Results 1,081-1,100 of 47,282 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (26 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for referencing Les Martin, a person I know well from County Wicklow and somebody who has done incredible advocacy work in relation to this based on the lived experience of his two sons. I thank Les for that work too. The points Deputy O'Sullivan makes are fair. The Minister has rightly reminded me that she is committed to a root-and-branch reform and examination of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: If the Deputy wants to talk about the type of people his party commemorates, here is a photo of his party chair with a member of Hamas. Get over yourself, giving me a history lecture. Here he is - Declan Kearney meeting the leader of Hamas. I think your man from Hamas is dead but Declan Kearney is still here. The Deputy should not lecture me considering the sort of people his party...

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

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The short answer is no, we are not. We obviously take the concerns and the health of people in this country very seriously. I recognise there are people affected. I have met them with the Deputy and with the Minister of State, Deputy Canney. I recognise there are people who have concerns with regard to their own community and the impact on their...

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

Simon Harris: Once again, I wish to say that the health concerns of people and making sure any developments we bring about are compliant with people's health and well-being is absolutely important. I appreciate the Deputy saying that he sees the benefit of the guidelines. I share his view on this. Having clarity on this would be helpful for people, including with regard to solar, by the way. When I go...

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

Simon Harris: They are not going to Gaza.

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

Simon Harris: That was quite an extraordinary attempt to suggest that the country in the European Union, which has done more for and in standing by the people of Palestine is somehow or other complicit in an illegal, despicable genocide that is taking place.

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

Simon Harris: There you go. You said it now. The mask slips very quickly with you, Deputy.

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

Simon Harris: The way this place works is that the Deputy asks a question and then I have the right to answer. It is a democracy, so I ask that my mandate be respected too because I would like to answer the question. Surely to God, it does not need to be the case in everything that the Deputy is morally superior than everyone over here. Surely to God, sometimes we can actually recognise that it does...

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.