Results 101-120 of 43,498 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I share Deputy Tully's view that the staff are excellent and I also share her view that there are not enough of them. The relatively good news is that we have just completed phase 1 of a recruitment campaign into our child disability network teams which will see more therapists, more speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. We are about to see the HSE...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: We will certainly look at any good ideas in advance of the budget. Obviously, we should all exercise. I include walking around your local park and exercising in your community in that. We have introduced a number of important measures, including the bike to work scheme. It is a novel idea that is certainly worthy of consideration. I will ask the Minister, Deputy McGrath, to consider it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: People in Wicklow are very interested in the sports capital programme as well. I inquired about this myself only the other day. My understanding is that the sports capital funding allocations are likely to be made in the autumn, probably in September or October. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, and the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, to confirm that to the Deputy. As...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: This will be the benefit of a directly-elected mayor for Limerick because this sounds like something the local authority and LDA should work together on. I will certainly ask the Minister for housing to follow up on Deputy Quinlivan's suggestion and revert to him.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I am not sure whether he has charts-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: -----but I can sense the Deputy's frustration in trying to get an answer to this question for her constituents in Kildare. I will ask the Minister for Health to revert to her directly to clarify the issue.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: The entire reason the Government provided the HSE with a budget that allows it to expand staff numbers by 2,200 in the HSE and by more than 3,000 when disability services are factored in was to ensure that service delivery issues like this could be considered. I will certainly ask the Minister for Health and the CEO of the HSE to revert to the Deputy directly on the specific query he has raised.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I fully agree with Deputy Stanton. As I travel around the country, I see many projects that have benefited from the fund. I am sure there are many in his own county of Cork. I do not have the specific date but I will ask the Minister for housing to revert to Deputy Stanton directly.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Kelly for raising this issue regarding temporary higher appointments. I will not pretend to have been aware of it because I was not. I do not doubt what he has said. I will ask the Minister for Health to come back to the Deputy on the matter directly. I have a note here that shows the very significant increase in staffing at the hospital. I will send it to the Deputy but I...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. I genuinely welcome that the Government and the Opposition in Ireland speak with one voice on this matter. It is important for the people of Palestine and for Ireland that we recognise the state of Palestine. I acknowledge the Deputy's long-standing support for that. I assure her and the House that we will continue to work at every possible opportunity for an immediate...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I can. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I fully agree with him. I am aware of the size of Swords and the population expansion being seen there. I am of the view that if there are challenges in the delivery of any such primary care centres, we will have to come up with alternative ways of progressing them. I accept the need for the people of Swords and south Fingal to have that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: If that is an unwritten policy, it has not been approved by the Government and somebody would need to scrap that policy pretty quickly because we are in urgent need of more additional autism classes. What the Deputy outlined has not been my experience in a couple of projects I worked on in my constituency, but that situation must be very frustrating if a school puts up its hand to say it is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I do not want to be overly argumentative with the Deputy, but I want to check. She did not say that Israel does not have the right to exist?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: To be very clear, it is the Government's position-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: -----that there is a State of Israel and a state of Palestine, based on the 1967 borders.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy may not agree with that. I am articulating the Government's position on what recognition means today and that both states have a right to exist in peace and security, as do the Israeli and Palestinian people, their children and their children's children. We intend to keep diplomatic relations with Israel.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: We keep diplomatic relations with countries we vehemently disagree with. Those diplomatic relations are often very important in relation to our citizens.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for making a constructive suggestion regarding how innovation is helping patients and being cost-efficient. The health service is funded this year to grow its staffing levels by 2,200 additional staff; it is 3,000 when disability services are included. I will ask about the service the Deputy referenced and its particular benefits from a cost and patient point of view.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of factory workers and the benefits support for them would have for the whole sector. I will ask the Minister for Social Protection to look into his suggestion and to revert to him directly.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: First, the Deputy referenced anger and toxicity in politics. While anger and toxicity, when manifested in the way some local election candidates across the political divide have experienced it, is utterly unacceptable and should always be called out by all of us, as I know the Deputy would, my overwhelming experience when I engage with people right across this country is that people are...