Results 42,861-42,880 of 46,267 for speaker:Simon Harris

Appropriation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: I reject the assertion that the Minister, Deputy Howlin, is hostile in regard to the provision of information. He has done a lot to ensure there is more information available than there was, including in regard to freedom of information and has rowed back on the curtailment introduced by Fianna Fáil. He has enhanced the legislation to ensure there is more openness in regard to...

Appropriation Bill 2014: Second Stage (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: I have a lot to get through in five minutes and I am not sure where to start. I found a lot of Deputy Fleming's contribution quite disingenuous. There is no new policy in this Bill. The Deputy is around this House a lot longer than I am and he knows the Appropriation Bill gives technical effect to issues that have been debated to the Nth degree in this House and have been voted on and...

Appropriation Bill 2014: Second Stage (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: I do not get the connection with the Bill.

Appropriation Bill 2014: Second Stage (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The Appropriation Bill 2014 is an essential element of financial housekeeping that, as Deputies are aware, must be concluded by the Dáil this year. The Bill serves two primary purposes. First, the Appropriation Bill is necessary to authorise in law all of the expenditure that has been undertaken in 2014 on the basis of the Estimates...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes Funding (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: It is matter for Fingal County Council (FCC) in the first instance to investigate and address flooding issues in the County. It is understood that the recent flooding in the Howth and Sutton areas was due primarily to the inability of the local surface water drainage infrastructure to deal with the very intense rainfall that occurred. Any flooding resulting from inadequate storm water...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Coast Guard Services (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: Subject to confirmation of funding from the Irish Coastguard Service, it is expected that a contract for works at Waterville Coastguard Station will be placed early in 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes Status (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 156 together. The Office of Public Works has responsibility for approximately 11,500 km of arterial drainage channels nationally, with about 2,200 km of these being subject to routine maintenance each year across the country as part of an ongoing programme of arterial drainage maintenance of schemes completed under the Arterial Drainage Acts. This...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes Status (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 157 and 158 together. The Office of Public Works has responsibility for approximately 11,500 km of arterial drainage channels nationally, with about 2,200 km of these being subject to routine maintenance each year across the country as part of an ongoing programme of arterial drainage maintenance of schemes completed under the Arterial Drainage Acts. This...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: The Government Decision of 11 February 2014 allocated total funding of up to €69.5 million for clean-up, repair and restoration works in relation to public infrastructure that was damaged in the period 13 December 2013 to 6 January 2014 based on submissions and cost estimates made by the local authorities concerned to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Garda Stations (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: The OPW has conducted a review of State owned sites in the area to identify any suitable sites for the development of a new Garda Station in Bailieborough.  As no suitable State owned site is available, it is intended that a notice will shortly be placed in local and national media seeking offers of suitable sites. The Office of Public Works advances the provision of facilities for An...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Insurance Cover (16 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: In March 2014, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Insurance Ireland, the representative body for the insurance industry in Ireland, and the Office of Public Works. This Memorandum sets out principles of how the two organisations will work together to ensure that appropriate and relevant information on completed OPW flood defence schemes is provided to insurers to facilitate, to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Public Works Projects (16 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: The following are the OPW managed projects that have availed of the Per Cent for Art Scheme in County Waterford since 1997: 1997 PRAI, (Property Registration Authority) Cork Road, Waterford Commission amount: €7,617 Artist: Killian Schurmann 2003 Waterford Government Offices, The Glen, Waterford Commission amount: €60,000 Artist: Joy Gerrard 2003/2004 Tramore...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Coastal Protection (16 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: The position in relation to this matter remains as outlined in my reply to the Deputy's Question of 18thNovember, 2014. Under the (Coastal Protection Act, 1963) Kerry County Council may apply for funding for coastal protection works at Kilshannig. A proposal for substantial strengthening works would require detailed planning and feasibility studies and technical analysis to be carried out...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (16 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: The Government Decision of 11th February 2014 allocated total funding of up to €69.5 million for clean-up, repair and restoration works in relation to public infrastructure that was damaged in the period 13th December 2013 to 6th January 2014. Of this sum of €69.5 million, up to €19.6 million was allocated for repair of existing coastal protection and flood defences based...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (11 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator Darragh O'Brien for this series of recommendations. Recommendation No. 15 seeks to give broad discretion to the Minister on when properties should be revalued for LPT purposes. As the local property tax is a new tax, the Government wishes to provide certainty for homeowners. For this reason, valuation periods of three years were introduced, with the exception of the first...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (11 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator O'Brien and Senator White for the recommendation. Although I am sure people are aware of the current rates and structures of the alcohol licensing regime, the Minister for Finance is eager that we briefly outline the current licensing system and the steps the Government proposes to take to tackle the misuse of alcohol, and that this be put on the record of the Seanad. The...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (11 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: Yes.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (11 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator O'Brien. This is trickier than it seems at first because of the factors the Senator has outlined with respect to EU law. Nicotine replacement patches are subject to the 23% standard rate of VAT, while other nicotine products such as nicotine inhalers, tablets and chewing gum are categorised as oral medicines and thereby qualify for the zero rate of VAT. Nicotine replacement...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (11 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: Senator Quinn and I had a good exchange on this yesterday. I understand the purpose of what he is trying to do and I tried to alleviate any concerns that there would be other such employees or former employees of universities other than NUI Galway. Certainly, the Revenue Commissioners have made exploratory inquiries with all other relevant universities and they have found no other employee...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (11 Dec 2014)

Simon Harris: I thank Senators Darragh O'Brien and Averil Power for the recommendation. It is an issue that was discussed extensively in the Dáil where the Senators' colleague, Deputy Michael McGrath, raised it. We had a lengthy debate on Report Stage in the Dáil also. The bottom line is that this is an issue which the Minister for Finance has asked the Office of the Attorney General to...