# Simon Coveney

Last year

2022

# up north

Taoiseach and Jeffrey Donaldson meet in Belfast as DUP rejects 'sticking plaster approach'

Micheál Martin has been meeting all of the Northern Ireland party leaders today.

Jeffrey Donaldson said: “Dublin must belatedly recognise that if nothing is fixed then there will be no progress."

Speaking this morning, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that "in the democratic world" people should attend parliament.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney also met his British counterpart Liz Truss in Turin today.

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May 20th 2022, 4:33 PM

# Brexit

O'Neill accuses Johnson of 'assisting DUP nonsense' amid UK plans to 'rip up' parts of Protocol

Liz Truss is expected to declare her intention to bring forward legislation which rips up parts of the UK’s post-Brexit trade deal.

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May 17th 2022, 10:25 AM

# Northern Ireland

Johnson says protocol causing ‘real problems’ in Northern Ireland and must be ‘fixed’

Boris Johnson said the DUP would not join a powersharing agreement until changes have been made to the Brexit treaty.

European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic earlier said the UK plans to scrap swathes of the Protocol are "unacceptable".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has dismissed suggestions of any possible escalatory response from the EU as "crazy".

DUP MP Sammy Wilson said his party has adopted a wait-and-see approach over what the UK Government will do about the Protocol.

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May 12th 2022, 6:23 PM

# Stormont

What happens after count day? The real work begins on Government formation

Sinn Féin Vice President Michelle O’Neill said it would be “absolutely unfathomable” that a new Executive would not be formed after today.

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May 6th 2022, 4:21 PM

# heading west

Foreign affairs minister to meet senior US officials on Washington trip

Coveney is expected to raise the Northern Ireland Protocol as well the war in Ukraine.

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Apr 27th 2022, 9:29 PM

# Ukraine

Ukraine receives missiles from Norway amid warning Mariupol defenders are facing 'last days'

Commander Serhiy Volyna said his marines are “maybe facing our last days, if not hours”.

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Apr 20th 2022, 10:45 AM

# address

'It is madness': Coveney addresses UN and describes witnessing mass graves at Bucha

“There was nothing fabricated about what I witnessed,” he told the assembly.

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Apr 19th 2022, 8:33 PM

# Ukraine

Simon Coveney to address UN Security Council today on Bucha and Kyiv visit

Coveney visited Bucha and Kyiv last week and will brief his colleagues on what he witnessed.

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Apr 19th 2022, 12:03 AM

# Ukraine

Simon Coveney visits Bucha after discussing Ukraine's EU application 'in detail' in Kyiv

The Foreign Affairs Minister is to travel to areas directly affected by the Russian invasion.

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Apr 14th 2022, 4:30 PM

# passport delays

'Significant delays' in processing new passports caused by a surge in demand

First-time passport applications and children’s passports, particularly for foreign-born children are seeing the longest delays.

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Apr 7th 2022, 4:52 PM

Anglo-Irish relations: Simon Coveney meets with Liverpool and Manchester mayors in Dublin

Ireland is focusing on building relationships with parts of the UK outside of London as part of its post-Brexit plan.

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Mar 29th 2022, 9:30 PM

# Belfast

Belfast hijacking: Woman (48) arrested as part of the security threat investigation

Simon Coveney was giving a talk in Belfast on Friday when he was abruptly evacuated due to a security alert.

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Mar 29th 2022, 7:10 PM

# Security Alert

Man (41) and woman (38) arrested in investigation into north Belfast hijacking

Simon Coveney was giving a talk in north Belfast on Friday when he was abruptly evacuated due to a security alert.

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Mar 27th 2022, 12:24 PM

# Threat

PSNI investigating if UVF behind hijacking that disrupted Simon Coveney speech in Belfast

A van driver was threatened by two gunmen and forced to drive to another street, where a hoax device was then placed in the vehicle.

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Mar 25th 2022, 8:15 PM

# Brexit

Coveney urges UK to reconsider Northern Ireland border pass proposal

The Foreign Affairs Minister raised concerns about plans for foreigners to have an Electronic Travel Authorisation pass when crossing the border.

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Mar 23rd 2022, 7:52 PM

# 100 years

Irish Air Corps celebrates 100 years of service with Dublin city fly past

The Irish Air Corps celebrated 100 years since its formation at Casement Aerodrome this morning.

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Mar 23rd 2022, 1:11 PM

# Simon Coveney

Coveney praises Poland's 'incredible solidarity' during visit to discuss Ukraine

Coveney will meet his Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau and speak to humanitarian organisations assisting those fleeing the war.

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Mar 18th 2022, 5:00 PM

# Donations

Body armour and 10 tonnes of food sent by Ireland to Ukrainian army

Defence Minister Simon Coveney confirmed that the equipment and food will shortly arrive at a Polish logistics hub.

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Mar 14th 2022, 5:10 PM

# In the Navy

Government purchases two ships for naval service from New Zealand

The procurement of the two vessels is part of the “regeneration” of Ireland’s Naval Service.

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Mar 13th 2022, 3:23 PM

# Cyber Security

Ireland faces increased cyber attack threat following Ukraine invasion, says Coveney

The Foreign Affairs minister also indicated that Ireland is currently preparing to send defence equipment to Ukraine.

