Results 4,201-4,220 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Properties (13 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: A Progress Report on the Property Asset Management Delivery Plan (PAMDP) was submitted to Government in July 2015 which highlighted the progress achieved in relation to each reform action contained in the PAMDP. The Government noted the progress achieved which included progress on the actions relating to the State Property Register and the Optimising Power At Work initiative. The Progress...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: School Meals Programme (13 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator Whelan for raising this important matter and for giving me the opportunity to respond on behalf of the Department of Social Protection. The Department administers the school meals programme as a targeted intervention for children at risk of food poverty and educational disadvantage. The programme provides funding towards the provision of food services for disadvantaged...

Seanad: Budget 2016: Statements (13 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I am very pleased to be in the Seanad to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate on budget 2016. As Senators will be aware, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform presented the Government's fifth budget to Dáil earlier today. This budget marks another major milestone in Ireland's recovery from the crisis conditions that prevailed just a few...

Seanad: Budget 2016: Statements (13 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank Senators for a useful debate which has been productive.

Seanad: Budget 2016: Statements (13 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I think the Senator missed my first part. He should not miss the second part. I hope and expect that we will have significant opportunities to debate the specific measures in the Finance Bill and the Social Welfare Bill where can tease out many of these matters. I know that sincere views are held by Senators on all sides and I look forward to teasing them out. We have had many reasonable...

Seanad: Budget 2016: Statements (13 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: There are many such measures. I encourage people to read the budget documentation and then we can tease out the issues.

Seanad: Budget 2016: Statements (13 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank everybody for their contributions and I look forward to discussing these matters further with Senators.

Financial Resolutions 2016 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (14 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I am pleased to have an opportunity to speak on budget 2016. Indeed, I look forward to having an opportunity to debate many of the measures in detail during the passage of the Finance Bill. I thank Deputy Calleary for his attendance to represent the Opposition. If Sinn Féin Members were present, I would have questions to ask about their alternative budget. I have been asking those...

Seanad: Public Services and Procurement (Social Value) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I appreciate that.

Seanad: Public Services and Procurement (Social Value) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator O'Brien for the work he has put into developing the Bill. We had a very good debate on Second Stage in the House. I am pleased, in the spirit of bipartisanship and recognising that a very constructive effort has been undertaken by the Senator in consultation with a number of stakeholders, to allow the Bill to pass Committee, Report and Final Stages today and not to oppose...

Seanad: Public Services and Procurement (Social Value) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank Senators for their contributions. The summing up of this as positive politics is exactly how I would like to see it. We are making significant progress by agreeing on all sides of the Chamber that there is a place in law for a procurement and social clauses Bill. We agree that such a Bill should be accompanied by rigorous guidance which provides clarity, flexibility and an...

Leaders' Questions (20 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: The Deputy just takes people's good name.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Public Works Properties (20 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: The policy in relation to non-operational properties held by the Office of Public Works (OPW), such as the former Garda stations, is in the first instance to identify an alternative State use. If there is no identifiable State use, then the option of disposing of the property on the open market is considered, if and when conditions prevail, in order to generate revenue for the Exchequer. ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Severe Weather Events Expenditure (20 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: The programming and execution of works for which the Office of Public Works (OPW) is providing additional storm damage repair funding is a matter for the local authority. Clare County Council has been requested to identify and submit to the OPW by the end of 2015 the additional priority areas to which it will allocate this funding, with a description of the works and an estimate of costs....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Garda Station Closures (20 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: Lissycasey Garda station was built on a site in Lissycasey, Co. Clare held under a 99 year lease and the Commissioners of Public Works can confirm that the lease has expired. The Commissioners of Public Works are currently engaged with the ground landlord of this property.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Assessments (20 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: As indicated in my replies of 26 February 2015, 28 April 2015 and 16 June 2015, the draft predictive flood maps for Dunmanway are currently available for inspection on the South Western Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Study website www.southwestcframstudy.ie and the landowner may currently provide feedback on same. The CFRAM Programme flood maps will be finalised...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Pensions Levy (20 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator Kelly, on behalf of my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Howlin, for raising this important matter. The public service pension-related deduction, sometimes referred to as the pension levy, applies to the pay of pensionable public servants. However, it is not a pension contribution. The measure was introduced as an emergency measure in 2009 to effect a reduction in the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Pensions Levy (20 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I agree fully with the Senator that it is a heavy burden on families. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Government are very eager to reduce that burden. I concur with the Senator. He quoted the first sentence of my response. I reiterate that, in legislation, the term "pensionable" is defined as not just membership of the pension scheme but also any payment in lieu of...

National Asset Management Agency: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (21 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: The Deputy's party set it up.

National Asset Management Agency: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (21 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. It has been helpful to have this debate because very serious allegations have been made about the activities on the purchaser side of this sale. It is unfortunate that a number of Deputies have decided to conflate the purchaser side with the NAMA side. A number of investigations are under way regarding these allegations as the Minister for...