Results 13,861-13,880 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Negotiations (5 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: I attended the General Affairs Council (Article 50) on Monday 20 November, at which the EU’s Chief Negotiator, Michel Barnier, provided an update to the EU27 Member States on the state of play with regard to the EU-UK negotiations. This provided an important opportunity to take stock of progress in light of the forthcoming decision by the European Council in December on whether or...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Funding (5 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: Department is responsible for two votes - Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs and Trade) and Vote 27 (International Cooperation). The Department administers a number of funding schemes including under Ireland's official overseas development programme, Irish Aid. Between 2016 and 2017, Irish Aid provided €240,000 from its Civil Society Fund to the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) for a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Controls (5 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: I am aware of certain technical issues that have arisen for Irish passport holders going through the ‘Rapid’ self-service system at Faro. Following inquiries, authorities at Faro Airport have confirmed to the Irish Embassy that Irish citizens are not required to go through separate passport control at Faro airport and that they can use EU queues like all other holders of EU...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (5 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy may be aware, all passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act, 2008 which 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 before an Irish passport can be issued to them. As only...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Issues (5 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Article 50 negotiations between the EU and the UK are proceeding on the basis of the phased approach set out in the European Council Guidelines of 29 April 2017. Ireland fully supports this approach, which foresees that discussions on the future EU-UK relationship, including trade, will get underway as soon as sufficient progress has been made on the EU’s key priorities under the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Freedom of Information Data (5 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 131 together. The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. It is not possible in the time available to provide the number of requests for access to records which were decided within twenty working days or the number of requests for which the period of consideration was extended. When, due to the nature and/or number of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Meetings (5 Dec 2017)

Simon Coveney: EU High Representative Mogherini has invited Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel to meet with EU Foreign Ministers at a breakfast meeting on 11 December, taking advantage of the fact that many Foreign Ministers may have arrived for the Foreign Affairs Council which will follow later that day. The Middle East Peace Process is a very important issue for the EU. Ireland supports efforts to...

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: On the last question, the progress report will be made to the Minister of Health but the Minister for Health reports to the Taoiseach in the context of the Cabinet subcommittee on health, which has a specific focus on Sláintecare. The Taoiseach holds the Department and the Minister to account on progress made. The concept of Sláintecare is an all-party approach to ensure we...

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I suspected there would be some questions relating to Galway in the Deputy's contribution. As part of budget 2018 it was announced that funding to improve access to emergency care in 2018 will enable the opening of additional hospital capacity, including new beds, and additional diagnostic services and surgical capacity will be provided to reduce emergency department overcrowding....

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy has asked a lot of questions. If I do not get to all of them on the floor of the House, I will respond having spoken to the Minister of State with responsibility for defence matters. I am personally familiar with some of the cases referred to and previous whistleblowers in relation to issues at Casement Aerodrome. I commit to coming back to the Deputy in detail on these issues.

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Government may have to make decisions on future actions there and we await recommendations from the Minister of State in that regard. It is something in which I have taken a personal interest and of which I have some knowledge, but I cannot go into the detail on the floor of the Dáil.

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: There will be answers to these questions. On the wives and partners of Defence Forces' personnel who are making a point today, I note that successful negotiations with the Permanent Defence Force representative associations have led to significant pay increases under the Lansdowne Road agreement for Defence Forces' personnel. The public service stability agreement for the period 2018...

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Minister of State with responsibility for defence matters tells me that this is happening in the context of having special skill sets within the Defence Forces. It is important to note, having regard to the broader arrangements in place, that combined increases in recent months for new recruits have ranged from 8% to 24%, depending on the point on which they are on the pay scales. We...

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for an opportunity to put a number of things on the record in relation to the Government's approach to Brexit. I shall first turn to the veto issue. The talk of whether or not Ireland uses a veto misunderstands the reality we currently find ourselves in. There is very strong solidarity across the European Union between 27 countries, including Ireland, around what is...

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I assure the House that we are not looking for some kind of constructive ambiguity in language to get us over a political problem. I regard the decisions that may or may not be taken on 14 December as of real, historic significance for Ireland. This is about the permanent change, potentially, in the relationship between Ireland and Britain and the relationships on this island. We have been...

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: It is good to have an opportunity once again to talk about agriculture. In regard to the future of CAP, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Phil Hogan, has managed this issue in a way that is politically intelligent. He has already launched a document on the future of CAP, which will allow us to have that discussion early in the context of the negotiation that will...

Leaders' Questions (30 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: The straight answer to that question is "Yes". We will ensure farmers are not shortchanged and that all the available funding under the rural development plan is fully drawn down for a whole series of schemes, including GLAS, the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, the sheep welfare scheme, the beef genomics and data programme, the organic farming scheme, the knowledge transfer...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Meetings (30 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I met with the Spanish Ambassador on 24 October last following the Statements on Catalonia in this House earlier that day and I have also spoken recently with the Ambassador. The Minister of State for European Affairs, Helen McEntee TD, met with the Spanish Secretary of State for European Affairs, Jorge Toledo, who was accompanied by the Spanish Ambassador, at the Department of Foreign...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Negotiations (30 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: At the General Affairs Council (Article 50) on Monday 20 November, the EU’s Chief Negotiator, Michel Barnier, provided an update to the EU27 Member States on the state of play with regard to the EU-UK negotiations. This provided an important opportunity to take stock of progress in light of the forthcoming decision by the European Council in December on whether or not sufficient...

Questions on Promised Legislation (29 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: This issue came to the Government last week and we agreed to bring it before the House. There will be a full debate on it before a decision is made by this House. The proposal for more structured co-operation on defence and security issues across the European Union has been in development for a number of years. It does not, however, oblige Ireland to do anything. The structure has,...