Results 1,161-1,180 of 45,291 for speaker:Simon Harris

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: On Deputy Mac Lochlainn's point regarding the unification of our island and a poll, which I have yet to see but will read, my priority and that of the Government has been to get the institutions back up and running, working with the Deputy's colleague, the First Minister, and with the deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland, having a reset of Anglo-Irish relations and investing significant...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy said the HSE has said there is no resolution. I do not doubt what he has heard. What they are telling me is they are trying to do two things: they are trying to secure a property in the county and they - when I say "they", I mean the Brothers of Charity - in parallel are running a recruitment campaign to staff that service. That is what they are telling me is happening. The...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: Here are other facts as well. When I visit the Deputy's county, which I do regularly, and intend to visit very regularly shortly-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: There will be. I wish the Deputy well in it. There will be many people in his county who will recognise progress has been made on infrastructure. In fact, there is probably not a part of Ireland that has greater levels of third-level infrastructure per head of population than Limerick city and country - we now have three universities in Limerick - providing young people with an incredible...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: They are in the Deputy's county of Limerick.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I presume Limerick city is part of your county so that is fine. On Askeaton, the wastewater treatment plant is being advanced by Uisce Éireann through funding provided by this Government. This is funding that the Deputy probably votes against in the Dáil, when we try to pass budgets.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy has a job to do, and I wish him well in it, which is to stand up to say everything is terrible in rural Ireland. I do not believe it-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: -----and I do not believe the people believe in it. I look forward to taking our case to the people.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: No, it is not. It absolutely is not. There is nothing I can say or will attempt to say to suggest that it is. Deputy Fitzmaurice raised the case of Seán in the House five weeks ago and told the Dáil in very vivid and graphic terms, and I say that respectfully, of the huge challenges that Seán's father was, and clearly is, experiencing and his concerns for the welfare of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: No, the Greens have never said that. I do not need to speak for the Green Party but it does not say that either because it follows the evidence. We saw figures published today that show more progress on emissions reduction, farmers yet again stepping up and, quite frankly, farming and agriculture making more progress than some other parts of our economy, which should be acknowledged as...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: We have it anyway - we can agree on that much - so it is now a matter of having a discussion about how to spend it. I am sure we will have that conversation again. That does provide opportunities in terms of how we will use that windfall tax revenue to invest further in infrastructure. I imagine we will have a longer debate in the not-too-distant future but I do not accept that this...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I have a Cabinet Minister from the Deputy's constituency in-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I think the Deputy meant to say when I stepped up.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: When I became leader, I appointed a Minister from the Deputy's constituency to the Cabinet. The Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, also serves the Deputy's constituency. Both of them advocate for the area. Statements of an absolute nature that no infrastructure has been delivered do not stand up to any degree of scrutiny.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: Not the one beside the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: My party and this Government are proudly supporting farmers, rural Ireland and the agriculture sector. We meet them on a very regular basis. I meet them on a very regular basis. I regularly met them with the Minister for agriculture as well. We took a number of decisions in the budget to further support farming and farmers, including making sensible changes to the residential zoned land...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: There is no balance to the Deputy's argument; this is the point. I am able to stand here and talk to the electorate on their doorsteps and point to progress and also point to the more there is to do. The Deputy just wants to dismiss any of the progress, as though those extra 128,000 homes do not exist. I am interested in what she is saying now because she has set out her stall if she is to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I am glad the Deputy picked up my election hints anyway. I thought they were rather subtle.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: There goes the surprise. It is a serious issue the Deputy is raising and I do appreciate that. We have significantly increased the level of supports to our student nurses. We did that, as she rightly said, arising from the debate around Covid and post Covid in respect of the very important role being played by student nurses. I do not have the specific figures in front of me but I think...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Cairns. I definitely agree with the Deputy on one point, which is that politics and the next election certainly cannot be about who comes up with the biggest figure in terms of the number of homes they are going to deliver because the public will rightly see through that. People will be much more interested in the how. That is absolutely right. Deputy Cairns said...