Results 42,981-43,000 of 46,267 for speaker:Simon Harris

Finance Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (26 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: I appreciate what Deputy Pearse Doherty says about taking risks in finance Bills and it is worth trying things out. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, has always said that initiatives such as SARP set out to do exactly what Deputies Michael McGrath and Creighton have outlined, aligning ourselves with our competitors, taking chances to see if we can do anything to create more jobs. In...

Finance Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (26 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McGrath for his contribution. Although I was not here last night, I watched this debate, which was quite constructive in regard to this important matter. The Minister for Finance wants to thank Deputies Michael McGrath, Doherty and Donnelly for their contributions and clarifications on this issue during the debate last night. The amendment appears to envisage a number of...

Finance Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (26 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Doherty for his contribution. We had an extensive discussion about this on Committee Stage. Amendment No. 7 proposes that an annual report be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas showing the number of people who have availed of SARP, the number of additional jobs created and the tax foregone as a result of SARP. I tried to provide some relevant information on Committee...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: No, they do not know.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Severe Weather Events Expenditure (25 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: The Government Decision of 11thFebruary 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 13thDecember 2013 to 6thJanuary 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 on...

Water Sector Reforms: Motion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (20 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach.

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (20 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: This amendment updates the collective citation of the Valuations Acts 2001 to 2014 to include the Health Service Executive (Financial Matters) Act 2014. This is a technical matter.

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (20 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: I sincerely thank Senators on all sides of the House, my party spokesperson, Senator Sheahan, Senator O'Keeffe and Senator Hayden, who led for the Government, Senator Byrne who led ably for his party, Fianna Fáil, Senator Reilly, who is not here but who contributed, and Senators Quinn and Barrett for their engagement. I know Senator van Turnhout could not be here today but made an...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (20 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: This is a relatively simple amendment to try to remove any doubt about the Valuation Tribunal's entitlement to publish the judgments of the tribunal. The tribunal does currently publish judgments and has an implied discretion, even a duty, one would argue, to publish them. The publication of judgments has not been questioned but it has been advised that the tribunal be provided with express...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (20 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: This amendment is the one I am most eager to implement. I have heard from Senators on all sides of the House about this matter. Senator Keane has taken a particular interest in this area and has spoken to me about it. Senator van Turnhout also raised the issue on Committee Stage as, I think, did Senator Byrne. I acknowledge the calls from Senators on Committee Stage for a more favourable...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (20 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: Senator Keane makes a very compelling argument. The provision of child care is a policy objective on which we have to do better, which I think is agreed by all parties. The valuation element has a very small role. When I had an opportunity in this Bill to engage with Senators on all sides of the House I was asked to find out how much one could do. This was not originally envisaged when the...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (20 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: These transitional provisions are required to clarify whether the Valuation Act as it stands, prior to the enactment of this Bill, or the Act as amended by this Bill, will apply to cases that are already in the system so to speak. The basic principle being followed in these transitional provisions is that if a decision has been taken and communicated to the person concerned prior to the...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (20 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: I thank Senators Quinn, Barrett and Keane, who I acknowledge feel strongly on this matter. At the outset, I accept it is the job of Members in Parliament to get into the nitty-gritty of legislation and I am pleased we are doing that but the overarching aim of the Bill is to modernise the valuation process and to speed it up. The enabling of outsourcing will be a really significant step...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (20 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: These are technical changes to the section that provides for the limiting of the aggregate amounts of rates that a local authority can collect in the year after revaluation. The order is made to assure ratepayers that a revaluation is about rebalancing the rates liability among ratepayers to reflect modern values and not about increasing the rates take. The amendments proposed will ensure...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (20 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: These are minor amendments to the new Part 12A, which provides in primary legislation that all land and buildings previously held by the Minister for Finance are transferred to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. I flagged these amendments on Committee Stage. The first is a correction of a simple referencing error. Sections 56A, 56C and 56D referred to the commencement of...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (20 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: This is a correction of a simple cross-referencing error. The Bill, as published, would have inserted a section 26H but after amendments made on Committee Stage and with consequent renumbering, there no longer will be a section 26H. The references in section 65 should be to section 26G and that is the purpose of these amendments.

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (20 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: I will indeed.

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (20 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: This is a technical amendment that clarifies the list to be referred to for the properties in a rating authority area that are the subject of a revaluation. As defined by the legislation, a valuation list is a list that has been compiled as part of a revaluation exercise. An existing valuation list is a valuation list that existed before the commencement of the Valuation Act 2001. Not all...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (20 Nov 2014)

Simon Harris: This amendment is a correction of a typographical error in a cross-reference between sections that are being inserted by the Bill. At present, the reference in 26A is to section 26D(2). This would only allow the occupier to make representations on a proposed valuation in limited circumstances. The intention is that all occupiers whose valuation is being determined using the new...