Results 45,221-45,240 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (8 Apr 2025)

Simon Harris: The Passport Service has issued over 290,000 passports to date this year. The Passport Service is currently experiencing a high level of demand for passports, as citizens prepare for upcoming summer travel. Thanks to my Department’s operational and staffing plans, the Passport Service is successfully responding to the current level of demand. I would ask the Deputy to encourage her...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department is currently compiling the significant volume of information requested by the Deputy and will respond in full as soon as the required information has been collated.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 Apr 2025)

Simon Harris: The Defence Forces Tribunal of Inquiry has been established to examine the effectiveness of the complaints processes in the Defence Forces concerning workplace issues relating to discrimination, bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct. The Tribunal also has the power to investigate the response to complaints made regarding the use of hazardous chemicals within Air...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Properties (8 Apr 2025)

Simon Harris: The Deputy may be aware that a consultant was commissioned by the Defence Forces to assess the condition of the vacant housing in barracks, including those in the Curragh Camp and its suitability for conversion/refurbishment to provide for additional single living-in accommodation for Defence Force personnel. My officials will be reporting to me with recommendations on how to proceed...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 Apr 2025)

Simon Harris: The following table shows the number of personnel admitted to the Permanent Defence Force for each of the past five years, by gender: Year Male Female Total 2020 494 44 538 2021 532 44 576 2022 398 37 435 2023 378 37...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 Apr 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 266 together. The Curragh Museum located within the Defence Forces Training Centre, Curragh Camp displays historic items of significance with regard to the State and the Defence Forces. My Department does not have a role in the operation of the Museum and does not provide direct funding in respect of same. The Museum is operated on a voluntary basis...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff (8 Apr 2025)

Simon Harris: Two Special Advisers were assigned to support me in my role as Minister for Defence in accordance with the provisions of the Public Service Management Act 1997. Their salary is aligned to the Civil Service Principal Officer salary scale. These appointments will be subject to forthcoming Government approval. Details in relation to each incoming Special Adviser will be laid before the Houses...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: United Nations (8 Apr 2025)

Simon Harris: To answer the Deputy's question, the Defence (Amendment) Act 2006 primarily concerned the authorisation of the despatch of contingents or members of the Permanent Defence Force for service outside the state, under a range of duties including as part of an International United Nations Force, as sanctioned by a resolution of the Security Council or the General Assembly of the United Nations. ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 Apr 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 271 together. I am advised by the military authorities that as at 28 February 2025, the latest date for which such figures are available, the whole time equivalent strength of female personnel in the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) stood at 565 or 7.5% of the total strength of 7,502 personnel. In line with current policies and commitments, a number...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Properties (8 Apr 2025)

Simon Harris: There are no vacant or derelict buildings owned by my Department in the area referred to by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Meetings (8 Apr 2025)

Simon Harris: The Gender Recognition Act comes under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection. I am advised that the report of the Review Group for the Gender Recognition Act included a recommendation that legal recognition should be made available to people who are non-binary. This recommendation will, in part, be informed by an impact assessment on existing legislation that would...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. We all agree that housing is the most important issue. There is a housing emergency in this country. There is an onus on all of us to come forward with ideas and policies to try to make real and meaningful progress for people in the country. I hope we are at least united on this. This Government has taken a number of steps on...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2025)

Simon Harris: There is no housing tsar for us either.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I love the way Sinn Féin loves to laugh and joke about the issue of housing. It proposed in the general election that if it was elected to government, and thank God we were spared that, it would establish a new office to bring forward all of the different structures to break down silos. That is what Sinn Féin proposed. The Housing Commission proposed that, and so did the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2025)

Simon Harris: That is the only decision that we have made. We have not made any decisions about personnel or pay. Process matters with all of these issues. We will continue to engage as a Government, now that we have made the decision on establishing the new office, on how best to staff that office. The overriding objective will not be personality but will be getting the job done and making sure that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I am very on board with setting up a housing activation office and I thought Deputy Doherty was too. It is in page 98 of Sinn Féin's own plan, about breaking down the silos, bringing in expertise, and-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I am not sure whether its Deputies read the policies but that is what they all ran on in the election. They ran in the election and said that he wanted to establish an office to bring together people to break down silos relating to housing.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2025)

Simon Harris: That is what we are doing. It was not Sinn Féín's idea or ours; it was a good idea that came from the Housing Commission and we are trying to act on that. The Minister was quite right this week to bring forward a proposal to Cabinet to move that forward. The only decision the Government of Ireland took this week was in that regard.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2025)

Simon Harris: The Minister was quite right this week to bring forward a proposal to Cabinet to move that forward. The only decision the Government of Ireland took this week was regarding that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2025)

Simon Harris: Now that the Government of Ireland has done that, we will decide how best to populate the office, process matters - I want to understand the processes followed regarding key personnel - and we will then address all those matters and put this together.