Results 1,461-1,480 of 45,281 for speaker:Simon Harris

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I, too, welcome Mr. Guerin and some of his colleagues to the Dáil. I begin by reiterating my appreciation, and the appreciation of the Minister for Justice, of the important role played by barristers and solicitors in the administration of criminal justice. We made some progress on this last summer with the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and she secured €9 million to make progress on...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I have not forgotten that I want to meet with him as Chair of the disability matters committee. I thank him for the work he does with the committee across government in a range of areas. The Ministers of State, Deputies Rabbitte and Naughton, are very much appraised of the issues he raised, namely, recruitment and retention, services, the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Daly. I will follow up specifically with the Minister for Justice regarding the community engagement superintendents for counties Longford and Mayo, to which he referred. More broadly, we are beginning to see progress on recruitment of gardaí. I do not have the figures in front of me but a class of about 157 went into Templemore in recent weeks. A new class goes in...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy O'Sullivan, who has taken a particular interest in this issue during this Dáil term. I will ask the Minister for Health specifically in regard to the drugs he mentioned, which seem to be in the process for a long time. The Minister and his Department have been working on access to orphan medicines but I will ask him to get the Deputy the most up-to-date information.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: We are currently considering how to sustainably fund public service broadcasting. That includes RTÉ, which does a good job on public service broadcasting. It is not the only outlet that does public service broadcasting. With the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, we are considering what a sustainable model of funding for public service broadcasting looks like. We expect to make a...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: The truthful answer is that I would like to see a decision made on this very shortly. I was inquiring about this myself only in recent days. The Minister of State, Deputy Lawless, now has responsibility for this in the Department of Transport. I will ask him to engage with Deputy Cullinane directly. My understanding is an updated submission from Waterford Airport was received by the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I have looked into the issue because the service does excellent work and we all want to see this resolved. It is my understanding that, following consultation with the Department of Social Protection, the board of the NAS and the Citizens Information Board, CIB, have agreed to implement the Labour Court recommendation in order to address pay divergence and to ensure that staff in the NAS are...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: It means we genuinely want to engage with the Deputy on this issue. Her party has put down a motion in good faith on a really important issue. I was reading through it earlier and know that it touches on a range of very important issues in this space. I accept that the motion was put down in good faith and that the Deputy is not asking me to comment on the specifics of a case that is...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I really think this about much more than votes. This is about trying to reform our disability services. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and I are working intensively on this matter. We had a meeting on it as recently as last Thursday. Following a Cabinet committee meeting, we allocated significant additional funding of €6.89 million to provide for an assessment of need...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Canney for raising this important matter, which is obviously a cause of concern for small businesses. I will ask the Minister for Finance to take a look at the issue and to revert to the Deputy directly. In the summer economic statement published today, we have indicated that approximately €1.4 billion will be available for new tax measures in the forthcoming budget....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: There is certainly no need for Cara Dermody to wait at the gates of Government Buildings to see me. I have already met her in person and I will meet her again. I want her to be able to enjoy her summer, as I want all children to be able to enjoy the summer. There are very important issues in respect of assessments of need. Cara has already helped to bring about some significant changes...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McDonald for raising this issue. I was very grateful to have an opportunity to speak to Prime Minister Starmer on his first day in office. I am pleased that he had an opportunity yesterday to visit Northern Ireland and meet with the First Minister, the deputy First Minister and the parties in Northern Ireland, including Deputy McDonald. I look forward to meeting him in...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McDonald for bringing the case of Tori to my attention. I believe her colleague Deputy Kerrane has raised the matter with the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I am not directly apprised of the situation but I am very happy to be directly apprised of it now and to work with Deputy McDonald to intervene and see how we can support an Irish citizen in what sounds to be, from Deputy...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: The plan is to take Committee and Report Stages-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: It is the Government's intention to take Committee and Remaining Stages.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: The Government is willing to provide much more time to debate the issue. I have no doubt there will be a vote in a minute so let me at least put forward our view. We are happy to provide more time tomorrow. We are happy to provide longer time. We are happy to provide as much time as it takes tomorrow night. I take the point that we do wish to take Committee and Remaining Stages together...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Healy-Rae. We all knowledge that the advent of technology, online media and social media have brought benefits. We all see it in our own lives. Deputy Healy-Rae gets his message out to the people in Kerry that way as well. He is right, however; it cannot be the Wild West. There must be rules, laws, sanctions and regulations as to how that still relatively new structure...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: Well said, indeed, Deputy Healy-Rae. I thank you for saying it. I am really sorry, as I know everybody in this House is, to hear of the abuse that the Deputy and his family had to put up, particularly in the context of the comments about and images of his late mother. That is utterly despicable and reprehensible. There is not a Member on any side of this House who does not think that....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: It is a seriously important issue. It is fair to say that impacts on nearly all of us in different ways, if we are being honest. It is an issue that impacts people right across our country. It is an issue that particularly impacts children and younger people. There is a level of misogyny and sexism, and there are really serious issues in the context of vile online abuse. People are being...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for his political advice. I do not need any notes to debate the Deputy in relation to these matters. It is highly regrettable that I had to ask him to withdraw comments about politicians coming in here and gormlessly expressing views around hate and toxicity in Irish politics. We should all call that out. If it happened to the Deputy, I would call it out. If it...