Results 13,661-13,680 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: This is territory in which I am personally very interested. It is going to be some time before people see the full benefits of Rebuilding Ireland but we have dramatically increased funding for social housing and there is a multi-annual commitment of almost €6 billion to add 50,000 new social housing units to the national stock, which would be a 30% increase over four or five years....

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: One thing we do not need is to try to start all over again with a new plan. We have a plan that is under way.

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: It is working. I will give the Deputy some statistics because those supplied by the Deputy are simply not true. At the end of the third quarter of 2017, 12,300 social housing units were advancing through various stages of delivery. There were 3,700 homes across 190 sites under construction nationwide and 2,000 in the final stages of contract award in a further 90 schemes which will move to...

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: If the Deputy looks at what is happening in the private sector, she will see a 48% increase in commencements and a 50% increase in planning applications. The fast-track planning changes we have made for housing estates of over 100 units is getting huge interest from developers and is putting An Bord Pleanála under pressure to deliver results. We are seeing a sector gearing up again to...

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: The European Union works on the basis of rules, treaties, precedent and negotiated agreements. What does not work is negotiation where a third party changes mid-stream or does not follow through on commitments made in writing. We have had very strong messaging this week from the European Parliament, from European institutions, from the General Affairs Council, from Michel Barnier himself in...

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: What we will look for and get is a very strong set of guidelines tomorrow which will ensure that if phase 2 is to progress, the commitments made during phase 1 will be fully followed through and, where appropriate, will need to be translated faithfully into legal terms as soon as possible.

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: In common with the Deputy, the Government wants to see justice for victims of all cases of sexual abuse, including this case. I understand that the person referred to was the subject of an investigation in the early 1990s, as the Deputy said, before they departed this jurisdiction for the United States. As a result of judicial review proceedings in 1994, the State was unable to extradite...

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: As I said, I do not want potentially to prejudice any case that may be taken in future. Unfortunately, sometimes time is a barrier in bringing successful convictions. I do not want to say that is the case in this particular instance, because I do not know, but the State will do all it can to try to bring individuals to justice who have been accused of sexual abuse. It is important to say...

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Government and I believe that the longer the transition period, the better. That period will need to be closer to four or five years than two years. The time that is needed for a transition period will also be determined by the approach of the United Kingdom towards these negotiations. If the UK wants to negotiate a Canada style free trade agreement, it will take a number of years. If...

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: I would caution against taking a line from some political commentary as outline facts. What we have in writing is what people should look at and see. This is the commitment the British Government has made to 27 EU countries, not only to Ireland, and to EU institutions at the most senior level. Those commitments are cast iron in my view and in the view of the EU negotiators and the EU...

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: First, when people see the text of the guidelines agreed by leaders, which are to be published tomorrow morning, they will clearly see the determination on the EU side to ensure there is no slide-back from the commitments that were made in phase 1. This applies to issues of particular Irish concern, as well as other issues. It is very clear in the wording that the negotiations in the second...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consular Services Data (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: The establishment of a network of locally hired Commercial Attachés was one of the key components of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Economic Diplomacy Strategy launched in January 2016. The initiative was designed to bolster the capacity of our Mission network in selected locations to support economic promotion under the Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Cases (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy will recall that my predecessor issued a statement expressing serious concerns when the co-chairs of the Peoples’ Democratic (HDP) Party, Figen Yüksekdað and Selahattin Demirtas, were arrested in November 2016. A representative of the Embassy in Ankara tried without success to gain access to the court when Figen Yüksekdað’s trial opened in July...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Legislative Programme (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: Specific provisions of Acts under my Department that have not yet been commenced are Sections 14(8) and 14(9) of the Passports Act 2008. These Sections of the Passports Act, if commenced, would provide that guardians’ consent to the issuing of a passport would be considered to be enduring for the child up to the age of 18. The commencement of these provisions is currently under...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Council Meetings (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: I attended the most recent EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on Monday 11 December, where developments in the Middle East, including the Middle East Peace Process, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Libya were discussed. The Council had a good exchange of views on the Middle East Peace Process and developments in the wider region. We discussed what more the EU can do...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Council Meetings (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: The meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu in Brussels on 11 December preceded the Foreign Affairs Council, and was not therefore a meeting with the Council itself. The meeting was an informal breakfast meeting, essentially an exchange of views, and so there was no formal outcome as such. High Representative Mogherini hosted the meeting, and a similar encounter with Palestinian President...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Negotiations (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 50 and 53 together. I welcome the Joint Report from the EU and UK negotiators on progress in phase one of the Brexit negotiations, published on 8 December. On Irish-specific issues, the Government achieved the goals we set out to achieve in this phase. They included maintenance of the Common Travel Area, protection of the Good Friday Agreement in all...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Directives (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: The European Commission initiated a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on work-life balance for parents and carers and repealing Council Directive 2010/18/EU on 26 April 2017. The proposed directive aims to address women's under-representation in employment and support their career progression through improved conditions to reconcile their working and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consultancy Contracts Data (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 59 together. The Department is responsible for two votes - Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs and Trade) and Vote 27 (International Cooperation). The Department commissions external expertise where highly specialised skills are not available within the Department and in particular where ongoing independent evaluation of programmes and projects is required. During...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Data (14 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: The number of passports issued in the years requested is as follows: Year Passports issued 2012 635,600 2013 634,635 2014 632,156 2015 672,760 2016 733,060 2017 (1st Jan. 0 10th Dec.) 752,296