Results 641-660 of 45,281 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Ukraine War (19 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: Since the inaugural meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) in April 2022, the group has convened regularly to discuss and coordinate support for Ukraine in response to Russia illegal invasion, with the 26th meeting held on the 12th February this year. Ireland has attended meetings of the Group since May 2022 - which have alternated between video conferences and in-person meetings...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Expenditure (19 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: The Department of Defence ensures that there is an appropriate focus on good practice in purchasing and that procedures are in place to ensure compliance with all relevant guidelines. The procurement of goods and services by the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces is carried out in accordance with public procurement policy and national and European Union law and that expenditure is...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Flexible Work Practices (19 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: In line with the Blended Working Policy Framework for Civil Service Organisations, my Department launched its Blended Working Policy in late October 2022. Staff availing of blended working are required to attend the office on a minimum of 2 specific days each week as agreed with their manager. There are no immediate planned changes to remote working arrangements applying to staff in my...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Military Neutrality (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: Ireland's policy of military neutrality, as practised by successive Governments, means that Ireland does not participate in military alliances or common or mutual defence arrangements. The Government has been clear that it has no desire to alter Ireland’s policy of military neutrality. The triple lock refers to a three-stage process to approve the deployment of troops on a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: The Passport Service is successfully meeting high demand for passports and has issued over 126,000 passports to date in 2025. Turnaround times are currently at, or ahead of, target. The figures requested by the Deputy are outlined in the table below: APPLICATIONS RECEIVED Jan-23 Jan-24 Jan-25 RENEWAL 110,760 98,941 ...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: Ireland and Mexico enjoy long-standing and excellent bilateral relations and Mexico is Ireland’s largest trading partner in Latin America. The Global Ireland Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean to 2025 provides the framework for strengthening this relationship. During the past twelve months there has been intensive engagement with Mexico. This was reflected in both the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Visa Agreements (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: Securing future immigration flows between the U.S. and Ireland remains a priority for the Irish Government. The Government will continue to support all possible immigration pathways for Irish citizens looking to live and work in the U.S., while simultaneously respecting the fact that U.S. Immigration policy is a matter for the relevant U.S. authorities. The bipartisan reintroduction of the E3...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Bodies (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: Ireland is a strong supporter of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a cornerstone of the international system of criminal justice. For this reason the Executive Order signed by President Trump on 6 February is a cause of concern. The Order authorises the imposition of sanctions on officials of the ICC and imposes sanctions on the Court's Prosecutor. It is important that the Court is...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: The Department of Foreign Affairs is fully committed to promoting and maintaining an inclusive and diverse workplace for all employees and is taking a proactive and strategic approach to advancing gender equality and wider diversity and inclusion issues as articulated in its Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) Action Plan which was launched in July 2022. In that Plan, the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: The Passport Service issued over one million passport books and cards in 2024. There were 7,515 adult passports and 4,966 child passports issued to residents of County Kilkenny in 2024, bringing the total number of passports issued to Kilkenny residents to 12,481. Passport Service forecasts estimate that there will be over 940,000 passport applications submitted in 2025. Based on these...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued the passport to the applicant.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Relations (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department is aware of the reports that families have been relocated from their homes in the area of Angkor Wat. We have taken note of the Amnesty International report ‘Nobody Wants to Leave Their Home’ published in November 2023, and the response from UNESCO to the report. We have also taken note of the statement from independent human rights experts under the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Properties (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: The Office of Public Works is responsible for all accommodation utilised by the Department of Foreign Affairs within the State.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Properties (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: The Office of Public Works is responsible for all accommodation utilised by the Department of Foreign Affairs within the State.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Heritage Projects (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: Following the Deputy's previous PQ (23 of 27 June 2024), officials from the Embassy of Ireland to the Holy See engaged with the Chair of the Irish Manuscripts Commission and Professor of History at UCD, John McCafferty on this matter. His report provides no evidence for the existance of such a crown. This is also corroborated by an article from another academic, Jesse Harrington, UCC,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Artificial Intelligence (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department's policies in relation to artificial intelligence (AI) are informed by advice and guidance issued by Government and the National Cyber Security Centre. No consultancy firms have been engaged specifically for AI advice. A service for the provision of technology research and advice, including AI, is in place with Gartner Ltd. The Department has not deployed Generative...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Military Neutrality (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: As set out in the Programme for Government, this Government intends to reform the Triple Lock legislation whilst also ensuring that amendments to the legislation are in keeping with our values and policy of military neutrality. To be clear firstly on what the 'triple lock' means; the 'triple lock' is a mechanism that sets out the conditions under which Irish troops may participate in...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: Ireland is committed, its National Action Plans (NAPs) on Women Peace and Security, to women’s protection in fragile and conflict-affected zones and the prevention and combatting of all human rights violations against women, including Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Gender-Based Violence. The Deputy may wish to be aware that the third NAP on Women, Peace and Security has now...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Funding (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: Under the revised 2021-30 National Development Plan (NDP), the Defence 2024 capital allocation of €176 million has increased to €215 million in 2025, a level of increase which has brought the Defence allocation to its highest ever level. This level of capital funding will enable continued investment in the renewal and replacement of Defence Forces equipment and infrastructure...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (18 Feb 2025)

Simon Harris: The military authorities have provided the requested information as set out in the attached table. We have previously acknowledged the recruitment and retention challenges in the Defence Forces. To address these, a number of measures have been introduced. The maximum age of recruitment has been increased to 39 years for those roles that had a recruitment age below that, and to 50 years...