Results 41-60 of 46,197 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I would like to know because it is by all of us coming together that we will create the momentum that Netanyahu's genocide cannot be tolerated. What the Deputy said about Shannon Airport is an attempt to conflate a number of issues. It is an attempt to suggest somehow or other that Shannon Airport is being used to assist with the horrific activity in Gaza. There is no evidence of that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: Thank you for explaining it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: The people of Palestine know we are standing up for them. Deputy Coppinger might not want to acknowledge or appreciate that. The Palestinian ambassador wrote to Sligo County Council in the past week and said Ireland's commitment to international law and human rights will always be seen and commended by the Palestinian people. Every effort by the Government of Ireland to stop...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: Hang on a second. It is hard to keep up with the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I would like to use the 32 seconds available to me. It is hard to keep up with the Deputy's logic. The Palestinian ambassador has written-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: -----to thank the people and Government of Ireland. Funnily enough, I attach a greater value to her view, as the representative of the people of Palestine, than I do to the Deputy's view on behalf of the people of Palestine.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: She represents them. That is how it works. She is their representative in this country. We made her an ambassador by recognising the State of Palestine. On the occupied territories Bill, let me be clear. There are legal issues about services. We will tease through them and, if we can make progress on them that is what we intend to do, but we need other countries to move. If this is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is accusing me of saying things that I never said. Nobody suggested here that anyone is patting themselves on the back. What I did for the people watching at home was push back against the Deputy's misinformation and disinformation that the Government is not taking action on the cost of living. People know the record of this Government in helping them through the past number of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: That is why they voted to put a centrist Government back in office.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for highlighting what is the biggest domestic emergency we face in this country - the issue of housing. It is nowhere more acute than when it comes to children. We are united on that. I have huge respect for the Ombudsman of Children, Dr. Niall Muldoon, for the work of his office and his independence. Both of the parties in government established this structure because...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I wish the assure the Deputy that it is. I also assure him that I am aware of the mountain that needs to be climbed to where we need to get to. We will give consideration very much to how we take forward the views of the Ombudsman for Children, whether that is through bespoke strategies or reflected in specific actions in the new housing plan. He is not wrong regarding the need for a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Arts Funding (26 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I do not want to interrupt.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I want to acknowledge at the outset, because it is true, that people in this country are still finding the cost of living a very significant issue. I know that, the Deputy knows that and there is not a TD in Dáil Éireann who is not aware of that in their own community and from their own constituency work. I want to be clear the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Chairperson and the members of the committee. At the outset, can I return that sentiment? I am eager to work constructively with this committee. The world is a volatile place at the moment. A country like Ireland has a role in standing up for multilateralism, human rights, international law, collaboration and co-operation at an EU level. It is a role that we all want to...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: Yes.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I am checking with Mr. Conlan. That was an additional €15 allocation for the passport reform programme.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: That is an initial allocation of what is going to be a much larger budget that will be required for the EU Presidency. I brought a memo to Cabinet last week outlining our plans for our European Presidency. The budget will be many multiples of that. We will be hosting an anticipated programme of approximately 250 events and meetings to take place in Ireland, including 22 informal meetings....

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: Yes, they will be temporary. We will increase temporary staff and as well as secondments. We will significantly increase our staffing numbers for the period of the Presidency on a temporary basis.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: The cost of amalgamating the trade function is negligible because we relocated people from the Department of enterprise. The increase in staff numbers to which the Deputy refers relates to the opening of our new missions and the expanded footprint. I can provide the committee with a note on that. It is a combination of the new missions we have opened as well as the additional number of...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: Yes, it is entirely down to the Expo in Japan.