Results 3,481-3,500 of 46,260 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht (Atógáil) - Questions on Policy or Legislation (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Clarke very much for raising this important issue. My colleague, the Minister for Justice, is extraordinarily committed to adopting a zero-tolerance approach to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. As the Deputy may know, as recently as last week we saw the establishment of Cuan, the new national agency to co-ordinate these efforts. I thank the people undertaking the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht (Atógáil) - Questions on Policy or Legislation (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Shanahan for raising this issue. The PPP bundle 2 is currently at the tender stage. It is awaiting final tender. As soon as this is in, the Government will make a decision shortly thereafter. Regarding the strategic plan, I am in constant contact with Professor Campbell about it. I very much appreciate, support and endorse the contents of the plan. As I think the Deputy...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I know the Deputy well enough to know she does not like wiffle waffle. I do not know the answer to her question but I will take it back directly to the Taoiseach to point out that she raised the matter and to see where the status is.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am pleased to say Sligo has led the way in the provision of part-time education at what was IT Sligo and is now ATU Sligo. It has a very proud record. Up until now, students have had to pay significant fees to access part-time education. That simply does not make sense when we are trying the help people who are in work to upskill or help people...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I remember when Deputy Leddin and I opened that centre together. It has been a key part of the infrastructure. We now have a number of centres of excellence throughout the country. In fact, the question we used to get asked was whether we would have enough capacity in the education system to help people get retrofitting skills. The question now is different. It is now about whether we...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Andrews for raising this issue on behalf of his constituents in Ringsend and Irishtown. The Government is extraordinarily committed to the delivery of social and affordable houses. That can be seen with the significant increases year on year in both, in addition to housing supply overall. On the specifics around the glass bottle site and some of the suggestions and proposals...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: That is high praise from the Deputy; I thank him. I am pleased to be a friend of County Kerry. I thank the Deputy for all his time in bringing me around many educational facilities there. I am delighted to say we have now received a proposal from Kerry ETB, through SOLAS, to rejuvenate and regenerate the old Pretty Polly site and turn it into a state-of-the-art further education college,...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I know how stressful an issue it can be for the parent of an autistic child. We have put a lot of investment and effort into opening new autism classes throughout the county. On County Laois specifically, where there clearly seems to be a challenge, I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, to look into the matter.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy has piqued my interest. I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising this important matter. The issue is ownership of the pier, but people in the community just want to see action. On foot of the Deputy suggesting the need for a fund for local authority-owned piers and harbours, I will ask Ministers Darragh O'Brien and McConalogue to consider his suggestion and revert to him.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Doherty for raising this very serious matter. I spoke to the Minister for children this morning. He was in contact with the CEO of Tusla, Ms Kate Duggan, today. My understanding is similar to Deputy Doherty's, that Tusla has put in place a new internal compliance unit. The purpose of this unit is to enable it to examine evidence from providers of special emergency...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Kelly for raising the issue. I am somewhat familiar from our time engaging on this in my past roles of the importance of the Nenagh community nursing home and the construction now being completed at the facility. Obviously, the State has invested significant funding in trying to bring this project forward. I will ask the Minister for Health to come back to the Deputy...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I will ask the Minister for Health to provide the Deputy with a further update and to liaise with the HSE chief executive on the matter.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank my colleague, Deputy Whitmore. It is an issue we are both familiar with in our constituency, as are many Deputies across the country. I welcome, as the Deputy does, the review of the school transport scheme which came to Cabinet yesterday. It is the largest review of the scheme since its establishment in 1967. We both acknowledge there are some good things in it relating to...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I note Deputy Barry's support for a "Yes" vote on both questions. I believe it is really important that we pass both of these referendums, which will take place on Friday week. A "Yes, No" vote would leave the sexist language about women in the Constitution. We are trying to place a value in the Constitution with regard to care. The Government already has a very active programme of work...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Berry. The first thing that I hope is on the minds of everyone in this House and people right across the country is a need to see an immediate cessation of violence, of killing and the horror the people in Gaza and of Palestine are experiencing. It remains the position of the Irish Government that there needs to be an immediate cessation of violence and of course the release...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: At the outset, I will call out and condemn what happened to the Deputy’s constituency office. I am thinking of her and her staff and would encourage anyone with information to come forward to the Garda in Offaly. It was an utterly despicable act that should be called out and condemned by all. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. She has made a number of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I assure the Deputy that the HSE, the Department, the State Claims Agency and, I believe, the Department of Finance are represented on the group chaired by Dr. Mahony. I have the terms of reference with me. The group will assess why the costs of claims are continuing to rise, develop a plan to implement risk management, recommend measures to address patient concerns, and receive updates on...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: Just because someone does not agree with you it does not mean they do not accept the science. I am a Minister for science, for the record.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I very much accept the science and we very much accept the advisory structures we have set up. We very much accept that the challenges and targets which have been set are really difficult. I very much accept that every day, every week and every month it requires the Government to do new things. If we take agriculture, for example, as an area that has a significant focus on it-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: No, I accept-----