Results 1,181-1,200 of 47,282 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukraine War (24 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment is the national competent authority with responsibility for export controls, which includes the export of dual use goods as well as controls on defence-related exports. Officials of that Department carry out assessments and checks on all export licence applications to ensure, as far as possible, that the item to be exported will be used...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Public Procurement Contracts (24 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: The Department of Defence is organised across six divisions, each of which is headed by an Assistant Secretary or Director. There are three bodies under the aegis of my Department; the Army Pensions Board, established under the Army Pensions Act 1927, the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces, established pursuant to the provisions of the Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Act 2004 and the External...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Public Procurement Contracts (24 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I can confirm that my Department has a Procurement Tracking System (PTS) for tracking procurements. My Department also uses the enterprise grade ‘Oracle E-Business Suite’, which is a suite of integrated business applications, and includes contract management functionality. I can also confirm that these systems are managed and monitored by officials in my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (24 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: My colleague the Minister for Justice Home Affairs and Migration and An Garda Síochána have primary responsibility for the internal security of the State. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces in the White Paper on Defence is the provision of Aid to the Civil Power which, in practice, means providing assistance to An Garda Síochána when requested to do so. Where...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (24 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: The Army Equitation School's mission is to promote the Irish horse through international competition. To maintain its high standards, the school acquires suitable Irish bred horses through a rigorous process. After a suitable horse has been identified that meets an existing gap in the Equitation School’s portfolio of horses, the owner is invited to bring the horse to McKee Barracks...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Projects (24 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I can advise the Deputy that my Department has no infrastructure capital projects being built or commissioned that are currently late in their delivery nor currently over budget.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Contracts (24 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I can confirm that neither the Department of Defence or the Defence Forces have purchased from or have contracts with the company referred to by the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Moynihan so much for raising this and for his advocacy on behalf of Conor and Dean and so many children and patients more widely across our country who want us to get this right in terms of access to medication. I could point out that we have made good progress. From 2021 to 2024, we allocated an additional €128 million for new medicines. That facilitated the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising that issue. I absolutely will follow it up directly with the Minister for Health. As the Deputy said, we want all of our public servants, including our front-line emergency staff, to work in fit-for-purpose but most importantly safe environments. That sounds like a very serious situation. I will directly speak with the Minister for Health and ask that we...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McGrath very much for raising this important matter. I will speak with both the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, with regard to that and see if we can find a resolution that works for everybody and most particularly works for the children. As the Deputy said, their excitement was palpable with regard to this. Let me talk to the two...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: Absolutely. I thank Deputy Lawless for raising this issue on behalf of Michelle and Katie. I hope the outcome of that very significant surgery has gone well. I appreciate the Deputy highlighting this issue. I am going from memory and past experiences but, generally, the scheme would try to be compassionate and engaging with regard to supports for family members who may need to travel and...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Clendennen. I, too, am very proud of the progress we have made on public health. We have much more work to do. There is a legitimate issue of timing when it comes to labelling. My colleague, the Minister, Deputy Heydon, has shared economic concerns relating to the policy due to the uncertain trading environment, which has been raised with him by many colleagues trying to do...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Ó Cearúil for raising this issue. He is right. Sometime, means tests can just be mean. We have to make sure that they are fit for purpose. That is why the programme for Government specifically makes this commitment. We want to do a thorough deep-dive on means tests, particularly where there are anomalies or poverty traps or they do not align with other parts of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Crowe for his very constructive suggestion. Tomorrow, we will have a meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council, which will be an opportunity for colleagues across the island of Ireland to get together. I will raise the issue of DMD on the meeting's margins. If it is possible for professionals throughout the island to work together in the interests of patients with a...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I agree with a lot of what the Deputy said. The idea that any parent has to watch his or her young child in such a fragile state when the parent knows there is medication available that could significantly improve the child's quality of life and health is not right. The HSE is engaging on this matter. In light of it being raised in the House today by a number of Deputies, I will seek an...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Whitmore. As she can imagine, I have been looking into this situation as well. Like her, I want to see it progress. I have corresponded directly with the Minister for housing on the matter. We are going to have a review of the national development plan. If the issue is one of funding constraints - it should not be - I am eager that we rectify it in that plan. The review...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Callaghan for raising this issue. It is one that is raised with me often. The Deputy is correct, in that these people are not against renewable energy. Far from it, but they want to have a rational understanding of how we best use the land in our communities with all of the various competing interests. As the Deputy said, our programme for Government commits to completing...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Ward for the constructive way in which he has been engaging on this issue on behalf of his constituents in Donegal. I am pleased with some of the progress that we have been able to make together after the Minister, Deputy Browne, worked intensively with Deputy Ward's constituents and the advocacy groups in Donegal. I will ask the Minister to reflect on the Deputy's point...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Collins for raising this issue. I am not in any way doubting the accuracy of what he says or his bona fides on it, but if true, that lack of communication would be quite extraordinary. I must say without knowing all the details that the idea of moving people 100 km is extraordinary at any stage in a person's life, least not in the latter stages. I know the Department of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Brennan for raising this issue. This Government is keen to support small and medium enterprises. They make up the backbone of our economy and every community that we proudly represent in Dáil Éireann. We have taken two measures already. The SME test makes sure that all proposals that come to the Government are put through the prism of what their impact on our...