passport Service is 322. In addition, the Passport Service has received sanction for 210 Temporary Clerical Officers (TCOs) this year to respond to the seasonal demand for passports, which is normally between February and September annually. Training for the first intake of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Freedom of Information Data (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: The number of freedom of information requests received by my Department in each of the years 2013 to 2017 is set out in the table below. In general, officers of my Department respond to freedom of information requests within 20 working days. However, from time to time due to the nature and/or number of records it is not possible to respond to a request for access within the time limits as set...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Peace Process (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Israel Palestine conflict is expected to be on the agenda at the next meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council on 26 February. This will be a continuation of a discussion at the meeting of the Council on 22 January. At that meeting, I reported to colleagues on my meetings in the region during my visit there in early January. I also addressed what the EU could do to support any balanced...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: North-South Ministerial Council (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: The North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) has a crucial role to play in addressing the all-island impacts and challenges that are raised by Brexit. There has already been very valuable and important engagement through the NSMC, in particular at the Plenary meetings of the Council on 4 July 2016 and 18 November 2016, where there was agreement on common principles for dealing with Brexit...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Syrian Conflict (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: The conflict in Syria, and the destabilising impact it has had on the wider region, remain a source of deep concern. Clearly, a comprehensive, inclusive political solution to the conflict is urgently needed, both to end the suffering of the Syrian people and to prevent any further turmoil in the Middle East. For these reasons Ireland fully supports the UN-led political negotiations to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Data (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has not commissioned or paid for any studies or assessments regarding Brexit. Of course, in its cross-departmental co-ordination role the Department is in close touch with all Departments, including those which have commissioned such work. The Government’s contingency planning continues to be firmly grounded in the extensive work and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Data (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: Managing our response to Brexit has impacted on the work of many staff at Headquarters and a significant number of those overseas. Our approach has not been merely to recruit or assign additional staff, but rather also to prioritise Brexit across the entire range of work of the Department. There is no State Agency under the aegis of my Department. Additional staff have been assigned to the...

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

Simon Coveney: My Department has an annual contract for support and maintenance of a proprietary system developed by a company named Capita IB Solutions (Ireland) Ltd. for the Department in 2012. The annual value of the contract is €16,119 with a further €32,000 of enhancements delivered in 2017. The system provides for the online delivery of certain Consular services. The maintenance and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Appointments to State Boards Data (7 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: There are no state boards under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (6 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Passport Service offers a range of convenient channels for submission of passport applications by Irish citizens, at home and abroad. Advice and guidance on these channels and other useful information on passports is available on the Department’s website at www.dfa.ie/passport. The award-winning online Passport Renewal service for adults was launched in March 2017 and offers...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Negotiations (6 Feb 2018)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 to 124, inclusive, together. On 29 January the General Affairs Council (Art. 50) adopted supplementary negotiating directives mandating the European Commission to open negotiations with the UK on a transitional arrangement. Ireland was represented by Minister of State McEntee. I welcome the adoption of these negotiating Directives. From the start of the...