Results 3,901-3,920 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Seanad: Statute Law Revision Bill 2015: Committee Stage (10 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: I recognise that.

Seanad: Statute Law Revision Bill 2015: Committee Stage (10 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank the Seanad for its consideration of these amendments and Senator David Norris for tabling them. I share his view that it is worth stress-testing legislation, which is what we have done. There was a constructive debate in this and the other House on the matter. I share strongly the view of many that this process will leave the Statute Book more accessible, clear and relevant. It is...

Seanad: Statute Law Revision Bill 2015: Committee Stage (10 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: I will provide the Senator with some detail of those issues on Report Stage, but the short answer is that the Statute Book is available electronically and through the National Library of Ireland. One cannot go into a shop and buy a consolidated version of it. As the Senator rightly suggested, it is a very large document. Many citizens, like all of us perhaps, look at the law book when it...

Seanad: Statute Law Revision Bill 2015: Committee Stage (10 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: There is an app.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Prevention Measures (11 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: Works in Donnycarney (River Wad) and the Coast Road at Clontarf are being progressed by Dublin City Council (DCC), and the Council, in the first instance, is best placed to provide the most up to date information and details on progress with those works. I am advised that the portion of Phase 1 of the flood relief works in Donnycarney which includes defences for the Clanmoyle and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes (11 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: Local flooding issues such as the one referred to in the Deputy's question are a matter for the Local Authority to investigate and address in the first instance. Limerick County Council may carry out flood mitigation works using its own resources. The Office of Public Works (OPW) operates a Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. The Scheme was introduced by the OPW...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Prevention Measures (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: As indicated in my replies of 26 February 2015 and 28 April 2015, good progress is being made by engineering consultants undertaking regional studies on behalf of the Office of Public Works (OPW) under the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. The Programme involves an assessment of 300 mainly urban locations nationwide through mapping significant flood risk areas...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 293 and 294 together. Local flooding issues are a matter for local authorities to investigate and address in the first instance and the Local Authorities may carry out flood mitigation works using their own resources. The application for funding, submitted by Clare County Council, for a project at Drumcullan under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Monuments (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: I was delighted to visit Mooghaun Hillfort in May 2015 at the invitation of the Deputy and to see the excellent work carried out to date by OPW staff. The newly rebuilt viewing platform at Mooghaun Hillfort near Newmarket-on-Fergus, County Clare, was substantially completed in August 2014. As part of the project, it had been intended that the spiral stair handrail and the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Monuments (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: The two National Monument sites concerned here are Clare Abbey and Killone Abbey. Since conferring with the Deputy a number of weeks ago, the following has been established: Clare Abbey is in State ownership only as far as its outer wall, and not beyond. The property is therefore effectively landlocked by privately owned land. A new laneway leading to the site was developed as part of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Redeployment (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: The terms and conditions of employment for non-established (State Industrial) employees precludes their transfer to other Government Departments except through open recruitment competitions, due to the specialist nature of their grades. The redeployment options as provided for under the Public Service Management Act do not allow non-established civil servants to transfer, even in exceptional...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes Status (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: Meath County Council, with funding assistance from the Office of Public Works, has appointed consultants to examine the flooding problem in the Northlands Estate and to assess options for addressing the problem.A progress meeting was held on 11 May 2015 at which an outline design submitted by the consultants was discussed. An updated design should be available for the next scheduled meeting...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: The Douglas Flood Relief Scheme is being progressed by Cork County Council as the Contracting Authority for the project as part of an overall scheme for Douglas and Togher, with funding being provided by the Office of Public Works (OPW). It is expected that the Scheme will be brought though Planning in the third quarter of this year. Subject to the proposed scheme being accepted, the detailed...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Harbours and Piers (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: Tenders have been received for repair work to the slipway at the Great Blasket Island. It is hoped to place a contract within the next week.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Coastal Protection (17 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: The Government Decision of 11 February, 2014 in relation to repair of public infrastructure damaged in the Winter 2013/2014 storms allocated funding of up to €1,226,920 to Kerry County Council (KCC) for repair of coastal protection and flood defences based on a submission made by the Council to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. KCC's submission included...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ferry Services Provision (18 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: The Office of Public Works is aware that there is some capacity currently within the permitted boat operators at Skellig Michael and it is, in response, preparing a competition process to issue new Boat Permits. There are a number of legal issues to be resolved before any competition can be held and these are being considered currently.If the relevant legal matters can be satisfactorily...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Properties (18 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: The following table shows the income received by the State under licences granted to mobile phone operators for masts located on State owned property from 2008 to 2014. Year Income 2008 €4,406,476 2009 €2,716,921 2010 €4,597,417 2011 €3,549,348 2012 €3,566,991 2013 €5,417,132 2014 €4,422,756

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Insurance Cover (18 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: The Memorandum of Understanding between the Office of Public Works (OPW) and Insurance Ireland, which was signed on 24th March 2014, outlines the principles of agreement between the parties on the provision of information to insurers to facilitate, to the greatest extent possible, the availability to the public of insurance against the risk of flooding. The OPW is committed to providing...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes Expenditure (18 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: The OPW has expended approximately €275 million on flood relief activities between 2008 and the end of 2014 with €224.4 million being spent on flood defence works and €43 million approximately on the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme, hydrometric data collection & processing, research on flood risk related issues and other flood...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Accommodation Provision (18 Jun 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator Darragh O'Brien for welcoming me to the Seanad. I take the point he makes. I am taking the matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, who regrets he cannot be here today as he is on Government business. He has, therefore, asked me to deliver his response to the Senator's Commencement matter. He thanks the Senator for raising the issue today.