Results 641-660 of 46,723 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Brennan for raising this issue. This Government is keen to support small and medium enterprises. They make up the backbone of our economy and every community that we proudly represent in Dáil Éireann. We have taken two measures already. The SME test makes sure that all proposals that come to the Government are put through the prism of what their impact on our...

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I am definitely not directing my remarks at the people of Dundrum – far from it. I met some of them when in Clonmel, but we have seen that huge pressure and challenges have been imposed on the gardaí in dealing with extremist elements in certain places. They visit my constituency as well. I thank the gardaí, who often must operate in the face of considerable abuse, which...

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: However, I am taking the Deputy’s broader point and on this occasion I am agreeing with him in that we obviously need to do more to increase the Garda presence. I assure him that the programme for Government, and also the pipeline we are now seeing from Templemore, will see us on a more positive trajectory as a result of the foundations we have put in place over the past several...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Cullinane for raising this issue again. I acknowledge he has raised it frequently. I would make the point that when we have worked together, across parties in this House, on issues relating to Waterford and the rest of the south east, including the university in recent years, we have managed to make progress together. This is a similar issue. Genuinely across the House,...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I extend my sympathy to the family of the young man, Evan Fitzgerald. He was a countyman of mine. The incident was a great shock in the local community and County Wicklow. I understand this is a complex case. Obviously, I am not privy, nor should I be, to when the Garda Commissioner does or does not use the provision in the Act. That is a matter between the Commissioner and the Minister,...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: We are treating this as an emergency. It is a housing emergency and that is why we are taking big decisions each and every week to try to increase housing supply. We have increased housing supply from the floor to around 30,000 homes each year. We need to increase that significantly to deliver 300,000 more homes by the end of 2030. We have been following the evidence base of the Housing...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: The Deputy said homeless.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: He said homeless lists.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: Who is incompetent?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: There was not as much pirouetting and spinning at my daughter's ballet recital compared to what I just saw there. The reality is this is far too serious to engage in conspiracy theories.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: The Deputy suggested I went around counting people. The reality is we have robust, politically independent, impartial structures in our State-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: Sorry, no. The Deputy can wave his sheets of paper but I want to know who in the public service he is calling incompetent?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: It is our public service. It is ours, we live in a Republic. It is our public service and it does a bloody good job and I want to know-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: Just wait a second now, Mr. Angry. Wait.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I want to know who in our public service or what agency Deputy Tóibín believes is wrong in relation to our housing figures. I made the point about duplication and how you can report homelessness in more than one area. That did not suit the Deputy so he switched his argument for the next stage. The Deputy is right. We are coming from a very low base after a very difficult, deep...

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this issue. I join with him in sending best wishes to the local gardaí he referenced who experienced assault. An attack on a member of An Garda Síochána is an attack on our democracy and should rightly be condemned. Indeed, in this House in recent years and under the leadership of the then Minister, Deputy McEntee, we significantly...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: It seems the Taoiseach stole my line, because I was going to say I would find out. I thank Deputy O'Gorman for raising a very important issue. I will answer the questions directly, but I join with him in talking about the importance of a science-led, evidence-based approach to vaccination. I am very proud that largely, but not exclusively, in this House we have taken an approach across...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I give that commitment. We will come back in three weeks with a definitive plan on that. While I am on my feet, I suggest, as this relatively new Dáil commences, that every Member of this House would publicly commit to supporting the vaccination programme. There is no room for pseudoscience or wannabe doctors who are not doctors. I want to know if every single elected representative...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: I hate to burst the Deputy's gotcha moment but I suggest he might wish to interrogate his numbers. I am not sure whether we should do a show of hands, but I imagine there is not a Member of Dáil Éireann, other than himself perhaps, who is not aware of the fact that there can be duplications. There can, of course, be people involved with more than one local authority. There can...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2025)

Simon Harris: -----and there are no two ways about it. At least have the decency to stand by your policy.