Results 1,421-1,440 of 45,291 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Kenny for raising the issue of the community hospital in Ballyshannon and the fact that there are unoccupied or unused beds in that new facility.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: It is. I will speak directly to the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. She is obviously familiar with the situation because she was at the opening with the Deputy. I will ask her to come back to him directly and to see what can be done.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: We are all almost duty-bound to name our local radio stations now. Not for the first time in this House, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae seems to be more familiar with the detail of some matters than I am. Let me assure him and, more particularly perhaps, radio broadcasters and the like that the Government has not yet made a decision. The Government intends to make a decision this month in regard...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I have two quick matters to raise. I am conscious that not just my colleague but my friend Deputy Simon Coveney, the former Minister, has announced his intention not to seek re-election to the Dáil. As in the past in this House, when people announce their retirement, I want to thank him for his service to his constituency of Cork South Central, to his party but most importantly to his...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Smith for raising this issue. None of us can comprehend the agony the Tighe family must be experiencing since Jean went missing in Portugal on 17 July 2020. She was reported missing, I think, by her boyfriend at the time. The family had not been contacted regarding her disappearance and in March 2021 they lodged a missing persons report with An Garda Síochána. I...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I acknowledge on the record of this House Deputy Kerrane's work on Ms Towey's case and helping to bring her home. She contacted me and the Department of Foreign Affairs directly and worked diligently behind the scenes. Gabhaim buíochas léi. On the issue of home care, I will get a specific update from the HSE on the situation the Deputy is seeing in her constituency and ask the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I was listening to some discussion about this matter on the radio the other day. Growth in the sector can clearly be seen. I recently attended the announcement of Diageo's climate plans with the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke. The company wants to make its plant carbon-neutral. Diageo was talking about the substantial growth it has seen in the non-alcoholic beer sector. It makes sense from...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I will try to help because I have heard the Deputy raise this issue in the Dáil before and am conscious that it cuts across the remits of a number of Ministers and Departments. When I was answering on this matter in the Dáil the last time, I quickly became aware that it did not come down to any one Minister. Perhaps my office and I can play a part in trying to compile an update on...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. It is obviously a very distressing case for that poor family and the three children. I will talk directly to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and Galway City Council about the status of emergency accommodation in the city and what more we can do and then revert to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Murphy for raising this matter and how it impacts people in Kilmore, Wellingtonbridge, Gorey, Marshalstown and other parts of her constituency. I am actually due to have a meeting on school transport today with relevant Ministers. I will specifically raise the issue of school transport alleviation support and revert to the Deputy directly.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McGrath for raising the issue relating to Dundrum House Hotel and the views of his community on it. I will raise it directly with the Minister for integration, Deputy O'Gorman, and ask him to come back to the Deputy on his request for a meeting.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Harkin for raising this matter. I am aware that the INMO has raised it with the HSE and that the HSE is engaging with the Department of public expenditure and reform. It seems to be an anomaly. Not to be dismissive of it, but I think a solution should be found. I will seek an update on it from both the Department of Health and the Department of public expenditure for the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy O'Dowd for his kind words and good wishes in terms of my engagement with the British Prime Minister next week. I see this as a moment of reset for Anglo-Irish relations and I take my responsibility as co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement on behalf of the Irish Government very seriously, as I know Prime Minister Starmer takes his responsibility as co-guarantor of that...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Gould for raising this important matter. It is not a question of the Government coming in here and saying, "We are doing a wonderful job on this", nor, I hope, is it a question of the Opposition coming here and just saying, "You are doing a terrible job on this", like a Punch and Judy show. It is a reality of outlining to the Irish people, including the people of Cork, the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I do not want to personalise this to Ukraine but the Deputy is talking about people living in one area and having to move to another. That is often because we find there is a building that is half-used for which the taxpayer is paying. I cannot stand over that either. All of this is hard; none of it is easy but it all has to be done in a compassionate way. These are human beings with...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: Can I, with the indulgence of the House, give Members an update on Ms Tori Towey, which I have just received in real time? I do not want to take away from Deputy McDonald's question but I have just been informed that the travel ban has been lifted. Embassy staff will take Tori to the airport as soon as she is ready to go. The embassy, of course, will continue to follow up on the case,...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I had a very good meeting with the new consultant surgeon who is heading up a paediatric spinal surgery unit, Mr. David Moore. Deputy McDonald may have met him. He is a very accomplished individual and I must say that I left the meeting with a great degree of confidence in terms of the work that he is undertaking. I will have to come back to the Deputy directly, and will do so today, on...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: Deputy McDonald raised an important issue there and I was getting an update on Tori Towey at the same time. I apologise if I did not do her question the justice it deserves and I am happy to come back on it. On Deputy Bacik's point, the Child Law Project has done incredible work in shining a light on what is extraordinarily difficult, and it should be doing that. I am very eager to meet...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I will absolutely commit to doing more than one-off payments for people with disabilities across a range of areas. I am now chairing the Cabinet committee on disability, which met again last week. Myself and the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, have met with a number of advocacy organisations in recent weeks. On the specifics of payments, I have to...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I am not disputing that but I just want to make the point that we genuinely have, from memory, more than 200 vacant funded posts currently. We are working intensively with the HSE. I met the chief executive of the HSE on this last week to discuss how we can improve recruitment and retention to our CDNTs, but also how we can grow the therapy places in our colleges. I will send the Deputy a...