Results 1,021-1,040 of 46,014 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Bodies (25 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: There are no such bodies that fall under the aegis of my Department. While it may not come within the category set out in this question, in the interest of completeness the Deputy may wish to be aware that Section 19 of the Passports Act 2008 provides for a Passport Appeals Officer, to whom a person not satisfied with the decision of the Passport Service in relation to their application may...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (25 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: The Taoiseach visited the White House, at the invitation of President Trump, as part of his official St. Patrick’s Day programme in the United States. This was part of a wider St. Patrick's Day diplomatic engagement across the US, which encompassed 9 Government Ministers visiting 15 States different states, including my own engagements in Philadelphia and New York. In respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (25 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: Ireland remains extremely concerned at the ongoing erosion of human rights and democracy in Russia which has been exacerbated by Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. The presidential elections held by Russia on 15-17 March 2024 took place in an ever-shrinking political space, which has resulted in an alarming increase of violations of civil and political rights,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Contracts (25 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department has not engaged the named company centrally to perform work in the period specified and no fees have been incurred during this period.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (25 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: During my recent Saint's Patrick's Day visit to the United States, I was delighted to visit Philadelphia and New York, two of Irish America’s most important and iconic cities. I renewed important political relationships with a wide range of American counterparts. This included New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (25 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: I have not yet had occasion to meet the Ambassador of Malaysia to Ireland, His Excellency Wan Aznainizam Yusri Wan Abdul Rashid, in 2025. However, my officials have excellent ongoing engagement with the Ambassador and his team. Malaysia and Ireland share a warm bilateral relationship, based on many decades of business and trade links, engagement between our governments and strong...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (25 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: Ministers met at the inaugural EU – GCC Summit in Brussels in October 2024, under the theme “Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity”. Ireland’s Ambassador in Abu Dhabi is accredited to Qatar, and travels there regularly. The Qatari Ambassador in London accredits also to Dublin, and officials of my Department are in frequent contact with the Qatari...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (25 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the application is within the current turnaround time and has not yet reached the issue by date.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Social Media (25 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: The Department endeavours to maximise accessibility of its video content published on social media, and to date has prioritised provision of video content on social media channels with accompanying closed captions/subtitles rather than closed on-screen Irish sign language interpretation, in order to achieve this wherever practical. The percentage of videos published natively on the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: United Nations (25 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: The role of the President of the General Assembly is a pivotal one within the UN system. The election of the President of the General Assembly is scheduled to take place on 2 June 2025 through a vote in the UN General Assembly, with a simple majority required. If only one candidate has been nominated before the vote, then the President of the General Assembly may be elected by...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Public Procurement Contracts (25 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: The Defence Vote Group is comprised of Vote 35 (Army Pensions) and Vote 36 (Defence). The Army Pensions Vote, which is mainly demand-led and non-discretionary, provides pension benefits to 13,600 Army Pensioners and their dependants. The Defence Vote allocation provides, inter alia, for the pay and allowances of 8,960 public service employees (including 8,000 members of the Permanent Defence...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Bodies (25 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: I can confirm that there are no regulatory, appeal or other bodies funded by or under the remit of my Department that are quasi-judicial in nature. There are three bodies under the aegis of my Department; the Army Pensions Board, the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces and the External Oversight Body of the Defence Forces (EOB), which was placed on a Statutory basis on 1 December 2024. The...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Corps (25 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: The Defence Forces Infrastructure Development Plan (IDP) sets out a programme of project delivery for the years 2023 to 2027. The Plan is iterative in nature thus ensuring that it remains relevant and that investment is targeted where most needed. The updated Plan estimated infrastructure requirements to be in the region of some €359m for the coming years. At the end of 2024 there...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Properties (25 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: I am advised that none of these properties can be occupied without considerable refurbishment as they were built before the Building Regulations and associated standards arising from same came into effect. There are plans to overhaul the condition of the vacant housing stock, in so far as possible, to increase the provision of accommodation for serving personnel. In this regard, the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Social Media (25 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: In the period from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024,three per cent of my Department's social media videos included Irish sign language (ISL) translations, andeighty per cent of social media videos included closed captioning/subtitling. These figures include video content reposted to departmental social media channels and where automated closed captioning is available through video hosting...

International Security and International Trade: Statements (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: I welcome this opportunity to brief the House on matters relating to international security and international trade. With the agreement of the House, I will share time with the Minister, Deputy Burke. The two issues we are discussing are at the core of Ireland’s foreign relations at a time of great turbulence and change in the world. We are at a critical juncture in terms of the...

An Bille um an Naoú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Mionn Oifige Breithiúnach), 2025: An Chéad Chéim - Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Judicial Oath of Office) Bill 2025: First Stage (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: It is not.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. She is right. I hear this feedback a lot throughout the country, as she does in County Louth. We have taken a number of measures to try to make some progress. We have now brought in what we call an SME test on all Cabinet memos. Before any Minister brings an idea to Cabinet, it has to go through the SME test to see what the impact on small businesses will be. The...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I recall him raising it in the House previously. I know it is an important issue for his constituents in Milford. I will certainly talk to the Minister, Deputy McEntee, about the delivery of that new school building for Scoil Mhuire. I welcome the fact that a site has been provided free of charge. There is an eagerness to progress this. I will...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (20 Mar 2025)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is dead right. I hear these complaints as well. I also hear about the significant contrast, for want of a better word, between the service provided by the ESB in local communities and the approach taken by some private operators. I will not name companies, but I have heard criticism of particular companies regarding their lack of responsiveness. My understanding is that my...