Results 46,641-46,660 of 46,723 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Capital Expenditure Programme (8 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: The revised NDP Capital allocation for the Defence Vote Group for the period 2026-2030 is €1,700 million. This represents an increase of €600 million (55%) on the previous baseline of €1,100 million. Capital Investment in Defence primarily provides for the renewal, retention and acquisition of major defence equipment and infrastructural platforms – expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Capital Expenditure Programme (8 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: The revised NDP Capital allocation for the Defence Vote Group for the period 2026-2030 is €1,700 million. This represents an increase of €600 million (55%) on the previous baseline of €1,100 million. Capital Investment in Defence primarily provides for the renewal, retention and acquisition of major defence equipment and infrastructural platforms – expenditure...

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

Simon Harris: Ireland and the Defence Forces have a longstanding and proud history of engagement with UNIFIL over many years and a commitment to the people of Lebanon. I was able to see this at first hand when I visited the women and men of the Defence Forces serving with UNIFIL earlier this year. On 28th August the UN Security Council renewed the UNIFIL mandate to 31 December 2026, this will be...

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

Simon Harris: The military authorities have advised that as of 30 July 2025, the latest date for which such information is available, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,540. Figures provided for 2024 and to date in 2025 indicate a stabilisation in the strength. There were 708 personnel inducted in 2024, the highest in over five years. While it is positive that numbers are...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Policies (8 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 232, 233 and 234 together. The blanket exemption from the Organisation of Working Time Act for Defence Force's personnel was removed in January this year. The protections of the Organisation of Working Time Act are now available to the majority of Defence Force's personnel. There are a number of exemptions from the provisions of Act for personnel...

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

Simon Harris: It has not been possible to provide a response within the time frame available. I will respond to the Deputy when the information requested is to hand.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (18 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: The revised national development plan capital allocation for the defence Vote group for the period 2026 to 2030 is €1.7 billion. This represents an increase of €600 million, or 55%, on the previous baseline of €1.1 billion. For 2026, the defence capital allocation will increase by €85 million, or 40%, to €300 million. Capital investment in defence...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (18 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: I largely agree with Deputy Ó Laoghaire. I welcome and acknowledge the fact that there is, broadly, cross-party support and support across the House for increased spending on defence and security. We will have different views and perspectives, perhaps, on where to prioritise that level of spending. However, we all recognise as a militarily unaligned neutral country that we still have...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (18 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: I will check that for the Deputy as I do not have that information in my notes and I do not want to mislead the House. I am not aware that they are not on track but I will check and come back to the Deputy on that today. Yes, we are on track for 2027. As the Deputy rightly said at the outset, I do not want to get ahead of ourselves here in the sense that, in fairness to all parts of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Pension Provisions (18 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As the Deputy knows, public service pension schemes, including for the Defence Forces, provide for the payment of spouses’ and children’s pensions. However, such pensions are only payable where the deceased had been a member of the relevant spouses’ and children’s scheme. I do not want to delve too much into...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Pension Provisions (18 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: I am sympathetic to the broader point the Deputy is making and I certainly extend my thanks and that of the State to the individual for their service with distinction in our Defence Forces. Neither the Deputy nor I were around in the seventies or eighties but my note tells me that, at the time, detailed information was provided and there were extensive briefings. There was meant to be that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Pension Provisions (18 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: I am very happy to do that.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Maritime Jurisdiction (18 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: At the outset, I very much agree with the Deputy. For an island nation, the development of a robust, comprehensive national maritime security strategy is key. Indeed, this was identified as a priority in last year's defence policy review. I am pleased to say that the strategy is now being developed in consultation with national and international stakeholders and it is expected to be...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Maritime Jurisdiction (18 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: I agree with that. We will get to it in a second but there will of course be current public expenditure as well, including making sure we have the men and women to operate and implement any such infrastructure and that we grow the size of our navy as well. Last year's defence policy review did recommend a focus on maritime security because of our assessed threat level, our geographic...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Maritime Jurisdiction (18 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is right to highlight a particular challenge when it comes to our Naval Service. I join him in thanking its members for their exemplary service. We do need to grow our navy and that requires more men and women in our Naval Service. It also requires more than me just saying that at a headline level. It also involves identifying, as the Deputy rightly said, the specialist skills....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (18 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: I agree with Deputy Gibney that it is absolutely the Government's intention to bring about a change in terms of how we deploy our troops overseas. I am quite clear on that. Where we disagree is how we see that. I see it as entirely possible to do that while respecting being a militarily neutral country. I have spoken to many of my counterparts in countries that are militarily neutral,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (18 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: Firstly, I agree with the Deputy's characterisation of what happened at the UN Security Council, which I believe is accurate. We did work very hard and I particularly commend the French, who held the pen in trying to come up with a compromise solution. There was a real risk that we would have seen a withdrawal of peacekeeping troops in some sort of chaotic manner from southern Lebanon. I...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (18 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: I know it is the left and the far left but Deputy Gibney is well able to speak for herself and it is her question. Switzerland follows international law very well. Does anybody doubt the neutrality of the Swiss? They do not have a triple lock. Does anybody doubt the neutrality of Austria? They do not have a triple lock. This is trying to whip up a frenzy. I have heard it: "Simon Harris...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (18 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: Where are we going to send the peacekeepers if we are reliant on the UN Security Council providing a peacekeeping mission? Where are we going to send Irish peacekeepers, considering it has not supported any peacekeeping missions since 2014 and has now effectively ended-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (18 Sep 2025)

Simon Harris: -----the largest overseas peacekeeping mission we are involved in? Where are we going to send them?