Results 4,361-4,380 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Harris: Not so.

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Harris: I do not know where to begin. Clearly, we are not opposed to equality. We are in favour of trying to get everyone in this country back into employment, thereby reducing the burden of tax on work. We have increased the minimum wage and we have tried to support people through the social welfare system during a number of difficult years. I imagine we are going to have many such debates in...

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Harris: They were social welfare measures.

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Daly, and I know she has raised the issue on several occasions because I have been here when the Minister of Finance has discussed it with her. I am aware of the issues that the Deputy is attempting to address with her proposed amendment. At the outset, I acknowledge the stressful situations that individuals face when building works are not completed to the required...

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McGrath. In his amendment, the Deputy is seeking to reduce the rate of DIRT to a rate equivalent to the taxpayer's marginal rate of tax, that is, 40%, 20% or 0%, if the person does not have a taxable income. The standard DIRT rate has increased significantly since 2008, as Deputy McGrath said. It has gone from 20% to 41% and is now 1% above the higher rate of tax. Up to...

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McGrath. I know there was a debate about this on Committee Stage with my colleague, the Minister for Finance. Based on that, I do not propose to accept the amendment. As stated by the Minister on Committee Stage, section 114 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for a tax deduction in respect of travel expenses that an employee or office holder is necessarily obliged...

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Harris: It is an important question and I assure the Deputy that the Department of Finance will publish that report in the coming months. Regardless of the findings, a report will be published. Alongside that, all the submissions received will be published.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Properties (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Harris: The Commissioners have received an expression of interest from a group, for use of the old Garda Station at Saint Oran's Road, Buncrana, Co. Donegal. They have been advised that, in the first instance, the property is under consideration for other State use.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Coastal Erosion (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator Mooney and Councillor Warnock, who raised this matter with the Senator, for giving me the opportunity to speak in the Seanad on the subject of coastal erosion, on a specific issue affecting County Leitrim. Coastal erosion is a natural and ongoing process which takes place around the entire coastline of Ireland. Senator Mooney has highlighted a case in which coastal erosion...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Coastal Erosion (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Harris: The Acting Chairman, as a Leitrim man, will be interested that this historic building is described on the national inventory of architectural heritage website, published by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, as an imposing Georgian country house built in circa 1750, occupying a prominent site overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The site includes two stone folly towers and a...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Early School Leavers (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator Burke for raising this important matter, which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan. I welcome this opportunity to clarify the position of the Department of Education and Skills. As Senator Burke will be aware, the Cork Life Centre is an out-of-school educational facility in Sundays Well, Cork, which supports...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Early School Leavers (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator Burke for his remarks. As he has rightly stated, the Minister for Education and Skills would have liked to be here this morning but she is currently abroad on Government business. A key consideration for the Minister in this matter is the Department's policy of inclusion, where the objective is for children to be educated within the mainstream system to the greatest extent...

Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (26 Nov 2015)

Simon Harris: As Deputies can see on the monitors, the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, is unavoidably detained in the Seanad, where she is dealing with another Bill. She has asked me to speak on her behalf as we close the debate on this Bill. I am very pleased to have an opportunity to participate in the debate. It is clear that domestic burglary is of great concern to all Members of this House. I want to...

Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Bill 2015: Referral to Select Committee (26 Nov 2015)

Simon Harris: I move:That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality pursuant to 82A3(a) and 126(1) of the Standing Orders relative to Public Business and paragraph (8) of the Orders of Reference of Select Committees.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Prevention Measures (26 Nov 2015)

Simon Harris: Galway County Council submitted an application for funding to the Office of Public Works (OPW) under the Minor Flood Mitigation and Coastal Protection Scheme for works at this location. The OPW was not able to approve this application for the following reason. From the information contained in the application it was not possible to adequately determine the benefits that would be derived...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes (26 Nov 2015)

Simon Harris: Cork County Council, as the Contracting Authority for the Scheme, has very recently received a recommendation from its consultants in relation to the tender process and on 24 November, wrote formally to the Office of Public Works on the matter. The OPW is considering the correspondence from the Council and will be replying shortly on it.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes Status (1 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: Kilcummin Pier, Kilcummin, Ballina, Co. Mayo is not an Area for Further Assessment (AFA) within the Western Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) study, as it was not deemed to be an area of potentially significant flood risk under the Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PFRA) which was completed in 2011. For more information on the PFRA please see www.cfram.ie It is not...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes Status (1 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: The management of problems of coastal protection in the locations mentioned is a matter for Kerry County Council (KCC) in the first instance. KCC must thoroughly assess the problem and, if it is considered that specific measures and works are required, it is open to them to apply for funding to deal with coastal protection under the Office of Public Works' (OPW) Minor Flood Mitigation Works...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes Status (1 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: The Ennis South Flood Relief Scheme is being progressed by Clare County Council (CCC) as the contracting authority under its powers, with funding and advice as appropriate from the Office of Public Works (OPW). CCC and the OPW are continuing discussions regarding technical aspects of the proposed works. When all outstanding technical matters are resolved CCC will proceed with issuing...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Heritage Sites (1 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: A competition for up to four new permits for Skellig Michael will be held early in the new year. The delay in making final arrangements has been due to legal matters. The Office of Public Works (OPW) Heritage Service is proposing to meet with Oireachtas Members from the area soon to explain the issues involved and to outline the process that will be followed in allocating new Permits.