Results 42,941-42,960 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (17 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: I am not familiar with the circumstances in which people found themselves sleeping in a Garda station. I thank the Deputy for bringing this to my attention. I will ask Kildare County Council, the local Garda station involved and the Minister for Housing for a report and write to the Deputy directly.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (17 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I had a meeting with the Road Safety Authority this week. There are at least three aspects to road safety and probably more. There are killer behaviours, which we need to get on top of, including drink driving, drug driving and speed. There is enforcement. I agree that there is also the issue of the quality and safety of our roads....

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (17 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: I assure the House and the Deputy that we will get that time. To be clear, it is being referred to the justice committee for its scrutiny. It will then come back to this House for a full debate, which the Government wishes to be given plenty of time and a vote by every Member. It will then go to the other House for a full debate and a vote by every Member because while I am very much in...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (17 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. The clinical advice is not to open more emergency departments. However, there is a need and desire to make hospitals within the hospital group, including Ennis, busier with regard to the volume of work they do and the range of services they provide. I definitely believe in that. Since this Government came to office, UHL has seen its staff numbers grow by 1,183 and its...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (17 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. I will reflect on what he said. I am very much aware of the thalidomide group of survivors and of the issues they have raised. I am aware of the work that has been going on, in fairness to the Deputy's party leader and my colleague, the Tánaiste, since he became Taoiseach. I will reflect on what the Deputy said and I intend to have engagement with the group shortly.

Acknowledgement and Apology to the Families and to the Victims of the Stardust Tragedy: Statements (23 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I join with you by welcoming to the House the Stardust families who are gathered here with us in the Chamber and in the Public Gallery. I know there have been many times when you thought this day would never come, over far too many years. I know that you were forced to endure a living nightmare which began when your loved ones were so cruelly snatched from you in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. I thank her for raising this very important issue. I join the Ceann Comhairle and the Deputy in welcoming Speaker Poots to Dáil Éireann. It is great to have you here and everyone in this House looks forward to working with you and colleagues and counterparts in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Executive. I thank...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: No.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: I say this respectfully, but it is hard for me to answer the question if, when I use a number or statistic in answering, the Deputy just tells me I am not listening or asks me not to quote statistics at her. When she quotes statistics at me, I reply. When she asks a question, I endeavour to answer. I made the point that context is important. It is important for people in Limerick who are...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: Hang on a second. Every day, there are many people in that hospital getting very good treatment and there are many incredible people working in it. The Deputy and I have acknowledged that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: I am sorry; I am trying to be helpful. There have been a number of very difficult issues. One of these is before an inquest which neither I nor the Deputy wish to cut across at this point, although we will both have plenty to say when it ends, as is appropriate. However, I accept that there is a need to do a great deal more in Limerick. I am telling the Deputy that I am specifically...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Cairns for raising this issue. I acknowledge that it is an issue she quite rightly raises on a regular basis. I assure her that I wish to show commitment to enhancing specialist services for eating disorders, including improved access and shorter waiting lists. I accept that this is an issue in every community across Ireland. I also agree that there has historically been a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: It is linked.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: I fully acknowledge the need to get from three to 20 beds. That is a statement of fact. It is Government policy. It is in the model of care and other policy documents published by the Government and has been endorsed by the HSE mental health bed capacity review. I outlined that this year the area of priority for additional investment into this area is around some of the youth mental...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: As a result, zero people were waiting for beds yesterday. I needed to say that. The direct answer to the Deputy's question is that we need to get from three to 20 beds. I intend to make more progress on that in the budget. On recruitment, all of this has to be seen in context. Sometimes, the debate in the House is a little skewed. There is not a ban on recruitment to the health...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: I very much welcome the Deputy's commitment to investment in our water services. I thank him for raising this important issue in the Dáil, as he did last week. Uisce Éireann is working to address the issue of water supplies in Cork city, which I accept is a real issue. There are approximately 600 km of water mains in Cork city. About 50% to 60% of them are made from cast iron...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: The phrase "under pressure from below" is not one I am particularly familiar with. I certainly believe the way to get things done is through engagement. That might be a difference in political ideology. It is important to engage on these matters. The Deputy is a directly elected Member of this House. He is doing his job in engaging on behalf of his constituents. He corresponded with me...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. Before I had this role, I used to take Leaders' Questions on an interim basis. On foot of that, I know that this is an issue the Deputy raises on a regular basis. I accept her sincerity and bona fides in respect of this matter. I will begin by pointing to some areas we have made progress on. When we talk about population and where we want...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: I am a little disappointed with that response. Hearts and minds matter because we live in a democracy. The Deputy can wave her hands at me if she wishes, but I am going to speak for a second and am not going be told to stop talking about certain things. I am going to continue to talk about the fact that this Government has proudly invested in Sligo. From time to time, it might suit others...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: They want houses. Let us talk about housing. The document I have in my possession was issued this morning. It has not been brought up in the Dáil yet, and I wonder why. It indicates that commencements of new houses in quarter 1 of this year are up 63% on quarter 1 of last year.