Results 221-240 of 46,014 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: The Defence Forces advertising budget is provided for within Subhead A.22.2 (Miscellaneous: Advertising) of the Defence Vote and provides for advertising costs which support various Defence Forces recruitment initiatives. The table below outlines the Subhead A.22.2 allocation over the period specified. Subhead A.22.2 Defence Forces Advertising Allocation €m ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: Investment in new equipment for the Defence Forces is provided for under various Subheads of the Defence Vote relating to defensive equipment, mechanical transport, aircraft, ships and naval stores, engineering, communications and information technology equipment etc. I am informed by the Defence Forces that their records indicate the amount spent on purchasing military equipment from...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Corps (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: The military authorities have advised that the number of personnel currently undertaking Air Traffic Controller (ATC) training, and their expected training completion dates, is as follows: No of Personnel ATC Qualification Estimated date of completion 3 Tower Q4 2026 1 Radar Q4 2026 1 ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: The military authorities have advised that the protocol regarding the national flag being placed on the coffin of serving and former members of the Permanent Defence Force is set out under Defence Forces Regulation A10 (New Series) Ceremonial and Funerals and its related Administrative Instruction. In the event of the death of a serving member of the Permanent Defence Force, where the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Foreign Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I wish to reassure the Deputy that my officials have consulted regularly over the last number of years with Defence Forces personnel on the development of the General Scheme of the Defence Amendment Bill 2025. With respect to the provisions proposed around the despatch of Defence Forces personnel overseas, it is absolutely appropriate that relevant military advice was sought to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I do not have specific insights into provisional findings from Operation Denton. I know it is hoped the report will appear in the coming months. We all hope this provides families and survivors with much-needed answers. I will continue to make the point, as will the Minister for Justice, regarding the importance of this information being provided and, more broadly, the issue of legacy....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Northern Ireland (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 and 243 together. I met with Sean Brown's family just over two weeks ago on what was the 28th anniversary of his murder. I was struck by Bridie Brown and her family and the anguish, pain and hurt they have been put through. The family have shown enormous strength and resilience in pursuing this case. I commended them on their tireless campaign for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Northern Ireland (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I join the Deputies in commending Bellaghy GAA and the GAA more widely. The president of the GAA, Jarlath Burns, attended the meeting with the Brown family when they came to see me. Sean Brown was a good, decent man locking up his GAA club when he was brutally murdered 28 years ago. Not only have no answers been given to his family and no Article 2-compliant investigation established,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Trade Agreements (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I will say more on CETA another time when we can have a proper debate. If we cannot ratify a free trade agreement with Canada in the middle of all the turbulence that is going on in the world, I am concerned. I cannot think of a better, less offensive nation to trade with and have a trade agreement with than Canada. Let us have that debate when the time comes. It is for another day. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and for consistently keeping it on the agenda in his time in the House. It is important that is done. Earlier this month, as he noted, we marked the 51st anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 17 May 1974. Those brutal attacks claimed the lives of 34 people, including an unborn baby, injured hundreds more and shocked the country to its...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I agree with everything the Deputy said on this matter. I fully acknowledge that very country has a right, even an obligation, in regard to its national security. However, that cannot become a cover for not providing assistance that could and should be provided. This House and successive Governments have constructively put forward proposals as to how that access to information could be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ukraine War (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: To start with the Deputy's last point, that is a huge concern because, in fairness to President Trump, he has been very clear that he wants the war to end. He wants peace and the President of the European Commission, President von der Leyen, has welcomed some of the interventions President Trump has made in that regard. There has been significant dialogue between a number of senior European...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Trade Agreements (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 and 176 together. I thank Deputy Ó Murchú. His party is working him hard today. I assure him that my officials and I remain in ongoing and close contact with a number of like-minded countries, including France, which the Deputy referenced in the question, on our opposition to the current EU-Mercosur trade deal. Indeed, as I stated in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Trade Agreements (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I had a significant one-on-one meeting with my French counterpart specifically about Mercosur. Our links and engagement with France on this remain intense and ongoing. Our position within the European Commission is very well understood. I do not think other member states would be in any way surprised by Ireland's position. What happens next is important. At the moment, the agreement is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy can imagine, I will be engaging with the Attorney General as we seek to advance this general scheme. In response to Deputy Stanley's request, that was the point I was making. In the previous Government, I had conversations about whether it was possible to move forward with an occupied territories Bill. I accept that the line Deputy Murphy is quoting regarding political...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: Deputy Murphy is right. That was an option. It could be amended line by line or section by section. Our view was that bringing forward a new Bill was a better way of doing it. I am open to persuasion on the issue of services. It is not a persuasion that needs to be done from a policy point. Rather, I am open to persuasion as to whether it would work in this Bill. I am not afraid of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ukraine War (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 172 and 173 together. I thank Deputy Lahart. I am committed, as is the rest of the Government, to working with our European and Ukrainian counterparts to maintain our solidarity with Ukraine and to ensure Ukraine gets the support it needs to defend itself against brutal Russian aggression. This remains a key focus of my engagements, both bilaterally and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I take the point Deputy Connolly makes around the date of the original Bill being 2018. That is, of course, a statement of fact. Respectfully, I make the point back that, for better or worse, trade is an EU competency, and I am happy to be in the European Union. It has been the position of successive Governments for quite a period of time that, therefore, any issues in that Bill were a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Passport Services (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I will double-check that I am correct but my understanding is that of the 858 staff, approximately 133 are temporary clerical officers. I will double-check the split between temporary and permanent staff. I thought the Deputy might have a particular interest in Cork so I checked and found that 117 staff are working in the Passport Office in Cork. It is not possible to have any more...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Passport Services (29 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McCarthy. I will check with the Passport Office if it plans to look further at that. There is always a passport reform process under way. We have seen a number of reforms. We have come a very long way from the Covid backlog and all the challenges then to now having a system that is very efficient. It is a good example of public service reform and also of digitisation. I...