Results 1,541-1,560 of 47,282 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: We are significantly increasing funding for defence and supporting the Air Corps, the Naval Service and Defence Forces more broadly. Indeed, funding for defence has increased by 30% since 2020 to a record level. It will increase again in the review of the national development plan shortly. We are back in an era of major investment. Deputy Doherty is right, however. It is no surprise to...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Ahern. This whole issue of energy security and supply is an important one. We all know where we need to get to in the context of renewable and offshore energy. We know that we need to turbocharge - pardon the pun - getting there in every way we possibly can. It is about a balanced approach, however. We do not want our country to be closed to investment and investment...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Gibney for her work on this matter on the committee. To add to the point she made, the IT project at RTÉ, which I believe was discussed at the media committee, came to light after the Minister wrote to agencies asking them whether they had anything they wished to tell about the wastage of public money. Deputy Gibney’s point in general about being transparent and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: We will keep the pressure on for those who do not have service. The Deputy's second point is one of the real learnings of the storm, that when the network goes down, it is not just the loss of the phone - I do not mean to be flippant - but also the loss of all contact and connection with the outside world. For older or vulnerable people or people who live in isolated rural areas and their...

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Brennan for raising timely and important issue. It is worth reflecting on the level of capital investment we are seeing. Since 2019, through the national development plan, we have delivered 170 km of new roads, including the New Ross bypass, the Dunkettle interchange, the Moycullen bypass, the N22 Macroom road and the N5 Westport-Turlough road. We have delivered active...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: We are not standing over any false narrative. We are reiterating long-standing foreign policy and, I think, the long-standing policy of the people of Ireland that there needs to be a two-state solution in the Middle East, that the State of Israel has every right to exist in peace and security and that the people of Palestine have every right to a sovereign state that exists in peace and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I have just said that. Israel is committing genocide.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I will shake my head if I want to, Deputy Connolly.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I will stand up.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I hope I will get an extra 38 seconds as well-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: -----because there was the greatest load of palaver levelled at me there.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: Deputy Connolly has such vitriol for and dislike of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil that she cannot ever actually come above and rise to the moment. Ours is the first Government in the European Union to say that what Israel is doing is genocide. Do you hear that, Deputy? It is genocide.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: Israel is committing war crimes, and we will pass the occupied Palestinian territories Bill.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: We will pass that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: We will pass it as quickly as possible.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: It will go to the foreign affairs committee in the month of June. While you are standing here just throwing brickbats at me-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: -----we are working to support the people of Palestine. The only Chamber I ever go into in the entire world where people do not acknowledge that Ireland - the Government and the people of Ireland - are standing with the people of Palestine, standing up for human rights and standing up for international law is here, when you get up and distort with your ideology the actions of this...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: There you go. You are at it again. Hold your sign up.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: You cannot work together on anything.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Fitzmaurice for raising this important issue and, in fairness to him, for raising it consistently in terms of the aftermath of Storm Éowyn and the impact it has had on people across our country, but most particularly the elongated impact it has had on people living in rural or more disperse communities, many of which I know he represents in his constituency. I will deal...