Results 42,241-42,260 of 46,353 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 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.

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

Simon Harris: It is not true.

Order of Business (6 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: His own members.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Prevention Measures (6 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: The area concerned does not form part of any Arterial Drainage Scheme which would fall under the remit of the Office of Public Works (OPW) under the 1945 Arterial Drainage Act. The OPW therefore has no responsibility for the flooding in the area, nor any authority to carry out any works there. Local flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each Local Authority to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Prevention Measures (6 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: Ramelton is one of the 300 locations nationwide that are being assessed under the Office of Public Works' (OPW) Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme, the purpose of which is to implement the EU Floods Directive and national flood policy. Ramelton is an area for further assessment (AFA) within the North West – Neagh Bann (NW-NB) CFRAM project. The Programme,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Prevention Measures (6 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: The area of Shannon Harbour, including Banagher and Meelick, is one of 300 areas nationwide that is being assessed under the Office of Public Works' (OPW) Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme the purpose of which is to implement the EU Floods Directive and national flood policy. The Programme involves the production of predictive flood risk and hazard mapping for...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Public Works Properties (6 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: The Commissioners of Public Works, on behalf of the State, manage a large and diverse property portfolio which ranges from office accommodation to heritage properties, visitors centres, Garda stations, among others. Within this portfolio, there are a number of vacant properties. The majority of those properties currently vacant are former Garda stations, customs posts, former coastguard...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Insurance Industry (6 Oct 2015)

Simon Harris: The Office of Public Works (OPW) has no role or function in relation to oversight or regulation of the insurance industry. Insurance companies make commercial decisions on the provision of insurance cover based on their assessment of the risks they are prepared to accept on a case by case basis. The Memorandum of Understanding between the OPW and Insurance Ireland, which was signed on 24th...