Results 341-360 of 45,281 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: I am not rowing with Deputy Doherty today. He seems nearly disappointed that I am saying I am going to resolve the matter. He is right to highlight this issue. He is right to call on us to resolve the issue, and we are going to do that. I am not going to stand up and defend something that cannot be defended. A scheme was announced in good faith, people applied, and the funding now needs...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Bacik for the common-sense suggestion she made regarding a briefing for the Opposition. I apologise but with various international travel and the like over the last while there has been a bit of a lacuna. I suggest that on Monday we have that briefing for Opposition parties either with me or, if my diary does not allow, with senior officials because we need to get that flow...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: I, too, welcome that. On the occupied territories Bill, my office was in touch with Senator Black yesterday to arrange for me to meet with her. I will come back to the Deputy once that has happened. In the vein of controlling what is within our control, and we can talk about this more when we have our briefing and engagement, it is imperative that we look at what is within our control and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Doherty for raising the question on children's disability services. I want to begin where he began by welcoming the special rapporteur from the United Nations for the occupied territories to Ireland and thank her for her work. With a representative of the United Nations in our country, I want to join with all Members of this House and with the Secretary General of the United...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Information and Communications Technology (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department uses a variety of telecommunications channels to deliver its services. Of the channels mentioned, it uses: - 6 ISDN lines for public-facing telephone communications - 1 'fractional' ISDN line and 28 PSTN lines for building utilities. My Department no longer uses copper leased lines.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: The Passports Act 2008 provides for a number of circumstances under which the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade may cancel an Irish passport, including:where the Minister becomes aware of a fact or a circumstances that would have required or permitted him to refuse to issue the passport to the person had the Minister been aware of the fact or circumstance before the passport was...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: The Passport Service is successfully responding to the current level of demand for passports and has issued over 230,000 passports to date this year. Virtually all complete passport applications are being processed within or before advertised turnaround times and over half of adult renewal applications are processed within 2 working days. My Department undertakes extensive advance...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: Passport cards were introduced in October 2015 and the following number of passport cards have been issued annually since then: Year Total Passport Cards Issued 2015 12,559 2016 24,801 2017 37,674 2018 56,360 2019 87,123 2020 ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consular Services (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: The appointment of full-time specialist Cultural Officers in priority locations worldwide has been identified in the Government’s Global Ireland 2025 strategy as a key action to widen and deepen our global cultural presence and engagement. This programme has been rolled out since 2020 in a close partnership between my Department and the Department of Arts, Culture, Communications,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: The Passport Service continues to accept copies of driving licences certified by a member of an Garda Síochána.  If the Deputy has concerns in respect of a specific application, please bring the details of the case to the attention of the Passport Service who will review the matter further.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: There have not been any secondments from consulting firms to the Department of Foreign Affairs during the period 2020 to present.  Secondments within the civil service are subject to the principles outlined in the Civil Service Secondments Policy and Circular 27/2021: 'Secondment Policy for the Civil Service’.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, this complex adult renewal application was received on 3 March 2025. Therefore, this application is within the standard turnaround time for this type of application and has not yet reached its issue by date.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: Ireland strongly advocates for the promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTQI+ people throughout the world, including in our relations with Hungary. Ireland has repeatedly and consistently raised our concerns in relation to serious Rule of Law backsliding and the targeting of civil society and minority rights in Hungary, including in direct contacts with our Hungarian interlocutors. We...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Contracts (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department has reviewed its records and has not entered into any contract, any discussions, or received offers of use of the premises of the hotel referred to by the Deputy.   There are no Agencies under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Information and Communications Technology (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department's core IT infrastructure is provided by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) under the 'Build to Share Managed Desktop' shared service. The data and telephony, which is Voice Over IP (VOIP), communication lines for the Department of Defence are fibre optic communication lines. My Department also has a number of copper communication lines that are...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: I am advised by the Defence Forces that no military equipment was purchased from companies based in Japan in the period referred to by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: The Defence Forces Infrastructure Development Plan (IDP) sets out a programme of project delivery for the years 2023 to 2027. The capital allocation for building works in military installations and barracks across the country for the last five years was some €170m. This year the capital allocation stands at €50m for capital investment with a further €12.5m allocation for...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: I am advised by the Defence Forces that no military equipment was purchased from companies based in Australia in the period referred to by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: The Army Equitation School continues to source Irish bred horses that meet the required standard as judged by the School's Horse Purchase Board. Horses are acquired through either purchase or lease agreement. The Army Equitation School’s budget for the purchase and lease of horses in 2025 is set at €500,000, as it was in 2024. I am satisfied that the current arrangements allow...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: I can confirm that there have been no secondments from consulting firms to my Department since 2020.