Results 43,861-43,880 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: We are all almost duty-bound to name our local radio stations now. Not for the first time in this House, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae seems to be more familiar with the detail of some matters than I am. Let me assure him and, more particularly perhaps, radio broadcasters and the like that the Government has not yet made a decision. The Government intends to make a decision this month in regard...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I have two quick matters to raise. I am conscious that not just my colleague but my friend Deputy Simon Coveney, the former Minister, has announced his intention not to seek re-election to the Dáil. As in the past in this House, when people announce their retirement, I want to thank him for his service to his constituency of Cork South Central, to his party but most importantly to his...

Ceisteanna - Questions: British-Irish Co-operation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. I attended the 41st British-Irish Council summit, hosted by the Isle of Man, on 21 June. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, represented the Government at the summit dinner the night before. The council welcomed the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Executive and the North-South Ministerial Council and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: British-Irish Co-operation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: Not that I am aware but I will double check for Deputy Murphy. I thank Deputy Brendan Smith for the point he made today and has made on a number of occasions about the importance of the opportunity for Ireland and Britain to engage at a senior level. In my initial conversation with the Prime Minister, we spoke about the importance of getting the structure for engagement right, for the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 6 to 9, inclusive, together. I attended a meeting of the European Council in Brussels on 27 June. I was delighted to travel to Brussels with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. At the meeting, which had an extensive agenda, leaders and heads of state and government agreed on a package of appointments and nominations to top...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank colleagues for raising a variety of issues. First, Deputy Boyd Barrett and I do not agree on a lot on foreign affairs, but I have said in this House recently and in the European Council, as well saying it publicly at the peace summit on Ukraine, that I do believe there is an inconsistency in the approach being taken by many countries in relation to conflict, and not this one. I said...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 11 together. The Cabinet committee on children and education and disability oversees programme for Government commitments relating to children, education and disability and receives detailed reports on identified policy areas such as child poverty and well-being, local area disadvantage and the reform of our disability services. In addition to the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I agree.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputies for raising a range of issues. I appreciate Deputy Boyd Barrett's point that we need to do more and do better when it comes to children’s disability services. The Minister of State, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, wrote to me specifically about a number of cases in Dún Laoghaire. There seem to be particular concerns with the scale of the teams, and the Deputy has...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: -----is a significant cause for concern. There is some encouragement. We ran a recruitment campaign that concluded a little while ago. At the end of May, 160 offers were made to successful candidates. I am going from memory here, rather than my note, but I think approximately 53 job offers from the figure of 160 have now been made and processed. There is another recruitment campaign...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: There is an interesting discussion to be had about that, particularly regarding master's level degrees. I am a big fan of reducing fees; I did it twice. At master's level in particular, there is a conversation to be had, especially if the person is willing to work in the Irish health service, about whether that is an intervention that could be made. That is under active consideration. ...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: -----who is due to retire on Monday but has no wish to retire on Monday and neither do the people of Dundalk wish to see him retire. I will ask my colleague, Deputy Dillon, who is the Minister of State with responsibility in that Department, if anything can be done. There is obviously a role for the local authority there but I do not wish to speak for it. The Deputy’s office might...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: It is an important point. What we have to look at as well as the funding of our children’s disability services is how we can use technologies and reform the delivery of services. I hear that from parents and that is one issue that is being supported.

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I attended a meeting of the European Council on 27 June in Brussels which dealt with an extensive agenda. Leaders agreed a package on appointments to key EU institutions following the European Parliament elections and adopted the EU’s strategic agenda for the next five-year institutional cycle. We also took stock of EU enlargement, and agreed a roadmap for internal reforms to ready...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: British-Irish Co-operation (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 23 together. I attended the 41st British-Irish Council Summit, hosted by the Isle of Man, on 21st of June. Minister Darragh O’Brien represented the Government at the Summit dinner on 20th June. The Council welcomed the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Executive and North South Ministerial Council and the return to the British...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: European Council (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I attended a meeting of the European Council in Brussels on 27 June. At the meeting, which had an had extensive agenda, Leaders agreed on a package of appointments and nominations to top roles in the Union’s institutions for the next period; adopted our five-year Strategic Agenda to cover the period to 2029; agreed a roadmap on internal reforms; met with President Zelenskyy and...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Artificial Intelligence (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: The Department of the Taoiseach has not used Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools such as ChatGPT for the drafting of Dáil speeches or in drafting responses to Parliamentary Questions.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Equipment (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: 9 mobile phones and one laptop have been either lost or stolen from staff in the past 10 years. 2015 1 x Mobile Phone 2016 1 x Mobile Phone 2017 1 x Mobile Phone 2018 1 x Mobile Phone 2019 2 x Mobile Phones 2020 1 x Mobile Phone 2022 1...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Communications (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: The Department of the Taoiseach does not operate a public helpline.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: The staffing complement of the Government Press Office at the Department of the Taoiseach over the past twenty four months is outlined in the below table: Timeframe: Team composition: From July 2022 to November 2022 One Assistant Principal Officer (Press Office Manager) and four Higher Executive Officers (Government Press Officers) ...