Results 161-180 of 47,419 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: Deputy Gould, maybe one day they will give you a go at Leaders' Questions but today it is Mairéad so please let her do it. To try to help people with the cost of energy, we have applied a zero rate of VAT on the installation of solar panels, something people look for. We have reduced the rate of VAT on low emission heat pump heating systems. We have increased the number of additional...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: That is just not true. I just told the Deputy what we are doing. She asked a very important question on a very important issue. The whole assertion of her question and the premise behind it was that we did nothing on energy. She stood up, and the record of the Dáil will show it, and said we did not reduce tax. I am telling her that we reduced value added tax on energy bills for the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (16 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 and 143 together. Officials in my Department provided consular assistance to the Irish citizens who participated in the recent flotillas bound for Gaza and were subsequently detained by the Israeli authorities. In very exceptional circumstances, such as crisis level events, the Department can facilitate the repatriation of citizens. In this instance, the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (16 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship. FBR, by its nature, is a detailed and complex process, often involving official documentation...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Relations (16 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: Malaysia is an important partner for Ireland and one of our largest trading partners in Southeast Asia. In line with the Government’s Asia Pacific Strategy, my Department aims to strengthen and deepen its engagement with countries in South East Asia, including Malaysia. Relations between the two countries are longstanding. The Irish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur was our first Embassy to open...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Budget 2026 (16 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: Under Budget 2026 the allocation for the Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is €840.3 million. This is the highest ever level in the 52-year history of the Irish Aid programme. The following are the equivalent amounts for recent years: € Millions 2026 2025 2024 2023...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Union (16 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: Ireland consistently advocates for the promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTIQ+ people in Hungary and throughout the world. Our concerns in relation to serious Rule of Law backsliding, and the targeting of civil society and minority rights in Hungary, have been regularly raised, including in direct contacts with our Hungarian interlocutors. We are closely monitoring the situation...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Funding (16 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department does not administer any schemes for directly accessing EU funding and has no agencies under its aegis. I wish to advise the Deputy, however, that my Department has an EU Capacity Building Programme (Access Europe), which aims to publicise EU funding opportunities and offer support services for Irish NGOs and civil society groups. The programme is managed on behalf of my...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: EU Funding (16 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: The Department of Defence and agencies under it's aegis do not administer any schemes for directly accessing EU funding.

Confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Motion (15 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: A different campaign.

Confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Motion (15 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: There was a press conference.

Confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Motion (15 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: €100 million in aid.

Confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Motion (15 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: I support them every day.

Confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Motion (15 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: You did say it.

Confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Motion (15 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: The House gathers today less than a year since the last general election, as the Taoiseach reminds us, and just over 250 days since the Government was formed. The Thirty-fourth Dáil sits at a time of global uncertainty and geopolitical turbulence. It was in this context that the people made their choice at the last election and the resultant Dáil has very serious business to do on...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Artificial Intelligence (15 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department’s approach to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is aligned to the Government's Guidelines for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Service and guidance provided by the National Cyber Security Centre Although the Department is actively exploring the opportunities and policy considerations presented by AI, it has not deployed or considered...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (15 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: Ireland consistently advocates for the promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTIQ+ people in Hungary and throughout the world. Our concerns in relation to serious Rule of Law backsliding, and the targeting of civil society and minority rights in Hungary, have been regularly raised, including in direct contacts with our Hungarian interlocutors. We are closely monitoring the situation...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: National Security (15 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 9, 10 and 11 together. Like any other democratic state, Ireland is not immune from the risk posed by espionage or other activities aimed at compromising the security of the State. An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces work closely with other relevant bodies in respect of these issues. As you will appreciate, the Government does not comment...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Correspondence (15 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: Since the start of the crisis, the Department has worked with the relevant authorities to facilitate the exit from Gaza of those Irish citizens, and their immediate dependents, who have expressed a wish to leave. This Department has also supported the evacuation of other Palestinians seeking support from Ireland, including students, medical evacuation patients, and individuals with work...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Artificial Intelligence (15 Oct 2025)

Simon Harris: The Department of Defence is not currently using agentic artificial intelligence (AI) in the delivery of its services or operations. At present, there are no active plans to deploy agentic AI within the Department. The Department of Defence remains committed to ensuring that any future consideration of advanced AI technologies will be guided by the Guidelines for the Responsible Use of...