Results 44,041-44,060 of 46,456 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (25 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: 14. To ask the Taoiseach if discussions have taken place at a European Council level on addressing the problem of youth unemployment across Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2193/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (25 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: 284. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a funding stream exists within his Department for the provision of gym equipment for a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12904/14]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (25 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: 684. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if good advice-education and grant schemes will be provided to help families install water conserving features in their houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13401/14]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Regulations (25 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: 685. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the introduction of a ban on smoky coal; the parts of the country that are not covered by such a ban; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13435/14]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Policy (25 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: 686. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the way the smokeless fuel policy is policed by local authorities; the resources local authorities have to ensure such a scheme is policed; the number of persons that have received fines or warnings in relation to smoky coal from 2012 to date in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13440/14]

Government's Priorities for the Year Ahead: Statements (Resumed) (13 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Government's priorities for 2014. The attitude adopted to this debate in recent weeks by the Opposition shows that it has not learned any lessons from the past. Before I arrived in this House - at a time when the country had more money than sense - announcements relating to Government priorities were made in hotel function rooms rather than in this...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality
Chapter 9 - State Pathology Building Project (13 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: I accept that and I welcome Mr. Purcell's comments in that regard but the original idea was that this would be a short-term solution with people staying six months on average. We now have an average stay of three years and eight months with many spending more than seven years in the system, which is the equivalent of a childhood. In the meantime, we, as taxpayers, paid €62 million in...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality
Chapter 9 - State Pathology Building Project (13 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: I welcome the progress the Department is making on the charity regulatory structures and I note Mr. Purcell's comments earlier. I hope he can allay my concerns. The committee opened a can of worms that needed to be opened in our examination of a number of sections 38 and 39 charitable organisations, although many charities do not fall under these sections. Will the new structure be able to...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality
Chapter 9 - State Pathology Building Project (13 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: Are we still on track to have the board appointed after Easter?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality
Chapter 9 - State Pathology Building Project (13 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: I would like to move on to the Justice Vote. There is a note in the accounts - note 5.2 - on 13 retired civil servants rehired at a cost of €105,298. For what were they rehired?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality
Chapter 9 - State Pathology Building Project (13 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: Does Mr. Purcell think it was necessary to rehire retired civil servants for those roles?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality
Chapter 9 - State Pathology Building Project (13 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: That is reassuring. Six former members of the Judiciary were hired at a cost of €404,451. Will Mr. Purcell give us a breakdown of the six former Judiciary members?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality
Chapter 9 - State Pathology Building Project (13 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: In the accounts, a saving of €113,000 was achieved on the disability awareness initiative. This concerns me because when it comes to the area of disability, Mr. Purcell's Department has quite an important role in terms of public awareness of, understanding of and education about the equality agenda. The budget had already been slashed from €865,000 to €307,000 between...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality
Chapter 9 - State Pathology Building Project (13 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: Does Mr. Purcell see my point that even though the budget for disability was so sharply reduced, which was regrettable, the full amount was not spent? People with disabilities depending on such disabilities awareness initiatives did not get the full bang for their buck which they should have got. It is a concern of mine, which I have noted.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality
Chapter 9 - State Pathology Building Project (13 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: Has the Department appointed a replacement deputy State pathologist?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality
Chapter 9 - State Pathology Building Project (13 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: We seem to have a pretty restrictive asylum regime with 10% of applicants granted permission in 2012 compared with a European average of 27%. The former Irish Ombudsman and now the European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, raised concerns about the safety of children living in direct provision, and she noted the very unsuitable conditions in which they were living. Considering direct provision...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality
Chapter 9 - State Pathology Building Project (13 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: Who were the members of the project board?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality
Chapter 9 - State Pathology Building Project (13 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: I would like to examine the costs of the project. The developer was McNamara. The construction costs amounted to €1,061,878.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality
Chapter 9 - State Pathology Building Project (13 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: The construction costs were €1,061,878.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality
Chapter 9 - State Pathology Building Project (13 Mar 2014)

Simon Harris: To whom was that paid?