Results 1,381-1,400 of 45,291 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: -----a clinical decision will have to be made here and for the Deputy to suggest that there is some clinical lever that I can pull that I just could not be bothered pulling is insulting to parents of sick children.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is better than that and sick children deserve better than that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: Stop playing politics with the issue.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this extraordinarily important issue. Lives have been destroyed. A national trauma has been unleashed and I join with her in paying tribute to Mark - I am thinking of him and his memory today - his brother David and, indeed, all the survivors and victims who came forward. They have done the State an extraordinary service. Let me be crystal clear just in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: Deputy McDonald is better than that. At least, I thought she was. She is asking me, as a politician, to give a commitment to a child to have an operation regardless of whether a clinician believes that operation to be the best care pathway or not. That is what the Deputy is asking me to do.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McDonald for raising this important issue. I will say at the outset, as the Ceann Comhairle has said to us before in this House, I am very conscious of discussing clinical details or, indeed, those of us discussing them who are not clinicians. I say that in a general sense but I say it in an important sense because Deputy McDonald asked me to provide operations when, of...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (18 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: The Cabinet Committee on Children and Education and Disability oversees Programme for Government commitments relating to Children, Education and Disability and receives detailed reports on identified policy areas such as child poverty and well-being, local area disadvantage and the reform of disability services. Disability services are a key focus for me and this Government, and that is...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (18 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: The Cabinet Committee on the Environment and Climate Action oversees implementation of the ambitious Programme for Government commitments in relation to the environment and climate change. It considers the wide range of issues that require action in Ireland’s transition to a low carbon, climate resilient and sustainable future. The Committee has met on 22 occasions since July 2020,...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Artificial Intelligence (18 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 25 together. The National Cyber Security Centre and the Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform have published guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in the public service which has been made available to all staff in the Department of the Taoiseach. The Department of the Taoiseach and the National Economic and Social...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (18 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 27 together. At the invitation of President Zelenskyy, I visited Ukraine on 4 September. I was pleased to take this valuable opportunity to see for myself the situation on the ground, and to hear directly how the war is impacting on the lives of ordinary Ukrainians and humanitarian organisations. I also had political meetings with President Zelenskyy...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Climate Action Plan (18 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 29 together. The Department of the Taoiseach prepares progress reports on the implementation of actions committed to under successive Climate Action Plans. The reports provide an overview of progress made on the actions set out in these Plans and give a detailed breakdown of both completed and delayed activity. Once approved by Government, the progress...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Child Poverty (18 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: I was delighted to host the Child Poverty and Well-being Summit on Thursday 23rd May in Dublin Castle. I welcomed the former UK Prime Minister and Chancellor the Right Honourable Gordon Brown, who shared what he had learned from his experience of reducing child poverty rates in the UK in his keynote address. My colleague Roderic O’ Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability,...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Programme for Government (9 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: Individual commitments in the Programme for Government are advanced through the co-ordinating mechanisms of the cabinet committee structure. The ten Cabinet Committees established by this Government reflect the full range of policy areas that are set out in the Programme for Government. Cabinet Committees meet regularly to accomplish their work. The Strategy Statements of all Government...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: National Development Plan (9 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: As set out in the revised National Development Plan (NDP), the Shared Island Fund forms part of the Government's overall commitment to all-island investment of more than €3.5 billion over 2021-2030 through the Shared Island Fund, Project Ireland 2040 funds, the Government’s annual funding for North/South cooperation, and the PEACEPLUS programme delivered with the European Union,...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff (9 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: The political staff employed by the Department of the Taoiseach since the formation of the Government in June 2020 are detailed in the table below. This list includes all special advisers, civilian drivers and other relevant staff employed by the Department in support of the offices of the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Leader of the Green Party, Government Chief Whip, Minister of State for...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Ministerial Staff (9 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: The special advisers employed by the Department of the Taoiseach since the formation of the Government in June 2020 are detailed in the table below. This list includes all advisers employed by the Department in support of the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Office of the Green Party Leader and the Government Chief Whip.The appointments of special advisers are made in line with the Public Service...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Ministerial Staff (9 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: Special advisers in the Department of the Taoiseach are employed in support of the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Office of the Green Party Leader and the Government Chief Whip. Details of the expenses paid to special advisers in this Department in each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024 are set out in the table below. Year Total 2020 €1,678.53 2021 ...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: National Security (9 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 8, inclusive, together. The primary purpose of the National Security Analysis Centre is to provide strategic analysis for the Government on threats to national security and to support co-ordination between the various State bodies with national security and related functions. The Centre provides a secretariat and support for the National Security...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (9 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: I met with President Macron in the Élysée Palace on Tuesday 27 August in Paris. We discussed bilateral relations and current EU and international issues. I took the opportunity to congratulate President Macron and through him the people of France on hosting a very successful Olympic Games, as well as offering my best wishes for the Paralympic Games. As our closest EU neighbour,...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Capital Expenditure Programme (9 Sep 2024)

Simon Harris: The Government continues to prioritise and progress the Shared Island initiative, working with all communities and political traditions to build a shared future on this island, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. Shared Island investment commitments and allocations are taken forward by Ministers and their Departments, working with Northern Ireland Executive and British Government...