Results 44,601-44,620 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (12 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: The attack carried out by the Israeli Defense Forces on 27 December last targeting the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, during the course of which Dr Hussam Abu Safiya was detained, was deeply concerning. As noted by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, in his report of 31 December 2024, the pattern of Israeli attacks on Gaza hospitals throughout...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Climate Action Plan (12 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: In line with Circular 01/2020 issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Government Departments, Offices and agencies are, with effect from 1 January 2020, required to record, monitor, and value the greenhouse gas emissions associated with official air travel usage and, no later than 28 February each year, make a payment to the Fund Manager of the statutory Climate Action Fund...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (13 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued the passport to the applicant.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (13 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: On 19 July 2024, the International Court of Justice delivered an Advisory Opinion on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. The Court’s principal conclusion was that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory was unlawful and that it must be brought to an...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Official Engagements (13 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: The Irish Defence and Security Association (IDSA) was established in 2021 with a mission “to ensure Ireland develops appropriate, leading edge and trusted defence and security capabilities in the land, sea, air, space and cyber domains, in order to protect our society, create jobs, drive research and enhance Ireland’s economic growth”. National Defence Industry...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Military Neutrality (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: Ireland's policy of military neutrality, as practised by successive Governments, means that Ireland does not participate in military alliances or common or mutual defence arrangements. The Government has been clear that it has no desire to alter Ireland’s policy of military neutrality. The triple lock refers to a three-stage process to approve the deployment of troops on a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: The Passport Service is successfully meeting high demand for passports and has issued over 126,000 passports to date in 2025. Turnaround times are currently at, or ahead of, target. The figures requested by the Deputy are outlined in the table below: APPLICATIONS RECEIVED Jan-23 Jan-24 Jan-25 RENEWAL 110,760 98,941 ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: Ireland and Mexico enjoy long-standing and excellent bilateral relations and Mexico is Ireland’s largest trading partner in Latin America. The Global Ireland Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean to 2025 provides the framework for strengthening this relationship. During the past twelve months there has been intensive engagement with Mexico. This was reflected in both the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Visa Agreements (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: Securing future immigration flows between the U.S. and Ireland remains a priority for the Irish Government. The Government will continue to support all possible immigration pathways for Irish citizens looking to live and work in the U.S., while simultaneously respecting the fact that U.S. Immigration policy is a matter for the relevant U.S. authorities. The bipartisan reintroduction of the E3...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Bodies (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: Ireland is a strong supporter of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a cornerstone of the international system of criminal justice. For this reason the Executive Order signed by President Trump on 6 February is a cause of concern. The Order authorises the imposition of sanctions on officials of the ICC and imposes sanctions on the Court's Prosecutor. It is important that the Court is...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: The Department of Foreign Affairs is fully committed to promoting and maintaining an inclusive and diverse workplace for all employees and is taking a proactive and strategic approach to advancing gender equality and wider diversity and inclusion issues as articulated in its Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) Action Plan which was launched in July 2022. In that Plan, the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: The Passport Service issued over one million passport books and cards in 2024. There were 7,515 adult passports and 4,966 child passports issued to residents of County Kilkenny in 2024, bringing the total number of passports issued to Kilkenny residents to 12,481. Passport Service forecasts estimate that there will be over 940,000 passport applications submitted in 2025. Based on these...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued the passport to the applicant.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Relations (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department is aware of the reports that families have been relocated from their homes in the area of Angkor Wat. We have taken note of the Amnesty International report ‘Nobody Wants to Leave Their Home’ published in November 2023, and the response from UNESCO to the report. We have also taken note of the statement from independent human rights experts under the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Properties (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: The Office of Public Works is responsible for all accommodation utilised by the Department of Foreign Affairs within the State.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Properties (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: The Office of Public Works is responsible for all accommodation utilised by the Department of Foreign Affairs within the State.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Heritage Projects (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: Following the Deputy's previous PQ (23 of 27 June 2024), officials from the Embassy of Ireland to the Holy See engaged with the Chair of the Irish Manuscripts Commission and Professor of History at UCD, John McCafferty on this matter. His report provides no evidence for the existance of such a crown. This is also corroborated by an article from another academic, Jesse Harrington, UCC,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Artificial Intelligence (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department's policies in relation to artificial intelligence (AI) are informed by advice and guidance issued by Government and the National Cyber Security Centre. No consultancy firms have been engaged specifically for AI advice. A service for the provision of technology research and advice, including AI, is in place with Gartner Ltd. The Department has not deployed Generative...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Military Neutrality (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: As set out in the Programme for Government, this Government intends to reform the Triple Lock legislation whilst also ensuring that amendments to the legislation are in keeping with our values and policy of military neutrality. To be clear firstly on what the 'triple lock' means; the 'triple lock' is a mechanism that sets out the conditions under which Irish troops may participate in...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: Ireland is committed, its National Action Plans (NAPs) on Women Peace and Security, to women’s protection in fragile and conflict-affected zones and the prevention and combatting of all human rights violations against women, including Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Gender-Based Violence. The Deputy may wish to be aware that the third NAP on Women, Peace and Security has now...