Results 581-600 of 46,197 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McGrath. I did indeed meet Mrs. O'Dwyer and others in Clonmel and I share Deputy McGrath's view of meeting good decent people. I do not have the information available to me here but I will ask either the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, or the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, to come back to Deputy McGrath directly on this issue in Dundrum.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising an issue that is very real and comes up quite a lot across the country. I will ask the Minister for Health to respond to her on her plans, if the Deputy wants to provide her with examples of some of the issues she referenced in her constituency. We are very committed to increasing the number of training places for GPs. We have already begun that work and...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Connolly, who makes a very compelling case. Any transport strategy will have to be multifaceted, as the Deputy correctly said. I will not cut across the decisions pending in An Bord Pleanála on the N6 and I know the importance of that in Galway. Regardless of what decision is made, there will still be a requirement to do more on the public transport network. We are...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank my colleague, Deputy Noel McCarthy, for raising this important issue. I can only imagine the degree of frustration being felt by his constituents in Ballyhooly, which he is giving voice to today. I am due to meet Uisce Éireann tomorrow and I will raise this issue with its representatives and come back to Deputy McCarthy directly.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Daly. I have known the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, to be described in many ways, but "silent" is a new one on me. I will ask him to engage directly with the Deputy. I have heard about the challenge this has created, the impact it is having on the livelihoods of people and the vacuum or lack of clarity on the position. On foot of the Deputy raising this issue today, I...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Healy for raising this matter. I know from what he said the stressful impact the situation is having on people who require eye care services in south Tipperary. I have been assured of two things. One is that the HSE is actively trying to fill the post. I take the point the Deputy made about the gap between someone who gives due notice of retirement and filling a vacancy. I...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: We do not just provide words; we provide a significant amount of money, including through UNRWA, to the Palestinian Authority and in aid. We do not just say words. We have joined with South Africa on a case in the International Court of Justice on the genocide convention. We have worked to try to build a majority at the European Union, which now exists, in terms of the association...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: We are working at an EU level because that is how sanctions are introduced. I do not disagree with the Deputy's analysis of the situation, but Ireland is taking practical actions and doing everything we possibly can.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: We are doing everything we can do.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I agree with the Deputy in many ways on the description she has given of the horrific situation in Gaza, but the reason that is happening is not because we have not passed the occupied territories Bill; it is because Benjamin Netanyahu's Government is engaging in war crimes, and it needs to stop. It needs to stop right now; it needs to stop today. The aid, including aid funded by Irish...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy O'Flynn for raising this matter. I assure him that there are structures in place between our Department of Justice and the Home Office in the United Kingdom in terms of the monitoring of the integrity of the common travel area. Obviously, we do not overly discuss all of those matters publicly for obvious reasons, but I can assure the Deputy that there are very good links at...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Ó Muirí very much for raising this issue. He is right; the rationale, for better or worse, is around state aid rules. They are intended to ensure that subsidies provided by member states operate in accordance with the same basic rule book and, in the context, grants provided under the Common Agricultural Policy are intended to support farming activity. There is a...

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for her question. Her taking us through that is a reminder of the scale of challenge and crises that not just Ireland but the world has gone through. If any one of these things had happened in somebody's lifetime in the past, it would have been viewed as extraordinary. We have had financial crises, the global pandemic, the impact of Brexit on our country, very...

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I accept the challenge that Government must always do more on communication and talking to communities because if we do not, misinformation and disinformation spreads mostly by elements of the far right who come to our communities, spread their lies, spread their fear and sow division. We have all seen that happen. I, as a centrist politician, have always believed that the centre must get...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is right to highlight housing, which is the biggest domestic challenge we face. There are many young people, both here in Ireland and Irish young people abroad, who want to see and need to see more progress made on housing. I would point out some progress has been made. The Deputy quotes headline figures which are perfectly acceptable to quote. However, of course we have put in...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I join the Deputy in absolutely condemning Hamas and Hezbollah, which offer no future positivity to the people of Palestine. That is not just my view on that; the President of the Palestinian Authority has been clear that the future of Gaza needs to be a Hamas-free future. I am also Minister for Defence. I have seen the utter destruction and death Hezbollah can bring to members of the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: Does Deputy Tóibín know why I am in my job? It is because we had an election and I got elected. Some 458,000 people gave their first preference votes to my party. An overwhelming majority of people gave votes to the parties and Independent Deputies who make up this Government. It is called a democracy. Aontú ran and got two seats. Congratulations. The Deputy does not...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: -----of course the buck stops with me. Does the Deputy know what else-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I am going to tell the Deputy what it means. Calm down. He asked his question and I get an opportunity to answer it. It is how this place works. The Deputy asked a question about the children's hospital. I am responsible, of course. I am responsible for bringing the proposal to the Cabinet and for recommending that we proceed. The easiest thing to do in politics if you do not want to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I will just point out first of all that the Deputy is very well paid himself. This country spends roughly €110 billion on its annual budget. We made a decision to invest €2.2 billion over several years in a project that will transform children's health and deliver a world-class children's hospital that will not just serve people for the lifetime of this Dáil, the next...