Results 45,661-45,680 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: Between now and the month of July, we are going to work on a housing plan; not a glossy document but a targeted list of actions we can take in relation to water, energy and planning that will get us to 300,000 homes. I assure Deputies we have the money and capital to make this happen. What we now need is political support across this House and in communities to drive on delivery.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I hope the Deputy will support the establishment of a housing activation office that will do exactly what he said, which is bring in people from Irish Water and the local authorities and put them in an office working together to break down those silos so we can deliver the homes for our people.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. He is right. This is an area where a significant amount of work is needed to make progress. There is no doubt about that. I would make the point at the outset that I do not think any one strand of work will get us to where we need to get. We will need to do four or five very significant things at the same time and this is the focus of the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: There is an agreed way forward. We have a very clear view forward regarding amending and reforming the legislation and the model around assessment of need and we want to work with people in good faith to get this right, including, most importantly, parents and those who carry out assessments of need - the clinical professions. The House can expect engagement from us on that very shortly. ...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: We are not standing over any false narrative. We are reiterating long-standing foreign policy and, I think, the long-standing policy of the people of Ireland that there needs to be a two-state solution in the Middle East, that the State of Israel has every right to exist in peace and security and that the people of Palestine have every right to a sovereign state that exists in peace and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I have just said that. Israel is committing genocide.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I will shake my head if I want to, Deputy Connolly.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I will stand up.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I hope I will get an extra 38 seconds as well-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: -----because there was the greatest load of palaver levelled at me there.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: Deputy Connolly has such vitriol for and dislike of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil that she cannot ever actually come above and rise to the moment. Ours is the first Government in the European Union to say that what Israel is doing is genocide. Do you hear that, Deputy? It is genocide.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: Israel is committing war crimes, and we will pass the occupied Palestinian territories Bill.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: We will pass that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: We will pass it as quickly as possible.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: It will go to the foreign affairs committee in the month of June. While you are standing here just throwing brickbats at me-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: -----we are working to support the people of Palestine. The only Chamber I ever go into in the entire world where people do not acknowledge that Ireland - the Government and the people of Ireland - are standing with the people of Palestine, standing up for human rights and standing up for international law is here, when you get up and distort with your ideology the actions of this...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: There you go. You are at it again. Hold your sign up.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: You cannot work together on anything.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Fitzmaurice for raising this important issue and, in fairness to him, for raising it consistently in terms of the aftermath of Storm Éowyn and the impact it has had on people across our country, but most particularly the elongated impact it has had on people living in rural or more disperse communities, many of which I know he represents in his constituency. I will deal...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: We will keep the pressure on for those who do not have service. The Deputy's second point is one of the real learnings of the storm, that when the network goes down, it is not just the loss of the phone - I do not mean to be flippant - but also the loss of all contact and connection with the outside world. For older or vulnerable people or people who live in isolated rural areas and their...