Results 281-300 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: Since the restoration of the Good Friday Agreement institutions last year, there have been three plenary meetings of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC), most recently on 20 June last. The meeting was hosted by the First Minister and the deputy First Minister in the NSMC Secretariat offices in Armagh. This was the first meeting of the NSMC in plenary format since the new Government...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 185 and 186 together. My Department has carried out a full review of expenditure between 2015-2015 (to date) to identify expenditure on the services listed and the information is set out in the table below. These transactions did not involve retainer fee. Period Amount Description Location 2015 - ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Advertising (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade uses public awareness campaigns and advertising to promote essential services to citizens at home and abroad, such as passport and consular services, and to promote Irish interests and values internationally. In recent years, public awareness campaigns in relation to passports, COVID-19 travel restrictions and Brexit have formed a significant part...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: Effective communication is essential for delivering on the goals of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. As part of our learning and development offering, we invest in communication training, which includes media training. In 2024, the Department worked with NUI Galway to provide a Professional Diploma in Communication course (Level 9) for five First Secretaries/Assistant...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade communications team manages press relations, citizen awareness campaigns, public diplomacy, multimedia and digital content for gov.ie/dfa and Ireland.ie. The Department at Headquarters does not engage media consultants to deal with public relations or to provide advice around external communications.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 190 to 194, inclusive, together. Belarus continues to live under the shadow of repression. I remain extremely concerned at the ongoing erosion of human rights and democracy in Belarus. I am deeply conscious that the people of Belarus have been continually denied access to free and fair elections and a real voice in the governing of their country. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 195 and 196 together. Parliamentary elections were held in Albania on 11 May 2025, which resulted in a fourth consecutive victory for the Socialist Party, led by Prime Minster Edi Rama. At this time, a discussion on the conduct of the election is not scheduled to take place at the European Council. The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Bodies (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: Both I and my officials interact with a wide variety of international partners on the Middle East which remains a major priority for this Government. Ireland’s engagement is guided by our longstanding and principled position, notably respect for international law, respect for the equal right to self-determination, peace, security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians alike, and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: This Department complies with the requirement to publish all purchase orders exceeding €20,000, as required under the 2011 Public Service Reform Plan. These publications refer to transactions for goods and services only. In compiling these reports, the following transactions are correctly excluded: - Items under €20,000 - Items exceeding €20,000 that do not relate...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: According to the latest humanitarian situation update by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) which was published on 2 July 2025, at least 57,012 Palestinians have been killed and 134,592 Palestinians injured in Gaza between 7 October 2023 and 2 July 2025. These figures are provided by the Ministry of Health in Gaza. According to UNICEF, over...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: I am aware of the case in question, which the Deputy has recently brought to my notice. At my instruction, my Department has conveyed to the Iranian authorities our concerns in relation to this case, including in the Oireachtas.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Prisoners Abroad (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: I can confirm that officials in my Department and the relevant Irish Embassy are aware of this case and are providing consular assistance. As with all consular cases, a dedicated consular officer has been assigned to the family and they remain in contact. The consular officer has provided advice and guidance to the family in accordance with the Department’s Consular Assistance...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: The only way to obtain a new passport book with a blank emergency contact page, is to apply for renewal. However, it is open to passport holders who wish to change the emergency contact entered on the back page of their passport to simply cross out the previous next of kin contact details and enter in the new details. Applicants with any queries can contact the Customer Service Hub for...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Military Aircraft (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: Under the terms of the Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order, 1952, all foreign military aircraft wishing to overfly, or land in, the State require diplomatic clearance from the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Diplomatic clearance is subject to strict conditions, including that the aircraft is unarmed; that it carries no arms, ammunition or explosives; that it does not engage in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish Citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship, also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship. Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, is a detailed and complex process, often involving...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: Ireland supports the essential role that UN Special Procedures mandate holders play in the international human rights system. Their work contributes to the development of international human rights standards and helps to raise public awareness on human rights issues. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, Francesca...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: With regard to the specific application about which the deputy has enquired, this application is within the current turnaround time and has not yet reached its issue by date. Further supporting documents for this application were on received on 19 June 2025. The turnaround time following the receipt of additional supporting documents is 15 working days. This application is therefore within...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Military Aircraft (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: As the flight in question was undertaken by a civil aircraft, no request for diplomatic clearance was sought or required. As is well known, diplomatic clearance to overfly or land in the State is required from my Department for all military and state aircraft, but not for civil aircraft. The Convention on International Civil Aviation (the Chicago Convention), and its associated annexes,...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 227 together. My Department has not incurred any expenditure of the nature referred to during the period 2015-2025.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Advertising (8 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: The information requested by Deputy McGuinness in relation to the amount spent by my Department on advertising from 2015 to 2025 is set out in tabular form below: Year Objective Duration Media platforms Advertising agencies Cost 2015 Civilian Recruitment Competition 2 weeks, 1 month Print ...