Results 2,641-2,660 of 46,232 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: The committee, chaired by Deputy Steven Matthews, who is here with us, had about 120 hours worth of hearings on Committee Stage. That is extraordinarily significant and for people watching this debate and Leaders' Questions, that is quite an unusual length of time on Committee Stage, as it should be with respect to getting this right. The Planning and Development Bill 2023 did complete...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: First, I agree with the Deputy that this was not a social or a national priority in all aspects of life, including in politics, until those like the Minister, Deputy McEntee, prioritised the issue. We have now seen this become an absolute priority. We have taken very significant assignments of responsibility and decisions within Government to say the Minister, Deputy McEntee, now...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McDonald for raising this extraordinarily important issue. Before I answer her directly, may I acknowledge the fact that the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has made the decision to step down as leader of the Green Party? Obviously, he has played a major leadership role in this coalition, and I want to acknowledge that. He is an honest, sincere, dedicated and decent politician....

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: The Report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings led by the late Mr Justice Henry Barron was published in December 2003. A sub-committee of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women’s Rights was established to consider the Report and produce recommendations. These recommendations were published in March 2004 as...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Strategies (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: A Policing Service for our Future is the Government’s Plan to implement the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. The Implementation of the Plan has been overseen by a dedicated Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach and an Implementation Group on Policing Reform (IGPR), chaired by an independent person. This phase is expected to conclude this...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Strategies (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: A Policing Service for our Future is the Government’s Plan to implement the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. The Implementation of the Plan has been overseen by a dedicated Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach and an Implementation Group on Policing Reform (IGPR), chaired by an independent person. This phase is expected to conclude this...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Child Poverty (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 70 together. The Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office was established in the Department of the Taoiseach in 2023 to prioritise action across government in areas that will have the greatest impact for children and families experiencing poverty. From Poverty to Potential: A Programme Plan for Child Well-being 2023-2025 was published last...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Child Poverty (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I was delighted to host the Child Poverty and Well-being Summit on Thursday 23rd May in Dublin Castle. I welcomed the former UK Prime Minister and Chancellor the Right Honourable Gordon Brown, who shared what he had learned from his experience of reducing child poverty rates in the UK in his keynote address. My colleague Roderic O’ Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability,...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: The Cabinet Committee on Children and Education and Disability oversees Programme for Government commitments relating to Children, Education and Disability and receives detailed reports on identified policy areas such as child poverty and well-being, local area disadvantage and the reform of disability services. In addition to the meetings of the full Cabinet and of Cabinet committees, I...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (12 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I will start with that point. I will certainly ensure there is continued engagement with the Northern Ireland Executive. Members of our Government have already had bilateral meetings with the Ministers, Conor Murphy and Caoimhe Archibald. We will continue that engagement. We also want to see the Narrow Water bridge come in on time and on budget. Louth County Council is overseeing that...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (12 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I have checked that out and have been informed that is not the case. I am continuing to seek full information. I also had a multiagency meeting on the issue yesterday and my understanding is that there is currently a small amount of spare capacity in some of the facilities. To be very honest, the big thing we are working on in the short term is bringing a State-owned site that has been...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Middle East (12 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: We have to be very careful about that presentation by the Deputy. Somebody asking somebody to investigate somebody for something is a bit of a stretch. The President of the European Commission is not in any way, shape or form what the Deputy portrayed at all. It is important that we share the process with people in the country because there was a lot of misinformation around it during the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (12 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 22, inclusive, together. Ireland submitted its 2024 national reform programme, NRP, to the European Commission on 30 April. The NRP was subsequently also laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas and published. The NRP is an element of the European semester, the annual cycle of economic and social policy co-ordination among EU member states. As...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (12 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I said I do not think I can address that.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (12 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: On the junior doctors, for clarity, I said that while it is important we all support people working in our public health service, it is not appropriate for me to comment specifically on industrial action. I would not appreciate it if people in other Executives commented on industrial relations matters in this jurisdiction.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Middle East (12 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 16, inclusive, together. I reported to the Dáil on 22 May regarding my recent discussions with international leaders on the situation in the Middle East. Since then, I have had calls with President Abbas of Palestine, with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Shehbaz Sharif, and with President Erdogan of Türkiye, following our recognition of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (12 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I will start with Deputy Ó Murchú. I thank him for raising the issue of Lough Neagh. Before we talk about cross-Border shared island and all-island units, I was delighted to be in Omeath at a project that I know the Deputy and John O'Dowd, Minister for Infrastructure of the Northern Ireland Executive, visited recently. I believe the Narrow Water bridge project is going to be...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (12 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 8, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland was created on 10 April 2024 and will oversee implementation of programme for Government commitments and ongoing developments related to Northern Ireland. Its membership comprises me as Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, and the Ministers for the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. If is fair comment that there are many people at work today thanks to the work he, as Minister, did on the Action Plan for Jobs and the like when this country was in the depths of recession. That effort showed how, when we put the focus on employment and enterprise, real progress can be made. I thank him for that. I made the comments to which...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I am not aware of the details of this case but it sounds like the school has been waiting an extraordinarily long time and there has been an extraordinarily long campaign. I will talk directly to the Minister, Deputy Foley, about it. We are very eager to support the development of Gaelcholáistí, particularly where there is such a demand. I will ask the Minister to revert to the...