Results 44,101-44,120 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Public Inquiries (15 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: A comprehensive evaluation of how the country managed COVID-19 will provide an opportunity to learn lessons from our experiences in dealing with a pandemic. It will include a review of the whole-of-government response to the pandemic and how we might do better and be in a stronger position if another pandemic or other similar type event were to occur. It will include a consideration of the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff (15 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: The business unit in the Department of the Taoiseach whose function specifically relates to communications is the Government Information Service (GIS). The staff assigned to GIS come under the management of the Assistant Secretary, Corporate Services Division, while respecting the role of the Government Press Secretary and the Deputy Government Press Secretaries in day-to-day management of...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Advertising (15 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy is below. Campaign Purpose Frequency/duration Cost Agencies involved 1916 Easter Sunday Commemoration event 2024 Public information and awareness. One-off print advertising €6,447 PHD Media Nominations of persons by the Government to the Office of the President of the Court of Appeal ...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Official Engagements (15 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: Members of the media have not been part of the Taoiseach’s delegation for international events and engagements during the lifetime of the current Government. The question of costs therefore does not arise. The Department of the Taoiseach works closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland’s overseas Missions and with the authorities of receiving countries and...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Reports (15 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: The Report of the Expert Group on Conveyancing and Probate was approved by Government on 16th July last. The recommendations in the report aim to make conveyancing and probate more efficient for the consumer. The Government also approved the establishment of an Implementation Group, tasked with beginning the implementation of short-term recommendations, as well as developing a detailed...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McDonald for raising this important issue. I join her in acknowledging what she rightly describes as the very important role student nurses play in our health system, in our hospitals and in our community during their training. She is quite right to make that point. Of course, in their fourth and final year, student nurses are paid, but the Deputy is talking specifically...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: So I hear.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I am glad the Deputy picked up my election hints anyway. I thought they were rather subtle.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: There goes the surprise. It is a serious issue the Deputy is raising and I do appreciate that. We have significantly increased the level of supports to our student nurses. We did that, as she rightly said, arising from the debate around Covid and post Covid in respect of the very important role being played by student nurses. I do not have the specific figures in front of me but I think...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Cairns. I definitely agree with the Deputy on one point, which is that politics and the next election certainly cannot be about who comes up with the biggest figure in terms of the number of homes they are going to deliver because the public will rightly see through that. People will be much more interested in the how. That is absolutely right. Deputy Cairns said...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: There is no balance to the Deputy's argument; this is the point. I am able to stand here and talk to the electorate on their doorsteps and point to progress and also point to the more there is to do. The Deputy just wants to dismiss any of the progress, as though those extra 128,000 homes do not exist. I am interested in what she is saying now because she has set out her stall if she is to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: Not the one beside the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: My party and this Government are proudly supporting farmers, rural Ireland and the agriculture sector. We meet them on a very regular basis. I meet them on a very regular basis. I regularly met them with the Minister for agriculture as well. We took a number of decisions in the budget to further support farming and farmers, including making sensible changes to the residential zoned land...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: No, the Greens have never said that. I do not need to speak for the Green Party but it does not say that either because it follows the evidence. We saw figures published today that show more progress on emissions reduction, farmers yet again stepping up and, quite frankly, farming and agriculture making more progress than some other parts of our economy, which should be acknowledged as...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: We have it anyway - we can agree on that much - so it is now a matter of having a discussion about how to spend it. I am sure we will have that conversation again. That does provide opportunities in terms of how we will use that windfall tax revenue to invest further in infrastructure. I imagine we will have a longer debate in the not-too-distant future but I do not accept that this...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I have a Cabinet Minister from the Deputy's constituency in-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I think the Deputy meant to say when I stepped up.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: When I became leader, I appointed a Minister from the Deputy's constituency to the Cabinet. The Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, also serves the Deputy's constituency. Both of them advocate for the area. Statements of an absolute nature that no infrastructure has been delivered do not stand up to any degree of scrutiny.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: Here are other facts as well. When I visit the Deputy's county, which I do regularly, and intend to visit very regularly shortly-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: There will be. I wish the Deputy well in it. There will be many people in his county who will recognise progress has been made on infrastructure. In fact, there is probably not a part of Ireland that has greater levels of third-level infrastructure per head of population than Limerick city and country - we now have three universities in Limerick - providing young people with an incredible...