Results 13,501-13,520 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Emigrant Support Services (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: -----but we will end up having statements. If we discussed it in committee we could have a proper back-and-forth and get into the detail of some of the recommendations. I think that would be useful.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Good Friday Agreement (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for giving me an opportunity to give an update in this area. The Government is determined to ensure that the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts is fully protected and respected in the context of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. As co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Government has a responsibility to protect the agreement and the gains of the peace...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Good Friday Agreement (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: First, I personally cannot guarantee anything in these negotiations. My job is to make sure that the agreements in writing between the EU task force and the UK negotiating team take account of Irish issues and Irish concerns. That is what we have been doing to date. However, we have only played the first half of the match. We ensured that everything possible in that first half was...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Emigrant Support Services (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: I thank Deputy Darragh O'Brien for his question. This is essentially responding to a good news story to make sure that when people come home, they make the transition in as positive a way as possible. The Government is committed to working to facilitate Irish people living abroad who wish to return to live and work in Ireland. We are working to ensure that moving or returning to Ireland is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Emigrant Support Services (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: I do not disagree. There is a whole series of examples of areas where we need to provide a more seamless transition than is currently available for people who are coming home. That is why we have commissioned an economic report on which we are spending approximately €75,000. It will be ready in the coming weeks. The report will itemise the kind of things on which Deputy Darragh...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: Dealing with long-outstanding issues relating to the legacy of the conflict in Northern Ireland are of the utmost importance to the Government. The Programme for a Partnership Government highlights this priority, with specific reference to implementation of the All-Party Dáil motions relating to the Dublin Monaghan bombings.I acknowledge also those across the House who work on a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11, 13 and 39 together. The situation with regard to the Brexit negotiations has evolved significantly since the publication of the Government’s comprehensive approach document last May and the Government’s preparations have adjusted accordingly. Contingency planning at both a domestic and an EU level is focused on three areas: preparing for...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 28 together. The overall human rights situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the treatment of children in detention, remains a matter of concern. Ireland has repeatedly drawn attention to concerns regarding the treatment of Palestinian prisoners. We have paid particular attention over recent years to issues related to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) recognized Israel in 1993, as part of the Oslo Accords, which also set out a path towards a two-state solution. There has understandably been a strong reaction among Palestinians to the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. I have made clear that I believe the US announcement was premature and unhelpful. The EU has...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 29 together. The Palestinian Parliament, known as the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), was elected in 2006, but it has not held a regular session since 2007. There is a PLC building in Gaza, but Gaza does not have its own parliament, as such. The occupied Palestinian territory is made up of both the West Bank and Gaza, and Ireland fully...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: International election monitoring missions play an important role in the promotion of democracy and human rights. Accordingly, my Department maintains a roster of potential participants in election monitoring missions. The aim is to ensure that, in response to requests for Irish participation in international missions observing elections and certain referenda, that there is a pool of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 46 together. I am extremely concerned about the current situation in Yemen, which is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The war is now ongoing for over one thousand days, and has had devastating consequences for civilians, with allegations of violations of human rights international humanitarian law, and significant loss of life. I am...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Meetings (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: Earlier this month, I visited Israel and Palestine for the second time in my role Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. I met with key representatives of the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, as well as leaders of other Israeli political parties, UN agencies, and non-governmental organisations.In my meetings with the Israeli authorities, I expressed Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 42 together. The loss of life and violence following elections which took place in Honduras on 26 November 2017 are a cause for concern. I have not hesitated to condemn unreservedly this or any violence perpetrated against those seeking to defend their rights or peacefully demonstrate. My sincere condolences are with the families of the victims...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Strategies (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Department of the Taoiseach is leading a steering group of relevant Departments and agencies and is coordinating the Government’s plan to double Ireland’s global footprint by 2025. This will be ready for consideration by Government in the coming weeks, and it is envisaged that the initiative will be launched to coincide with the St Patrick’s Day period. The Department...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: As stated previously, in this House and elsewhere, the Government is committed to recognising the State of Palestine as part of a lasting settlement of the conflict. In all of my meetings during my recent visit to Israel and Palestine – with Israelis, Palestinians, and UN partners – I conveyed the importance the Irish people attach to the resolution of the Middle East Peace...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Government’s priority of protecting the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts and the gains of the peace process, including avoiding a hard border on this island, has always been clear. In this regard, the Government welcomed the decision of the European Council on 15 December 2017 that sufficient progress had been made in phase one of the Article 50 negotiations. In phase one we...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Communications (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: I am aware of the reported remarks by President Trump on Thursday, 11 January. I obviously completely disagree with the tenor and substance of those alleged comments. The immigrant experience has particular resonance for Irish people and Irish emigrants know what it is to not feel welcomed in a strange country. Our own experience of emigration from Ireland - and, in recent years,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Israeli Settlements (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25, 41 and 43 together. Earlier this month I undertook a four-day working visit to the Middle East, with meetings in Cairo, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ramallah and Gaza. In my visit to Israel and Palestine, I met with key representatives of the Government of Israel and of the Palestinian Authority, as well as leaders of other Israeli political parties, our...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Agreements (25 Jan 2018)

Simon Coveney: I am aware of the recent repatriation agreement signed between the Governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar to provide for the repatriation of refugees, predominantly members of the Myanmar Rohingya community, currently living in refugee camps in Bangladesh having fled Myanmar over the last number of months. Officials from my Department continue to closely monitor developments and the Government...