Results 43,721-43,740 of 46,267 for speaker:Simon Harris

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: I shall begin by welcoming Mr. John McCarthy and congratulating him on his appointment as Secretary General. I look forward to having a productive engagement with him, just as we had with his predecessor, Ms Tallon. I also welcome his officials here today. I would like to discuss a range of the topics that the Secretary General mentioned in his opening statement and that the Comptroller...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: I will drill down through that for specifics. Does the Department have statistics on the total social housing stock in the country today?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (26 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: I accept what the Chairman has outlined. Given what the clerk has stated about it not being the date they have a problem with, though, there may be a degree of backsliding. I note the presence of Mr. Goulding's consultant in the Gallery. Mr. Goulding chose to go on the national airwaves via RTE Radio 1. It was his first time publicly commenting after failing to engage with this committee,...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (26 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: He did not. The clerk or Chairman can correct me if I am wrong, but we have written to Mr. Goulding seeking documentation. That is my understanding. We were certainly meant to write.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (26 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: It is not a judgment. I will be very careful in what I say.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (26 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: Just to be correct, we corresponded with Mr. Goulding and requested the documentation that he publicly promised.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (26 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: But we did not get it.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (26 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: I thank the clerk for his assistance with this. I have been trying to get to the bottom of what safeguards are in place for taxpayers' money regarding the running of elections and serious concerns have been brought to me that not all returning officers have followed tendering guidelines and rules for obtaining equipment such as tables and chairs for polling stations and count centres, which...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (26 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: It is not the responsible Department.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (26 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: I am agreeable to that.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (26 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: That would be good. I thank the Chairman.

Topical Issue Debate: Modern Language Teaching (25 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: I am grateful to have the opportunity to raise the issue of the need for the Minister to provide an update on the provisions in place to assist primary schools in the teaching of foreign languages within our education system. Every Member will know and appreciate the importance of modern languages and of familiarising ourselves with such languages, particularly in the ever more globalised...

Topical Issue Debate: Modern Language Teaching (25 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: I thank the Minister of State for that informative and timely reply. I welcome the development of a language strategy and look forward to seeing how that will interact with our numeracy and literacy strategy. The Minister of State correctly pointed to the complexity of the Irish education system, in terms of this country having two official languages, both Irish and English, and I...

Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: Is that from experience?

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Records (24 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: There might be a difficulty trying that.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Irish Sign Language (24 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: 481. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the actions that have been taken to advance the recognition of Irish Sign Language as per the commitment in the programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27211/14]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services Provision (24 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: 536. To ask the Minister for Health the number of emergency adolescent beds that are available in the Irish mental health services; where these beds are located; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26656/14]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services Provision (24 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: 537. To ask the Minister for Health the reason dialectical behaviour therapy is not provided by the Irish health services for adolescents despite the fact that this is a recommended treatment for borderline personality disorder and the fact that this treatment is available in other countries, including the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26657/14]

Cooke Report: Statements (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate on the Cooke report. In this House, and, indeed, in political institutions in general, we are used to people grabbing headlines and we are used to people making allegations, but what we are not used to is such people stopping once the news cycle moves on to coming back and standing by the headlines that they grabbed and the allegations...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Harris: While we are dealing with the HSE, has the committee received a copy of the report by the HSE interim administrator into the CRC?