Results 44,021-44,040 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: Tell me which of the payments you do not want, please, and let me know. Any other Opposition parties can email me at simon.harris@oireachtas.ie and let me know me what payments they do not want. I would really like to hear from them in relation to that. I stand by every single decision we made in the budget last week. This was a budget that did a number of things. It provided a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: What I say to them is this Government is delivering a record number of new schools and new school extensions. The Department of Education has a record budget for capital. Throughout the country people can see new schools being built. I will ask the Minister for Education to engage directly with Deputy O'Callaghan on the specific Gaelcholáiste he referenced in his constituency. It...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: Excuse me. Deputy O'Callaghan does not need any help. I listened to them talk on the radio about the benefits of the pouches. The school principals have seen a big transformation. The schools in Northern Ireland have benefited from such a scheme as well.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Pringle for raising this matter. Yes, I do acknowledge that I hear the frustrations of your constituents as articulated by you. You have made specific reference to claims or information in respect of Donegal County Council which I have yet to see. I will certainly ask the Minister for housing to pursue them with the local authority and to revert to you directly. I would...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: In respect of Donegal County Council and the specific issue the Deputy raised, which has just come into the public domain, I will ask the Minister to revert to him and to engage with the local authority. I take the point about not wishing to see any further slippage and the importance of adhering to timelines, and I will certainly keep a very close eye on that. I think we have a bit of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: We are up to seven or eight issues. In the limited time available to me, I will do my best to help the Deputy. First, the challenges he outlined have nothing whatsoever to do with immigration, including the shortage of GPs and the like. That does not stand up to scrutiny. The same is true of the issues in the hospitality sector and the like. In fact, many parts of the hospitality sector...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: Sorry, Deputy, the way this works is you ask seven questions in one and then I try to answer them. In the budget, we did our best to respond to and support those businesses. I know how important tourism and hospitality are to Killarney and County Kerry. Even as recently as today, the Cabinet considered the detail of the €170 million power up scheme. Under this scheme, all retail...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I do not know where to start there other than to say I hear Deputy Healy-Rae's passion for the people of Kerry, one that we share here. There are a number of things we have done in the budget that I know will make a real and meaningful difference to people in County Kerry. I can list a number of projects we have worked on, many of which the Deputy has been at the openings of, whether it is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: Do not shout at me; you had a good run.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I am doing my best. On top of that-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I am not sure the Deputy wants to hear my answer.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (8 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: The Department of the Taoiseach has incurred no expenditure on consultancy services in 2023 or to date in 2024.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue, an issue that I know is close to all our hearts and indeed all our priorities. I note the Sinn Féin Private Members' motion on the matter this week, which applies an appropriate degree of focus to this very important issue. We have taken a number of steps in recent weeks alone to try to make significant progress in the lives of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: That is true.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: Please do.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I smiled supportively there because definitely Cara does not need the Deputy or me to speak for her.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: She has been very clear and been able to speak to me directly, and I have appreciated those engagements, blunt and frank as they have been. She is an incredible young woman. What I would say directly to Jaden's mum Ciara - I would be very happy to engage with Deputy McDonald further on this - is that we have a pathway now to make significant progress on assessments of needs. It is not just...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising the most important situation at the moment in terms of the horrific humanitarian catastrophe, breach of international law and war crimes that are being committed. Tomorrow, I will attend a meeting of the European Union with the gulf states and on Thursday I will attend a meeting of the European Council where I will engage in detail with EU partners on the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: Political leaders across Europe are well behind the people on this matter. The reality is that Europe should be doing more. Let me be clear about the United States. It is in no doubt at all about the position of the people and Government of Ireland about Gaza, Palestine and the need for a ceasefire and a two-state solution. I share the Deputy's view passionately and at every meeting I...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: If we could measure empathy and compassion in decibels, I would not win and Deputy Boyd Barrett would, but the reality is he does not have a monopoly on concern for the people of Palestine. He certainly does not have a monopoly on concern for our peacekeeping troops, something I am updated on several times a day. We are in constant contact with our peacekeepers and keeping them safe is the...