Results 14,041-14,060 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Funding (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Government is committed to greater engagement with the public on the Future of Europe and in this regard my Department is providing funding of €750,000 over 3 years for a Future of the EU27 project being carried out the Institute for International and European Affairs (IIEA). The first tranche of this funding, €125,000, is being provided this year to the IIEA. The IIEA...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff Training (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department supports the continuous development of its officers through the implementation of a broad range of professional development programmes focusing on leadership, management, compliance and evaluation with a view to strengthening the management and diplomatic capabilities of its staff. In addition to intensive language training, my Department also provides its officers with a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: The illegal destruction by Israel of Palestinian homes, schools, wells, solar panels and other structures, principally in Area C of the West Bank but also in the Golan Heights, is a matter of grave concern and one that Ireland has focused attention on in recent years, both nationally and at EU and international level. One specific aspect of this unacceptable practice which has gained...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: eGovernment Services (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: As part of the eGovernment strategy 2017- 2020, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer has been working on the development of a Digital Service Gateway - a single digital point where citizens can easily access information about the Government services that are available to them. My understanding is that this work, which began earlier this year, is ongoing but we have not yet...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: As you may be aware, 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....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Websites (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 446, 450 and 451 together. No external company is currently undertaking an audit of my Department's website. An overall upgrade of my Department’s 84 websites (including , , and those of Ireland’s diplomatic missions abroad) was launched in 2011 and completed in 2015. A further additional upgrade is currently underway to deliver fully responsive...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I am deeply concerned by the deterioration in the situation in Rakhine State, Myanmar, since attacks on security outposts in August 2017. There are widespread, credible reports of human rights abuses by the Myanmar security forces against the minority Rohingya people and around 600,000 refugees, mostly Rohingya, have fled to neighbouring countries, primarily Bangladesh. The situation in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: State Properties (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department occupies 12 buildings in Ireland which are provided by the Office of Public Works. The average cost of the provision of a defibrillator in each building is €1,400. My Department also occupies 84 premises overseas. It is not possible to provide an accurate figure as the costs for the purchase of defibrillators vary from country to country. There are no agencies under the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Strategic Communications Unit (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I met with the Director of the Strategic Communications Unit (SCU) at the Department of the Taoiseach in my Leinster House office on 18 October. I was accompanied at this meeting by the Secretary General of my Department and by the Director General of my Department’s Policy and Communications Division. Prior to this, the Director General of my Department’s Policy and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff Data (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department’s Press Relations Section is part of the Policy and Communications Division. The Press Relations Section carries out a range of functions in relation to communicating the work of the Department to the media and responding to media queries and requests . It is also responsible for the Department’s online social media presence on Twitter. It works closely with the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff Training (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department supports the continuous development of its officers through the implementation of a broad range of professional development programmes, focusing on leadership, management, compliance and evaluation with a view to strengthening the management and diplomatic capabilities of its staff. In addition to intensive language training, my Department provides its officers with a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Public Relations Contracts Data (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department has not engaged outside public relations companies or agencies for the purposes of information campaigns since 1 January 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Funding (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department is responsible for two votes - Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs and Trade) and Vote 27 (International Cooperation) and administers a number of funding schemes. A series of indicative grants to organisations is typically identified at the start of each year through the annual budgetary process. Payments are made subject to satisfactory grant appraisals. Grants to individual...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Negotiations (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for Brexit, I have responsibility for coordinating the whole-of-Government response to Brexit. In this capacity, I am working closely with colleagues across Government to address the many challenges resulting from Brexit. This cooperation also involves the relevant State Agencies. Work at Cabinet level is being prepared...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Dáil has discussed on a number of occasions the developing pressure being placed on NGOs in Israel and Palestine who are active on human rights and justice issues relating to the occupation of Palestinian territory. While noting that Israel still retains a more active and freer civil society than most countries in its immediate neighbourhood, I have expressed my deep concern at the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consular Services Provision (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department is not in a position to provide financial assistance for Irish citizens involved in legal matters or disputes overseas and has no budget for any assistance in this area. If the Deputy wishes to provide me with details of any specific case where hardship is being experienced by a family in the circumstances described, officials in my Department’s Consular Directorate...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Contracts (7 Nov 2017)

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 a number of Consular services. The maintenance and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I am aware of the case to which the Deputy refers, that of Mr. José Jair Cortés, who was killed in Tumaco in the Nariño province of Colombia on 17 October, in the aftermath of another incident of violence which occurred there on 5 October and resulted in the deaths of at least seven civilians and the wounding of many more. I wish, first of all, to extend to the family of Mr....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: I am extremely concerned about the current situation in Yemen, in particular as the humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate. The war has entered into its third year, the political process has stalled, and fighting is continuing, with increasingly devastating consequences for the civilian population. Meanwhile, the country is on the brink of famine and is facing the world’s...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Advisers (7 Nov 2017)

Simon Coveney: There are currently two Special Advisors employed by my Department; the Special Advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Special Adviser to the Minister of State for European Affairs. The Special Advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is Ms. Caitríona Fitzpatrick. She was previously my Special Adviser when I served as Minister for the Environment,...