Results 39,761-39,780 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Scientific Research (14 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I agree. Not to stray into the Department of Education's role - there are two Departments involved - but one of the structures under Impact 2030 is to bring many Departments together that have an interest in this and for my Department to have a co-ordinating role. I will certainly feed the Deputy's comments and suggestions, with which I largely agree, back into that.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Antisocial Behaviour (14 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter and I take the point he makes about multifaceted approaches and solutions. I know he believes in community safety partnerships, diversion programmes and all of that, as do I, but we will take that as read and for another day because he is raising a specific issue, that is, the policing and criminal justice response to issues where...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Antisocial Behaviour (14 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Gannon for highlighting what is an important issue to his community. More broadly, the issue of antisocial behaviour and feeling safe in one's community is one that applies to his constituency and to all our communities across the country. On Cabra specifically, I am pleased to confirm to the House that the Garda has informed me that additional gardaí have been allocated...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Programmes (14 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. As the Senator knows and as I conveyed to the House earlier, it would not be appropriate for me to provide details on or make reference to specific projects but I can only imagine the difficulty and challenges for workers, as Senator Gallagher outlined. I think of them and their families. I understand his request for clarification for...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Programmes (14 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Senator. I will certainly undertake to liaise with appropriate colleagues in the Cabinet, as I know the Senator will do. I will certainly be happy to help facilitate it, as appropriate. What motivated my decision to seek Government approval to close the immigrant investment programme to new applicants, effective from the close of business tomorrow, Wednesday, 15 February, was...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Cybersecurity Policy (15 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Aindrias Moynihan for raising this important matter and keeping in contact with my office about it. This has been a stressful and worrying time for students and staff in the Munster Technological University campuses in Cork. I thank all of the staff in MTU for the incredible and tireless work they have put in over the past ten days in very difficult circumstances. We need to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Cybersecurity Policy (15 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I do not truthfully know the answer to the question on whether this was the first attempt to get into the system. I will try to get it from MTU if it is aware of it. The status of the attack is that the damage is now done and data have been taken. It is now about forensic analysis and providing information to people. The work is ongoing, with the forensic analysis under way. I am pleased...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Courts Service (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Kenny for this question. We had a chance to begin to explore this issue at a committee meeting and I am grateful we have a chance to discuss it further. As the Deputy will be aware, the Judiciary is independent in the exercise of its functions. Since the Covid restrictions have been lifted, the courts have resumed working at full capacity. The Courts Service works...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Courts Service (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I join the Deputy in commending the organisations he mentioned. I had the pleasure of meeting almost all of them when we had them in the Department to discuss how we will develop the new domestic, sexual and gender-based violence agency. The Deputy supports the agency and we intend to legislate for it shortly. I hope to bring the draft legislation to Cabinet within a month and have it up...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Courts Service (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: The Deputy and I agree on that point. This is an absolute priority for the Department. A board has been established to deliver a zero-tolerance strategy and is co-chaired by the Secretary General at the Department of Justice and the Secretary General at the Department of the Taoiseach. The Deputy is correct, though, about there being so much we need to do in this area. I had an incredible...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Inquiries (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I start by expressing my sympathy to the members of the O'Farrell family on their desperately sad loss. Shane was clearly a wonderful son and brother with a bright future ahead of him and I know his loss is felt acutely by all those who had the great benefit of knowing him. As the Deputy will be aware, retired District Court Judge...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Inquiries (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Gino Kenny and I again reiterate my absolute sympathy and condolences to the O'Farrell family and all those who knew Shane. The report is a substantial document and my colleague, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, rightfully carefully considered its contents and, indeed, legal advice that was sought and received on foot of the report. Once I have concluded my consideration of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Inquiries (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I fully accept the Deputy's absolute sincerity on this issue. As the Deputy quite rightly said, the report has not been seen yet because it has not been published. He is asking me a direct question as to when it will be published. I am conscious of the substantial nature of the report and that there was a meeting between the family, the then Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, and the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I join with the Deputy in welcoming his guest, Ellie, to the Public Gallery. I assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities across Ireland and key to that is ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs. This is reflected in what has been a significant allocation of over €2.14 billion under budget 2023. There...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: The best way we can keep our gardaí safe is to pass laws in this House that help ensure they have the legal powers to keep them safe. When they take criminals off the street there should be adequate sentencing in place and we should give them the technology and resources they require. Front-line gardaí are asking us to provide them with body cameras to keep them safe. They have...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is right. We should always follow data and check that we get what we want. To take a point in time, since 2015 over 880 Garda members who were doing back office duties - I am not suggesting that is unimportant but they were not able to do front-line duties - have been freed up to do front-line duties. That is 880 more gardaí. Taking the global picture from 2015 to now,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: There are more gardaí now than there were in 2015. We went through a global pandemic in that time which saw our Garda college close on a number of occasions.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I will get to Deputy Tóibín's question in a moment. I have to deal with one Deputy at a time here. Interest in joining the Garda is high and strong. We see that every time we run a Garda recruitment campaign. We will get 1,000 new gardaí into Templemore this year, which will be the largest intake in a long time. We will get to over 15,000 gardaí in the country. That...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: We will work with the AGSI and the GRA to give them the tools and resources and to hear their concerns.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Burke for raising this matter. Zero tolerance is the Government's third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. It was published by my colleague, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, last year. The strategy has been widely accepted by stakeholders as an ambitious five-year programme for reform to achieve a society which simply does not accept domestic,...