Results 101-120 of 47,282 for speaker:Simon Harris
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: We are already acting. That is why it is important that parents know. If the Deputy is saying that parents do not follow this, then I completely disagree. Let parents watching know this: the budget we just delivered provided funding for 35,000-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: The Deputy said that people do not read election manifestoes in detail but I think people watch these things very closely.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: The Irish electorate are sophisticated. Funding for an additional 35,000 places has been provided. A cap will be put in place for next September for those with the highest fees. We are extending the footwear and clothing allowance for the first time to children in preschool. I am sure this is something that the Social Democrats must support but did not fund in their alternative budget....
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: They listened when the leader of the Social Democrats promised that VAT for the hospitality sector would be set at 9% and then walked away from it.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: This is because the Social Democrats do not believe that cafés in my constituency - in Greystones, Delgany or Bray - deserve the VAT cut that they promised during the election and which they are now walking away from. There is a pub-----
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: I can produce the image. The Social Democrats are going to vote against a measure to help with jobs in towns and villages across Ireland and I do not think that was very good thing to do.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: I will not accept that at all. I will accept that we will do what we promised the people we were going to do to in the general election. Not too many of us in here, including myself, have had to lie awake at night wondering how we are going to pay the wage bill. Not many of us have to wonder that if we get sick and cannot run the café where our income is going to come from. Not too...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: We have very different economic ideology and I will not debate that in the two minutes available to me. As the Deputy rightly said, 75% of the businesses in the hospitality sector employ fewer than ten people. If I walked around the Deputy's constituency with him, which I would be happy to do some time, it would be a brave politician who stood on the floor of the shop, café, restaurant...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: No, it would not. To be clear in case Deputy Newsome Drennan has not read her own party's alternative budget, Sinn Féin proposed this as well, so Sinn Féin is in favour of this and agrees with us on this one. The rate of 9% is supported by Sinn Féin as well, so I thank her for that support. Deputy Healy does not support it and that is his right. On balance, we think this...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: We are not going to agree on this, so no, the Government does not intend to reverse the commitment it gave and is delivering on, but it needs to be seen in context. This is an important measure to back business and jobs in regional and rural Ireland. It is also just one of a number of measures. The budget allocated a hell of a lot more to childcare, disability, education and health than it...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. I accept the Government needs to make a timely decision on this and I accept it is an issue that has gone on for many years. In fairness to the Minister for Health, she is proactively engaging on this issue. The point the Deputy makes about population is really key. He is correct that the population of the mid-west region is growing faster than the population of many...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: We all agree with expanding capacity. Then there is the question of whether we further expand the UHL campus but also develop it on another site - that is what it says - or, for want of a less colloquial phrase, do we start from scratch and develop a new model 3 hospital? Both options recognise that there will have to be significant new healthcare capacity above and beyond the current...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: First, I share the Deputy’s condemnation of what happened to our five Irish citizens. I have just received confirmation that Deputy Heneghan is back in Ireland. I had a brief message from him to that effect. It seems Israel released parliamentarians first. I know he is Deputy O’Callaghan’s constituency colleague. He is back in Ireland but the remaining Irish citizens...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: It is absolutely what I said in the manifesto and I talked about it an awful lot. Every party in this Dáil gave that commitment and we stand by that commitment. However, we have outlined a record budget for childcare of €1.5 billion. The national childcare scheme is now funded for an additional 35,000 children next year. There is a 14% increase in the number of children...
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: Try to be serious.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: Yes, when Sinn Féin thought it would win.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: The Deputy should read the next bit.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: The Deputy should read the next bit.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: The Deputy should read the next bit.
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2025)
Simon Harris: I am delighted that Sinn Féin is now in favour of reducing tax on work.