# simon-coveney - Wednesday 15 September, 2021
# Rolling Controversy
# Rolling Controversy
The Foreign Affairs Committee agreed to extend the request this morning.
# Time Please
# Time Please
A memo gone to Cabinet today sets out that the country’s licensing laws need to be updated as some date back to the 19th century.
# simon-coveney - Tuesday 14 September, 2021
# Zapponegate
# Zapponegate
Sinn Féin is set to table a motion of no confidence in Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney tomorrow.
# simon-coveney - Monday 13 September, 2021
# Documentary
# Documentary
The terms of reference of an independent review into harassment and bullying in the Defence Forces are due to be finalised this week.
# Reset
# Reset
The FG leader said it was time to “refresh, regroup and reset”.
# simon-coveney - Sunday 12 September, 2021
# Zapponegate
# Zapponegate
The Minister for Social Protection said today that there are “more important things” than the controversy surrounding Coveney’s appointment of Katherine Zappone to a UN special envoy position.
# simon-coveney - Friday 10 September, 2021
# Zappone Saga
# Zappone Saga
Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy said the Taoiseach has failed to hold Coveney to account over the Zappone saga.
# simon-coveney - Thursday 9 September, 2021
# Women's Rights
# Women's Rights
The foreign affairs minister visited the 9/11 memorial earlier today.
# simon-coveney - Wednesday 8 September, 2021
# United Nations
# United Nations
The foreign affairs minister will also visit the 9/11 memorial ahead of the 20th anniversary of the attack.
# Zapponegate
# Zapponegate
His comment comes after Mary Lou McDonald said today that Simon Coveney cannot stay on.
# simon-coveney - Tuesday 7 September, 2021
# Simon Coveney
# Simon Coveney
Coveney was grilled further on the Zappone controversy before an Oireachtas Committee today.
# Sorry
Coveney acknowledges "making mistakes in recent weeks" and that this has created "a political embarrassment for the Government" In hindsight , Coveney says it would have been helpful for him to respond to Zappone's text to tell her that it was not a job offer, but rather a concept. The minister called Zappone on Sunday to tell her their text messages were being released
# Zapponegate
Latest episode in controversy has seen concerns raised by journalists, transparency activists and opposition TDs, Stephen McDermott writes. Simon Coveney set to appear before Oireachtas committee this morning, following admission last week that he deleted text messages. Department of Foreign Affairs published 111 records relating to proposed Zappone appointment yesterday on foot of numerous FOI requests.
# simon-coveney - Monday 6 September, 2021
# Document Drop
Coveney is due back before an Oireachtas committee tomorrow morning and has promised to answer questions on the documents. Texts released today add further detail to the timeline surrounding the planned appointment of Zappone to the UN envoy role. The document dump also includes a text from Zappone in the aftermath of the Merrion-gate controversy.
# Transparency
# Transparency
The Department of Foreign Affairs is expected to publish documents today relating to Katherine Zappone’s role.
# simon-coveney - Sunday 5 September, 2021
# James Lawless
# James Lawless
James Lawless described the controversy as a “Fine Gael mess” and insisted: “There’s not a single Fianna Fail-er near this.”
# simon-coveney - Saturday 4 September, 2021
# Merriongate
# Merriongate
Micheál Martin denied the row is proving a distraction to the Government.
# Merrion Gate
Leo Varadkar, Simon Coveney and Katherine Zappone have been drawn back into controversy this week. Developments included deleted and revealed texts, FOI requests and an Oireachtas committee. Orla Dwyer takes a look back at what happened in late July and what the situation is now.
# simon-coveney - Friday 3 September, 2021
# Simon SMS
# Simon SMS
TD Matt Carthy said the Department of Foreign Affairs should also clarify if any other relevant documents have been erased.
# Your Say
# Your Say
It’s all the rage.
# simon-coveney - Thursday 2 September, 2021
# Merrion
# Merrion
The fallout from the Zappone controversy continues.
# simon-coveney - Wednesday 1 September, 2021
# Spelling It Out
New screenshots show conversations between Leo Varadkar with Katherine Zappone and Simon Coveney in July. The Tánaiste and Zappone discussed her event at the Merrion Hotel, including whether it was "definitely legal". She asked the Tánaiste if he had heard anything about her prospective appointment as a UN Special Envoy.
# Kabul
# Kabul
The minister said that Ireland has now granted 280 refugee status papers to Afghan citizens who want to leave and are in danger.
# Zapponegate
# Zapponegate
Simon Coveney said yesterday that Katherine Zappone did not lobby him for a job.
# simon-coveney - Tuesday 31 August, 2021
# Zapponegate
# Zapponegate
The minister is facing scrutiny from an Oireachtas committee over Katherine Zappone’s appointment as a UN envoy.
# simon-coveney - Friday 27 August, 2021
# Homebound
# Homebound
Another 60 Irish citizens are still in the country, with operations to evacuate civilians now “effectively closed”.
# simon-coveney - Thursday 26 August, 2021
# Kabul Airport
# Kabul Airport
At least 60 Irish citizens remain in Afghanistan.
# simon-coveney - Tuesday 24 August, 2021
# Coronavirus
# Coronavirus
Cabinet will meet next week to sign off on a reopening plan.
# Backlash
From The42
# Backlash
Minster for Foreign Affairs also admitted what happened at Croke Park ‘isn’t how that was supposed to work’ after negotiations with GAA to allow 40,000 to attend.
# simon-coveney - Monday 23 August, 2021
# Afghanistan
# Afghanistan
They are expected to arrive into Kabul on Thursday.
# simon-coveney - Sunday 22 August, 2021
# Afghanistan
# Afghanistan
A total of eight Irish citizens have now been evacuated, with 34 remaining in the country.
# simon-coveney - Friday 20 August, 2021
# Irish In Afghanistan
# Irish In Afghanistan
The Department of Foreign Affairs has said that a total of six Irish citizens have now left the country.
# simon-coveney - Thursday 19 August, 2021
# Irish In Afghanistan
# Irish In Afghanistan
Aoife MacManus, one of the three Irish people who has left Afghanistan, spoke to Nuacht RTÉ this evening.
# Live Events
# Live Events
Simon Coveney said today that the sector would have more certainty soon.
# simon-coveney - Monday 16 August, 2021
# Merriongate
# Merriongate
He acknowledged that mistakes were made in the appointment of the former children’s minister as a UN special envoy.
# simon-coveney - Thursday 5 August, 2021
# Freedom Of Expression
# Freedom Of Expression
The DFA has said a decision on the next steps will not be taken until next month.
# simon-coveney - Sunday 1 August, 2021
# Vice Admiral Mark Mellett
Vice Admiral Mark Mellett is set to retire in the coming months from his role as Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces. In a wide-ranging interview Mellett spoke at length about funding difficulties. He also believes that the future of defence lies in a combination of cyber and traditional roles.
# simon-coveney - Friday 30 July, 2021
# Freedom Of Expression
# Freedom Of Expression
The former minister is to be made a UN envoy.
# simon-coveney - Thursday 29 July, 2021
# Cabinet Approval
# Cabinet Approval
The Taoiseach would not be drawn today on whether the job was Zappone’s idea.
# simon-coveney - Wednesday 28 July, 2021
# Katherine Zappone
# Katherine Zappone
Varadkar said Zappone approached Coveney about the position.
