Results 42,141-42,160 of 46,260 for speaker:Simon Harris

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proceeds of Sale of Aer Lingus: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I share Deputy Sean Fleming’s view on mobile phone signals. Our constituencies must have similar terrain. It is a matter for the ISIF. The Minister, Deputy Noonan, has said time and again that we encourage promoters to come forward if they have a commercial proposition, regardless of whether it relates to the public or private sector. The ISIF is open for business and we need...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proceeds of Sale of Aer Lingus: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: May I respond on a point of clarification?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proceeds of Sale of Aer Lingus: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I will be happy to respond at the end if the Chairman so wishes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proceeds of Sale of Aer Lingus: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I agree fully with everything Deputy Pat Rabbitte said. Obviously, he has a degree of expertise that far outweighs mine on foot of his work in this area in the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. To be clear, the definition of connectivity is broad and includes data connectivity, including broadband, fibre optic cables and interconnectors. I understand there have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proceeds of Sale of Aer Lingus: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I must begin with the last comment by reminding the Deputy that the ISIF wishes to hear about commercial propositions. I reiterate my comment to Deputy Sean Fleming that we are in agreement-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proceeds of Sale of Aer Lingus: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I hope it is doing well. We are in agreement that there is a need for people to promote the fact that the ISIF is in place and available to those with commercial propositions. It is open for business. As for when the money will be available, as the Deputy is aware, the sale has been concluded. Consequently, it is a matter for the Houses of the Oireachtas to pass a resolution, the first...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proceeds of Sale of Aer Lingus: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I welcome Deputy Jerry Buttimer to a meeting of the finance committee. As Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, I am highly conscious of the need to harness the tourism potential of heritage sites, including those in Cork. I will refer his comments to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, with whom I know he has spoken on the issue. I am not in a position to discuss...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proceeds of Sale of Aer Lingus: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McDonald. Nobody has a monopoly on concern for this group. As the Deputy correctly noted, many Members of the Oireachtas have interacted with members of this group, who find themselves in an extraordinary position, one that nobody in the House wants them to be in, as a result of the failures of a pension scheme in a commercial company. However, we must also be honest in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proceeds of Sale of Aer Lingus: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: Senator Hayden raises many important issues in respect of which I concur with her. I would argue that we have other structures in place to address some of the needs that exist. We need to continue to enhance those structures and ensure they are working. I refer, for example, to local enterprise offices and the Enterprise Ireland support for high-potential start-ups, which is helping many...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proceeds of Sale of Aer Lingus: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I will be very brief. I have a great deal of respect for Senator Barrett. This is one issue on which we profoundly disagree and I do not propose to relive the entire debate that took place in the context of whether the Government should have sold its minority stake in Aer Lingus. The Government gave careful consideration to all elements of the offer relating to the sale of the State's...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proceeds of Sale of Aer Lingus: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Farrell but I would not obviously agree with the concept that each road or any potential road would have to be tolled. There are obviously other ways of providing it, maybe through-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proceeds of Sale of Aer Lingus: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: There would be other modalities that would be open, such as the PPP model and so on, where there would be an investment from the public sector and a commercial element in roads. I do not want to be restrictive in that regard. I take the Deputy's point in relation to the issue of the definition of connectivity. The definition is, as I have outlined, broader than transport projects but it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proceeds of Sale of Aer Lingus: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: We are likely to continue this debate in the Dáil on Thursday of next week.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proceeds of Sale of Aer Lingus: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: Yes, it will be debated in both Houses.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes (7 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: The Office of Public Works (OPW) is not awaiting a report from the consulting engineering firm referred to by the Deputy in relation to minor flood relief works carried out at Inchigeela, Co Cork.

Corporate Tax Policy: Motion [Private Members] (6 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: Hear, hear.

Corporate Tax Policy: Motion [Private Members] (6 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: It is.

Corporate Tax Policy: Motion [Private Members] (6 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 1:To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following:"welcomes the publication of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) 2015 Final Reports which outline an internationally agreed approach to combatting aggressive tax planning and harmful tax practices; notes...

Corporate Tax Policy: Motion [Private Members] (6 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: They are.

Corporate Tax Policy: Motion [Private Members] (6 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: It is.