Results 10,921-10,940 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: This amendment is about ensuring that the Government can allow anybody who is entitled to the allowance already by virtue of attending the Cabinet as a Minister of State to draw down that allowance. There is a real stench of hypocrisy from some speakers in this House. Deputy Doherty argued that Ministers should be reducing their salaries. Sinn Féin Ministers in government in Northern...

Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: Give it back. Why not give it back then?

Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: That is not true.

Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (24 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." It is a great pleasure to present to the House the Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2020, which passed all Stages in the Seanad yesterday. This Bill establishes, for the first time in the history of the State, a Department focused on further and higher education,...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (16 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: I am best placed to answer that. I thank the Deputy very much. He is correct in that the climate agenda is immense. The commitments in that regard are very clear in the programme for Government, but it is not just for the benefit of climate change, as it is also a crucial time to get people back to work, as there are significant job creation opportunities here and in terms of career...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (16 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: I am-----

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (16 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett for his questions. Regarding the July stimulus, I agree that it has to be two-sided. One side has to concern economic stimulus, but the other side has to be about the individual citizens of our country and how we can help them. I assure the Deputy that there will be a focus in the July stimulus on helping to get people back to learning and into apprenticeships...

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I will reply in the short time available to me. Whatever role I am in next week, if I am in any, I hope that Deputy Mattie McGrath and I can find another forum in which we can continue to exchange our views. We have had lots of ding-dongs during the time I have been Minister for Health. I respect the job that the Deputy has to do.

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: Let me shock the Deputy by agreeing with him on something because I think he is entirely right about the issue of churches. I take religious freedom very seriously. I also take the health and safety of people very seriously. The pandemic is real and has taken more than 2,000 lives on this island so far. Let us try to strike a note of harmony. The pandemic is real but people's faith is...

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I will get the public health advice and the Government will make a decision tomorrow. I will fulfil my statutory duties in line with any laws in terms of any report I have to publish. I will come back to the Deputy about St. Brigid's District Hospital. Anyone who has a concern should not wait for a screening service but should go to see his or her GP today. The dates for the resumption...

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I do not think there was any spin there.

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I think the figure is 18 hospitals. If that is not the number, I will write to the Deputy, but that is my memory. My understanding is that service level agreements are still being finalised.

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: That is right.

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: There were 19 hospitals involved.

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I will have to revert to the Deputy. That will be done under the Patient (Safety) Licensing Bill but I will have to revert to her on that matter.

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: When I last inquired about this matter, which was before the pandemic, the situation was that the papers for planning permission were due to be lodged with An Bord Pleanála. The capital plan is funded. It is badly needed, as everyone has said. I am waiting for planning permission to be granted. The funding to deliver it is in place and the intention is to build it.

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is factually incorrect, and I say that respectfully. Every single year that I have been the Minister, the number of beds in the public health service, both inpatient and day case, has increased. I will not waste the Deputy's time reading the figures out. Every single year I have been Minister, the number of nurses and doctors in the public health service has increased. I take...

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: My apologies. I know several hospitals are now beginning to do temperature testing. I do not believe that it is yet mandatory, but I will contact the HSPC, get some clinical guidance and then write to the Deputy.

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: That is no problem at all.

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I cannot pre-empt what Cabinet will decide tomorrow but I think that there is a very strong case for looking at how we can further promote the wearing of face coverings in particular settings. One often does that by changing a law or regulation and that in itself creates such an environment. I take the Deputy's point about not wishing to put drivers in difficult positions and I will...