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Mar 10th 2022, 5:19 PM

# On the defence

Ireland needs to have ‘fundamental rethink’ over security, says Coveney

The Minister said that there was ‘no target’ on how many Ukrainian refugees would be supported to come to Ireland.

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Mar 9th 2022, 6:53 PM

# Ukraine

An online portal to offer help to Ukrainian refugees in Ireland has opened

The United Nations said yesterday that 1.5 million have fled Ukraine since the invasion of the country by Russia.

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Mar 7th 2022, 5:18 PM

# Ukraine

Timmy Dooley and Billy Kelleher travel to Lviv for talks with political leaders

Dooley said Ireland will have to play its part in providing accommodation “and lots of it” to refugees fleeing Ukraine.

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Mar 7th 2022, 9:35 AM

# Ukraine

Up to 20,000 Ukrainian refugees could come to Ireland as Taoiseach says Ireland 'must be generous'

Irish families could be asked to open up their homes temporarily, said the minister.

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Mar 1st 2022, 3:10 PM

# russian invasion

Taoiseach says Ireland's non-lethal military support for Ukraine is 'sufficient' as EU members are sending weapons

Micheál Martin said it would be “unthinkable” for the EU not to send arms to Ukraine.

Micheál Martin said it would be "unthinkable" for the EU not to send weapons to Ukraine.

Both An Taoiseach and Minister Simon Coveney said there were currently no plans to expel the Russian ambassador.

Martin also cast doubt on whether Ukraine could join the EU "immediately".

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Feb 28th 2022, 1:36 PM

# Ukraine

Freezing assets of Putin and Lavrov ‘absolutely appropriate’ – Simon Coveney

Coveney suggested Ireland would be open to harsher measures against Russia than those already agreed by the EU.

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Feb 25th 2022, 5:18 PM

# Sanctions

Taoiseach condemns Russia's recognition of Ukraine breakaway regions

He described today’s announcement as a breach of international law.

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Feb 21st 2022, 11:02 PM

# Moscow

Russia is 'on brink' of invading Ukraine, US warns despite ongoing talks

Emmanuel Macron talked with Vladimir Putin today, before calling Volodymyr Zelensky.

Emmanuel Macron talked with Vladimir Putin today, before calling Volodymyr Zelensky

Minister Simon Coveney said that the prospect of war in Ukraine is now the expectation

Joint Russian and Belarusian military drills are continuing today amid increased tension with Ukraine

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Feb 20th 2022, 6:15 PM

# Kyiv Embassy

Department of Foreign Affairs says 145 Irish citizens now registered with embassy in Ukraine

The department said that this number “may rise further over the coming days”.

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Feb 14th 2022, 4:36 PM

# Foreign Affairs minister

Coveney: Champagne-gate pic was 'careless mistake', says in hindsight he should have raised it with officials

The Minister for Foreign Affairs has been giving evidence before the committee.

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Feb 8th 2022, 5:59 PM

# COMMISSION REPORT

Coveney's focus on Defence portfolio brought into question by some after Russia controversy

Questions have been asked as to whether Coveney is stretched too thin being in charge of the DFA and Defence.

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Feb 8th 2022, 12:05 AM

# champagne gate

Coveney says Foreign Affairs gathering was 'a serious mistake that shouldn't have happened'

Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty said the review of the gathering published last night is “insufficient” and called for an independent investigation.

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Feb 1st 2022, 8:53 AM

# Military

Defence Forces have been 'under-resourced for a long time', Coveney says

It comes after Coveney confirmed that Russia is to relocate its military drills outside Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

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Jan 30th 2022, 2:29 PM

# Russia

Russia says its planned naval exercises have been moved away from Irish-patrolled waters

Simon Coveney announced the update this evening.

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Jan 29th 2022, 5:26 PM

# China

'We are so unbelievably happy': Richard O’Halloran reunited with family after return to Ireland

The businessman had been unable to leave China for almost three years.

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Jan 29th 2022, 2:00 PM

# Surrogacy

Parents expecting baby via surrogate in Ukraine urged to contact Dept, Seanad told

Senator Mary Seery-Kearney said she has been in discussions with Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney about the issues.

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Jan 27th 2022, 4:58 PM

# marine warning

Department issues warning over 'serious safety risks' posed by Russian missile tests

The Department of Transport has warned all seafarers about the Russian military exercises due to take place next week.

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Jan 27th 2022, 11:20 AM

# Foreign Affairs

DFA secretary general gave staff go-ahead to gather 'in the thick of it' to watch UN vote

The go-ahead was communicated in an email from Niall Burgess’s private secretary the day before the gathering.

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Jan 27th 2022, 7:56 AM

# Defence Forces

Women of Honour group slams 'pointless' review into Defence Forces sexual misconduct allegations

The Women of Honour group walked out of a meeting with Simon Coveney today and said it would not be participating.

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Jan 25th 2022, 6:58 PM

# ukraine tensions

Ukrainian president urges calm, insisting Russian invasion not imminent

Russia has denied it is planning an assault, but it has massed an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine in recent weeks.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the situation is “under control” and there is “no reason to panic”.

Nato said it was bolstering its deterrence in the Baltic Sea region, and the US ordered 8,500 troops to potentially deploy to Europe.

The Russian Ambassador to Ireland has also downplayed concerns about planned Russian missile tests off the Irish coast.

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Jan 25th 2022, 3:06 PM