Results 121-140 of 47,691 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: You are a bully.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: You are a bully, shout and roar, online trolling.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: First, I join the Deputy in agreeing that what we saw happen in Drogheda at the IPAS centre is the most despicable crime. It is attempted murder. It has nothing to do with a migration debate in this country - absolutely nothing. It is a horrific, almost unspeakable act where babies and young children were sleeping upstairs. Everybody in this country, regardless of their political...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I did a fair bit of it in your own constituency. It was good to be in Donegal. The Deputy persists in trying to misrepresent the budget. Week in week out, he comes in here and says that €9.4 billion more is being spent etc. and then he tries to pivot to suggest it is all being spent in a certain direction. He ignores the fact and does not tell people at home that the bulk of that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: You would have heard directly from Cairn Homes, which said in The Irish Times, "The better news is that the recent VAT cut gets passed on directly to the end user here." He would also have heard from Fitzpatrick and Heavey Homes which said, "Apartments are now viable again" and it will lead to a building boom.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: You are not yet the leader.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: You would have heard from Glenveagh-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: You would have heard from Glenveagh which said the accelerating infrastructure task force is going to make a real difference and the innovations are working. Castlethorn, which builds homes, welcomed the budgetary measure.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: At the end of the day, the people you describe-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: No. The people you like to describe as elites and everything else are the people we rely on to build homes in this country. The measures we have taken are making a real difference. I do not think when you, Eoin Ó Broin and others meet these lads, you use the same sort of language towards them as you use in this Dáil. The lobbying register shows you are meeting most of them. I...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: There has been extensive consultation with civil and military management and with the Defence Forces representative associations with regard to implementing the working time directive for members of the Defence Forces and the associated proposals for a legislative framework. We have a conciliation and arbitration subcommittee on the working time directive. This is a matter for formal...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I want to see this body of work completed quickly. I am really proud of the work that was undertaken and the measures that were put in place in January that finally removed the blanket exemption from the working time directive for the Defence Forces. That is an important recruitment tool and it is an even more important retention tool. It is also an important recognition of the important...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Callaghan as an gceist. SAFE, which stands for Security Action for Europe, is an EU instrument designed to provide member states with up to €150 billion of loans backed by the EU budget to provide financial assistance to member states to support their urgent public investments in defence, increase production capacity, improve the availability of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: On the joint procurement under SAFE, we have already opened up the contract for the supply of integrated modular body armour systems to other member states, so we are now providing opportunities for other EU countries as well. This means the work of doing more together, co-operating and playing our part in SAFE has started. On the loan facility, if we think of a domestic household, the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is entirely correct the benefit of being able to jointly procure is real. It is real in terms of speed and value for money. She is also right that if we have learned anything over the recent period with a war on the Continent of Europe and the turbulent trade environment, it is that being more resilient as a European Union and the opportunities that gives us in terms of our...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. As he will be aware, in January of this year the blanket exemption from the Organisation of Working Time Act for Defence Forces personnel was removed and most Defence Forces personnel now enjoy the protections of the Act. Due to their specific nature, a number of activities are exempted from the provisions of Act and compensatory rest periods and other protections were...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Naval Service (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 30 together. I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Naval Service, as of 30 September 2025, the latest date such figures are available, is 800 personnel. This is up from 719 personnel at the end of 2024. Let me be honest and say that the establishment strength is 1,094. We are below the establishment strength and we need...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Naval Service (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I agree with much of what has been said. We need to invest more in our Naval Service and we are doing so. Crucially, we need to do things, namely, increase the number of people in the navy and we need to increase the capabilities and infrastructure of the Naval Service. Work is under way on both fronts. This year will see a significant increase in patrol days at sea on last year. It will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Naval Service (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: Regarding the shadow fleet, I also remain concerned, as do European and international counterparts. As we continue to sanction Russia to get it to end its brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine, these sanctions need to capture the activities of the shadow fleet. What I would say, and say to those outside this House too, without commenting on important national security issues, is that we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Cybersecurity Policy (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: It is a good question. Let me get a detailed note to the Deputy to fully set it out because there have been changes to this area. The decision to relocate the National Cyber Security Centre to the Department of justice is a good one. It is something I have advocated for for quite a while. There are very good people in it but I never felt it was an appropriate fit in the Department of...