Results 14,081-14,100 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney
- Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: I have control over many things but I not quite sure I have any power in the context of where Coillte sources its wood pulp. I take the point the Deputy is raising. During my time in a previous Ministry, I got to know Coillte very well. I do not know the strategic reason for its not sourcing wood pulp from private forestry operators, if, in fact, that is the case. I can certainly try to...
- Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: All I can say is the Government has absolutely no intention of allowing the emergency department in Portlaoise to be closed.
- Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: The information I have just received is that it is due back in early November.
- Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: I know, and I try to update the House by asking for information from outside the House. Perhaps the Deputy could say "thanks". I am trying to get an answer for him. I know Deputy Shortall is very associated with this legislation and I remember the debates she brought forward relating to the alcohol Bill. All I can say to her is that the Minister is committed to this legislation and wants...
- Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: First, I thank ESB Networks and Irish Water for their response to what was an extraordinary weather event. My understanding is that there are fewer than 50 houses without water as a result of Storm Ophelia. There were tens of thousands that did not have water at one point. Likewise, in terms of ESB connections, at one point, up to 350,000 households had no power. It is now down to...
- Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: Actually, he did not. He was saying that Irish Water was not fit for purpose. I think it has done an extraordinary job in the past ten days.
- Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: My understanding is that there is agreement on that but I do not have a timescale for it. I can come back to the Deputy with regard to it.
- Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: I wish to restate my thanks to the officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their work and in particular to the ambassador and his team, and the previous ambassador and team, in Cairo. This has been a long-running problem for the Department to work on with the Halawa family and its legal team. It is great to see its happy ending today. My understanding is that the...
- Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: That is the information I have just been given.
- Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: I will come back with a more exact date.
- Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: We work very well together. I think he causes Deputy Martin more difficulties than me.
- Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: I will give the Deputy an assurance that I will raise it with the Minister. The Deputy knows how decisions are made on approval for drugs. I know the issue has been raised many times in this House that drugs that treat very rare conditions are sometimes in a different category. This is the first time I have heard of this particular six year old. I will raise it with the Minister for...
- Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: The official position is that it has just finished pre-legislative scrutiny but even if that happened in July, we do not have an official date for when it will be brought before the House. I will try to get a response for the Deputy.
- Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: These issues have been discussed and debated at the Business Committee. There was an agreement by consensus at the Business Committee and that is where we should leave it.
- Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: My understanding is that will happen during Private Members' time. However, the Minister will take Oral Questions later this afternoon and will also deal with those issues at that time.
- Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: That is today. My understanding is that tomorrow he will make a statement during Private Members' time.
- Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: The first response to that particular contribution is to make a distinction about the thousands of people who work behind the counters-----
- Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: -----in banks to deal with customers in difficult situations every day. They are not the people who should be the target of our ire here. It is senior decision-making in banks that is responsible for what happened in this scandal and that is why it is the most senior decision-makers in banks that the Minister for Finance met yesterday and will meet again today. He will make a comprehensive...
- Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: Lest anybody be unaware of the extent and seriousness of this scandal, by the end of September €163 million had been provided back to customers, representing 3,300 customers. By the end of this process we are talking about close to 30,000 customers who will be entitled to their money back and to redress. This will involve hundreds of millions of euro. This is money that was taken...
- Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2017)
Simon Coveney: I do not profess to be an expert on this area. I thank the Deputy for acknowledging the limitations of what we can commit to here in the House. This was an issue we put a lot of focus on about a year ago in the context of homelessness, particularly in terms of the need for the State to intervene in a more comprehensive way to try to deal with both addiction and mental health in a way that...