Results 45,621-45,640 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Equipment (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department uses Lotus Notes (also known as IBM Lotus Notes) for a small number of legacy systems. The Department is currently implementing a five year Technology Strategy and Roadmap which includes migrating legacy applications to modern, enterprise level platforms.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Contracts (22 May 2025)

Simon Harris: The Department’s internet service is provided through the Government Networks shared service which is delivered by the Office of the Government CIO in DPENDR. As such, my Department does not currently use a commercial internet service provider.

Apology to Shane O'Farrell and his Family: Statements (27 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I want to begin by welcoming members of the O'Farrell family to the House. I am conscious that for Shane's parents, Lucia and Jim, and his for his four sisters, Hannah, Gemma, Aimee and Pia, this very far from your first time in this House, or in the environs of Government Buildings. I had the honour of meeting you when I served as Minister for Justice. I was in awe of you all. I was in...

Gaza: Motion (28 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Labour Party and Deputy Smith for bringing forward this motion today. I thank them for the constructive way in which they are approaching the most horrific, appalling situation in Gaza and the Middle East, and I mean that. I approach this debate, and respectfully suggest we should all approach it, by moving beyond the mantra of "Government good, Opposition bad" or "Opposition...

Seanad: Situation in Gaza: Statements (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I am very pleased to have an opportunity to be here today and I thank Seanad Éireann for inviting me. I have commitments in the other House so I will take this debate along with the Ministers of State, Deputies Thomas Byrne and Neale Richmond. I said in the other House yesterday and will say today again at the outset that I hope the starting and end point of this debate will be not be...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Meetings (27 May 2025)

Simon Harris: Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD, represented Ireland at the Informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers (Gymnich) on 7-8 May in Warsaw. The Gymnich, hosted by the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU, was a welcome opportunity to discuss the full range of pressing challenges facing the EU at present, including the ongoing appalling...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 May 2025)

Simon Harris: All passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008, as amended (“the Act“). The Act provides a legal basis for the various policies and procedures that are applied by the Passport Service in the issuing of passports. The Passport Service takes its responsibility to protect the integrity of the Irish passport very seriously. Due to the strength of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 May 2025)

Simon Harris: All passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008, as amended (“the Act“). The Act provides a legal basis for the various policies and procedures that are applied by the Passport Service in the issuing of passports. There is a field on the data page of the Irish passport to record the place of birth of the holder, but nationality is not displayed on...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 May 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department is currently in the busiest season of the year for processing passport applications, as citizens prepare for their upcoming summer travel plans. Thanks to operational and staffing plans implemented by my Department, the Passport Service is successfully responding to the current high demand, and has issued over 440,000 passports to date this year. All turnaround times are at...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Public Procurement Contracts (27 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154, 155 and 156 together. The detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available within the time frame sought. Officials in my Department are collating this information and I will arrange to have this information forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Public Procurement Contracts (27 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154, 155 and 156 together. The detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available within the time frame sought. Officials in my Department are collating this information and I will arrange to have this information forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Meetings (27 May 2025)

Simon Harris: Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD, represented Ireland at the Informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers (Gymnich) on 7-8 May in Warsaw. The Gymnich, hosted by the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU, was a welcome opportunity to discuss the full range of pressing challenges facing the EU at present, including the ongoing appalling...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 May 2025)

Simon Harris: All passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008, as amended (“the Act“). The Act provides a legal basis for the various policies and procedures that are applied by the Passport Service in the issuing of passports. The Passport Service takes its responsibility to protect the integrity of the Irish passport very seriously. Due to the strength of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 May 2025)

Simon Harris: All passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008, as amended (“the Act“). The Act provides a legal basis for the various policies and procedures that are applied by the Passport Service in the issuing of passports. There is a field on the data page of the Irish passport to record the place of birth of the holder, but nationality is not displayed on...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 May 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department is currently in the busiest season of the year for processing passport applications, as citizens prepare for their upcoming summer travel plans. Thanks to operational and staffing plans implemented by my Department, the Passport Service is successfully responding to the current high demand, and has issued over 440,000 passports to date this year. All turnaround times are at...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Public Procurement Contracts (27 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113, 114 and 115 together. I will answer PQs 27020/25, 27038/25 and 27056/25 together. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is responsible for two Votes - Vote 27 (International Cooperation) and Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs and Trade). The policy of the Department is to operate competitive tendering as standard procedure in order to achieve best...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Anti-Racism Measures (27 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I note that the Deputy’s question relates to the illustrative examples that accompany the IHRA’s non legally binding working definition of antisemitism. On its public website setting out the definition and the illustrative examples, the IHRA notes that it provides a non-exhaustive list of what contemporary manifestations of antisemitism could include, while also noting that...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Agreements (27 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 and 124 together. Following the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council on 20 May, the EU High Representative announced that the EU will conduct a review of Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. This is an important decision, reflecting the grave concerns held by Member States regarding the situation in Gaza. The EU remains steadfast in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Military Aircraft (27 May 2025)

Simon Harris: Ireland’s policy of military neutrality means that Ireland does not participate in military alliances or common or mutual defence arrangements. As I have said in this House on many previous occasions, there are no plans to alter this policy. Responsibility for the regulation of foreign aircraft landing or overflying the State is shared between Departments. The Minister for Foreign...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Agreements (27 May 2025)

Simon Harris: The Government is committed to supporting free, fair and open trade. Indeed, recent developments in the global trading environment have highlighted the importance of market diversification via an expanded set of EU free trade agreements. EU FTAs support more opportunity for exports and investment, help support jobs and growth at home, maintain strict EU standards on food safety, animal and...