Results 44,481-44,500 of 46,456 for speaker:Simon Harris

Public Accounts Committee: Section 38 - Agencies Remuneration (11 Dec 2013)

Simon Harris: That is very welcome, because some of the people I have been talking to in recent days are parents of clients of the CRC who are obviously, understandably, worried. To me it seems absurd that there would not be a representative of the clients, or the parent group of clients, on the board of governors.

Public Accounts Committee: Section 38 - Agencies Remuneration (11 Dec 2013)

Simon Harris: They should have seen it already.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (11 Dec 2013)

Simon Harris: 28. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the current situation in Gaza following comments made by the UN Humanitarian Co-Ordinator on 1 November 2013 regarding the need for urgent action to address the looming humanitarian crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53172/13]

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Foreign Direct Investment (11 Dec 2013)

Simon Harris: 65. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the amount of foreign direct investment that has taken place in a county (details supplied) over the past five years, broken down by year; the companies that have made such investments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53187/13]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (11 Dec 2013)

Simon Harris: 75. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she intends to re-evaluate the rent allowance limits in view of the current rental market; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that rents in an area (details supplied) are 4.4% higher in the third quarter of 2013 than they were the previous year, according to a daft.ie rental report; if she will re-examine rental limits in the county on...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (11 Dec 2013)

Simon Harris: 78. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if rent supplement may be paid to a person living in a mobile home in a fixed location; her Department's policy in relation to same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53185/13]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (10 Dec 2013)

Simon Harris: 227. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if public servants or civil servants receive any additional remuneration for serving on a board or for holding any position in any organisation or association which receives public funding and which they attend during their working day; his position on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53036/13]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Property Services Regulatory Authority Staff (5 Dec 2013)

Simon Harris: 195. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide information on resources allocated to the Property Services Regulatory Authority; the timeline in which a person should expect a complaint submitted to the PRSA to be adjudicated upon; if his attention has been drawn to any delays in addressing complaints; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52431/13]

Topical Issue Debate: School Curriculum (4 Dec 2013)

Simon Harris: Of all the responses to Topical Issues that I have received in this House, that is the most comprehensive and encouraging. I thank the Minister of State very much for his commitment to this area and I welcome the launch of the consultation phase on the new digital strategy for schools. The approach he is taking in bringing partners and stakeholders to the table is the correct one. We...

Topical Issue Debate: School Curriculum (4 Dec 2013)

Simon Harris: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock, for being here. While I put down the idea of developing a leaving certificate course in ICT and computer skills, it is really to generate a broader debate about what we are doing in the schools in terms of providing students with the skill sets they need for the modern economy and for functioning in a society that is becoming ever more...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (4 Dec 2013)

Simon Harris: 55. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when he expects a new school (details supplied) in County Wicklow to open; when a site for this new school will be confirmed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52161/13]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (4 Dec 2013)

Simon Harris: 56. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the construction of a new school (details supplied) in County Wicklow; the expected completion date for construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52162/13]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (4 Dec 2013)

Simon Harris: 89. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will clarify the terms of the national broadband scheme as offered to consumers; in particular the issues regarding an unlimited data cap; the agreed price of data once the initial threshold is passed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52063/13]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (3 Dec 2013)

Simon Harris: 111. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the shortage of primary school places in an area (details supplied) in County Wicklow for the school year starting September 2014; the number of parents that have not been offered any school place in the locality; the amount of school places available in the locality; the actions he intends to take and if his...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (3 Dec 2013)

Simon Harris: 358. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to ban the docking of the tails of dogs-puppies and the removal of the dew nail, considering that both of these practices are banned by the Irish veterinarians body; if he will consider introducing such a ban in animal welfare legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51826/13]

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 39 - Health Service Executive (27 Nov 2013)

Simon Harris: One would hope not. The scary thing is they are telling an agency auditor they did. This is why we need-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 39 - Health Service Executive (27 Nov 2013)

Simon Harris: I agree. This is why we need to hear from the chairs of the boards. Some criticism of the HSE has also arisen in Dr. Smith's report regarding the haphazard, or at times slow, way the HSE responded to queries from the Department of Health between 2008 and 2011. Between February 2011 and October 2011 the Department of Health wrote to HSE human resources, HR, on five occasions trying to...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 39 - Health Service Executive (27 Nov 2013)

Simon Harris: I accept Dr. Smith's recommendation and I am pleased the HSE accepts it. We are only going back as far as 2011. The Department of Health corresponded with the HSE about the importance of section 38 in complying with public sector pay conditions and on three occasions the HSE did not bother to reply.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 39 - Health Service Executive (27 Nov 2013)

Simon Harris: There was significant lapse. I am trying to get inside the mindset. Why was there such a delay? The HSE was waiting for information to come back up the chain.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 39 - Health Service Executive (27 Nov 2013)

Simon Harris: The Department of Health wrote to request adherence to the one person one salary principle. One HR section did not respond and the other response was incomplete. I presume we deem this unacceptable.