Simon was appointed Fine Gael Spokesperson on Transport, July 2010.
He was previously Spokesperson on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
He was first elected to Dáil Éireann in a by-election for Cork South Central in October 1998, following the untimely death of his father, Hugh Coveney TD. He was appointed Fine Gael Spokesperson on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, September, 2007.
He was the Fine Gael Spokesperson on Drugs and Youth Issues, Assistant Chief Whip and Secretary of Fine Gael Parliamentary Party from 1998-June, 2002.
Simon was re-elected to the Dáil in May 2002. He was appointed Opposition Spokesperson for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in June 2002, a post he held until October 2004.
Simon has been a member of various Oireachtas Committees including Family, Social and Community Affairs; Education and Science; Communications Marine and Natural Resources and the Strategic Management Initiative Committee.
In May 2007, Simon was re-elected to Dáil Éireann for Cork South Central in the General Election. As a result of this, he resigned his seat as the MEP for Ireland South in the European Parliament.
Local Authorities
He was a member of Cork County Council from 1999 to 2003, including membership of the Coastal Management Committee and of a number of area and development committees on Cork County Council.
Simon is a former Chairperson of Joint City and County Committee.
He was a member of the Southern Health Board from 1999 to 2003 and also served on that Board's Psychiatric Services Committee.
European Parliament
Elected to the European Parliament in June 2004 as a Fine Gael candidate for the Ireland South constituency, Simon Coveney was part of the EPP-ED Group in the European Parliament.
He was a member of three European Parliament committees:
The Committee on Foreign Affairs
The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
The Committee on Fisheries
He was also a member of the following delegations:
Delegation for relations with the United States
Delegation for relations with Iran
Simon was the author of the European Parliament's Annual Report on Human Rights in the World 2004, which was adopted by European Parliament in April 2005 and was also the Author for the 2006 Report adopted by Parliament in May 2007.
A member of the Subcommittee on Human Rights,in June 2005 he was appointed the Co-ordinator for Human Rights for the EPP-ED Group.
Personal Information
Born in Cork in June 1972, Simon holds a B.Sc. in Agriculture and Land Management from Royal Agriculture College, Gloucestershire. He was also educated at Clongowes Wood College, County Kildare; University College Cork, and Gurteen Agricultural College, County Tipperary.
Other Interests and Responsibilities
A keen fan of all competitive sport from Gaelic Football and Hurling to Rugby, he played Rugby for Garryowen, Cork Constitution and Crosshaven Rugby Clubs.
In 1997/8 he led the "Sail Chernobyl Project" which involved sailing a boat 30,000 miles around the world and raising €650,000 for charity.
He has travelled extensively, visiting a large number of Third World countries.
He is a fully qualified Sailing Instructor and Life Guard.
For a number of years he had been responsible for the management of the family farm and family interests in County Cork.
