Results 46,281-46,300 of 46,723 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Middle East (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: There are a couple of things there. These are all important issues. On the medical evacuation of children from Gaza, we are fully committed. Genuinely and truthfully, there is an absolute commitment. We have committed to four groups of children. Two have come already and two more are due. The original ask, for the want of a better phrase, was one child accompanied by one parent or...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Middle East (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: They have not.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Middle East (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: Those are two distinct issues. For medical evacuations, we are not saying it is one plus one. There has not been a one plus one scenario. Twelve children have arrived. In a one plus one scenario, that would mean the arrival of 24 people. More than 40 people have arrived so far through that programme. I do not want to be too argumentative on a sensitive issue but there must be rules...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Trade Agreements (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy Ó very much for raising this because he is right that the EU-US negotiations are now at a critical juncture. Our position, I think across party lines, has been clear as a country. Tariffs threaten the hugely successful EU-US and Ireland-US economic relationship. They are bad for businesses, consumers and workers, and they are bad on both sides of the Atlantic. ...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Trade Agreements (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: We will shortly bring our action plan on market diversification to Cabinet. That is a joint initiative between my Department and the Department of enterprise. Of course, as part of that, we will have to look at how we can help Irish companies looking to export to new markets too. The priority at the moment is to try to minimise the impact of tariffs, however. We have published our...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Trade Agreements (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: I have not received any advice on changing that position but on foot of this, let me give it some consideration and come back to the Deputy. On the North-South elements, co-operation is excellent. I interact with the Deputy's party colleague and one of my counterparts, Economy Minister, Dr. Caoimhe Archibald, on a regular basis, and the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. We...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Foreign Policy (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: I will begin this reply regarding Ukraine and Russia by saying that the latest information I received from our embassy in Kyiv is that it has been a particularly difficult 48-hour period. Ukraine came under large-scale drone and missile attacks again last night. According to President Zelenskyy, 18 missiles and 400 drones were deployed by Russia over a period of ten hours, targeting at...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Foreign Policy (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: We have been extremely supportive of this at European level and remain so. I believe my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, represented us at a meeting on this recently -----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Foreign Policy (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: I am sorry; he is representing us in Rome today and showing the Government’s support. On 23 June, the Foreign Affairs Council discussed co-ordinating a strong and united European response behind Ukraine, including stepping up the EU’s political and military support. Ukraine’s foreign minister highlighted recent very worrying developments in Ukraine. It is absolutely...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Foreign Policy (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is entirely correct. We cannot lose focus on what is happening in Ukraine. The UN is dealing with more conflicts than ever in its history. We discussed Sudan earlier. That is another major humanitarian catastrophe that barely gets spoken about in political dispatches in Ireland. Some colleagues do highlight it but it is not getting nearly enough attention. I worry about this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Meetings (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: The Deputy was critical of the decision not to grant the visas.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Meetings (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: Every individual visa application has to be considered on its merit. This country will continue to apply rules in relation to migration and the issuing of visas. The Department of justice will continue to robustly apply rules, particularly when it involves minors and minors travelling without their parents and accompanied by other adults. I will not get into the individual application...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Meetings (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: Many visas have been granted to Palestinian nationals, mostly to family members of Irish citizens and residents. We do try to adopt a compassionate approach. I take the Deputy’s point and his credibility on this in the sense of wanting a rules-based migration system. I do not doubt his bona fides on that. I also do not doubt, nor does the Minister for justice or the Government, the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Meetings (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: The Deputy has randomly picked former EU Commissioner. She must have caught his attention in terms of a potential upcoming electoral contest. I agree with the former Commissioner on many issues and I agree with her that the European Union, through the President of the Commission, has provided a significant level of leadership that other parts of the world have not provided. At a time when...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Overseas Development Aid (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for the question. Let us be honest: overseas development aid and assistance are coming under attack in many parts of the world. I am very proud that we live in a country where, on a cross-party basis, even during the deepest financial crisis, there has been consistent support for Ireland to continue to support those less fortunate in some of the most deprived and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Overseas Development Aid (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: I fully agree with the Deputy. We have allocated about €7.7 million so far this year to Sudan. We are committing this morning to allocating at least €14 million during the total year, which would bring us in line with what we did last year, because the humanitarian situation there is horrific. The year 2025 will be the fifth consecutive year in which the Government allocation...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Overseas Development Aid (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for highlighting this. We are monitoring very closely the impact on our work as a country and the impact on NGOs like the ones the Deputy mentioned as a result of the ODA cuts from other countries. We are continuing to assess the immediate and long-term effects with our partners. We are in regular contact with governments in developing countries, with the UN and other...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for the question. The International Criminal Court is under attack. We are seeing this very regularly in many parts of the globe. Last week I met the President of the ICC in Dublin and we discussed ways in which Ireland can continue to defend the court from sanctions. The president thanked Ireland for its support to date, but having discussed it with her, frankly I was...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: We certainly will. The Deputy is correct. We are seeing people queuing for aid for themselves and their children in a situation of near starvation and being shot at and killed. This is beyond horrific. Ireland will continue to support the ICC. I need to stress to the House how volatile and dangerous the situation is in terms of the sustainability of the ICC. We have to support the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (10 Jul 2025)

Simon Harris: We certainly will do that. The beauty of Irish foreign policy is its consistency. We are always in favour of human rights, international law, peace and dialogue, regardless of the parties involved. I often hear Ireland's position being misrepresented, with questions about whether we are pro this country or anti that country. We are pro international law, multilateralism, human rights and...