Results 821-840 of 47,282 for speaker:Simon Harris
- Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (15 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: The military authorities have provided the following strength figures outlined in the table below for the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) and for the Army, Naval Service (NS) and Air Corps (AC) respectively as at 31 May 2025.
- Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (15 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: In April 2025, a prior information notice was published on the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) in accordance with EU procurement regulations, announcing the intention to launch a procurement competition for the supply of a new combat uniform system, and tender documentation is being prepared by the Defence Forces in this regard.
- Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (15 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: It has not been possible to provide a response within the time frame available. I will respond to the Deputy when the information requested is to hand.
- Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Strategies (15 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: The following table sets out those national strategies, action plans or similar documents, under the remit of the Department of Defence, which are the currently being implemented. Document Year of Publication Strategic Emergency Management (SEM) National Structures and Framework document and associated Annexes Main document 2018 Annexes 2020-2023 ...
- Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (15 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: As Minister, I am deeply committed to the transformation of the Defence Forces into a modern fit for purpose organisation to defend the State and meet the challenges of today and the future. Across Europe, all countries are experiencing an increasingly contested, dynamic and volatile international security environment. There is a need for us to be seen to take our own security...
- Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Corps (15 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 253, 254, 255, 256 and 257 together. Strategic airlift capability has been prioritised as a capability for investment following Government approval of the Commission on the Defence Forces (CoDF) Report as part of the present move to Level Of Ambition (LOA) 2 capability as defined within the CoDF Report and subsequent Detailed Implementation Plan (DIP) of the...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Currie for her work as Fine Gael spokesperson on childcare and as part of the Government's collective effort on childcare. The programme for Government is ambitious in this area. As we have discussed before, there are around 21 commitments in relation to childcare. The next step will be the publication of a new action plan on childcare and how we intend to advance it. I...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for bringing this to my attention. I was not aware of it but it needs to be stopped. There are enough challenges for people trying to get these tests without somebody gaming the system and exploiting people looking for a test. I will raise it in the first instance with the Minister for Transport.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: I think Deputy Carroll MacNeill and I find ourselves in large agreement with a lot of what Deputy Kelly said. I know I get myself in trouble from time to time for saying these sorts of things but the cost-of-living challenge is still very real for people. We have to acknowledge that. We have to prudently budget and carefully work our way through things and always protect our economy. We...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: Deputy Carroll MacNeill and I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, as the Minister of State responsible for mental health to look at the serious points Deputy Cahill made. It sounds like there is a lot of stress and concern in the local community. I know the Minister of State will be eager to constructively engage with him and the HSE on this matter. I will ask her to come back...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Scanlon for raising this important issue for his constituents, particularly those who travel from Bellaghy to Sligo town and are affected by the deficit he has identified in public transport provision there. I am very proud of the work we have done together over the last number of years to expand the Local Link services. It was one of the great success stories of the last...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Clendennen for raising this issue. We have been progressing the renewable heat obligation to ensure the increased used of renewable fuel types across the fuel heating sector is possible. The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment is now preparing the heads of Bill for submission to Government shortly. Representatives of that Department and the Sustainable Energy...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: First, the use of the word "apartheid" is very unfortunate in relation to this. What we are doing is-----
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: What we are doing is applying the laws of our land - laws which the Deputy and his party have not proposed changing, laws in relation to child protection, which I am sure he takes seriously, and laws in relation to a visa system that has to be impartial and applied. We cannot provide visas on the basis of public petition. We have to provide them on the basis of the rules. We have to...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: Everybody is talking-----
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: With respect to Deputies Devine and Ó Snodaigh, that has nothing to do with child protection. It is absolutely nothing to do with the point. Everyone is talking about 33 children. Why is nobody saying the next bit, which is that they are travelling from one far-flung part of the world to another with adults who are not their parents and the importance of child protection checks in...
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: It is worked through the system.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: The Deputy will not resolve this by shouting.
- Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2025)
Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Daly for this. He is so right. The Government is absolutely at one in recognising that just because inflation has fallen, it does not mean the cost of going to the supermarket has fallen as well. The cost of living still remains high. People see that in their weekly shop. They see it when they go to the checkout with their trolley. While we have been very clear that there...