Results 1,821-1,840 of 45,495 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I will get to affordability. So far this year, we are seeing around 500 people per week buying their first home. Sometimes, we get the impression from Deputy McDonald that no one is buying a house and nothing is happening, but that is simply not the reality. On top of that on the social housing side of things, we saw the largest number of social houses allocated last year than at any...

Appointment of Minister and Ministers of State (2 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: I wish to announce for the information of the Dáil that having informed the President that Dáil Éireann had approved my nomination of Deputy Jack Chambers to be a member of the Government, the President on 26 June 2024 appointed him accordingly. On the same day, I assigned the Department of Finance to Deputy Jack Chambers. On 27 June 2024, on my nomination, the Government...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Policies (2 Jul 2024)

Simon Harris: The Department of the Taoiseach’s Annual Reports for 2020, 2021 and 2022 are published on Gov.ie and the Department’s 2023 Annual Report is in preparation and will be published when approved by Government. Since 27 June 2020, the Department of the Taoiseach has been working with other Government Departments to progress key national priorities set out in the Programme for...

Nomination of Member of Government: Motion (26 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the nomination by the Taoiseach of the Minister of State, Deputy Jack Chambers, for appointment by the President to be a member of the Government. I wish to inform the House that the President, acting on my advice, has accepted the resignation of Deputy Michael McGrath, as a member of the Government. I also wish to inform the House that I and...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Freedom of Information (26 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: The details sought by the Deputy in relation to the number of FOI requests received in the past three years by my Department and the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO), which is the only body under the aegis of my Department, are set out in the table beneath. Year Number of FOIs received by Department of the Taoiseach Number of FOIs received...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (25 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: While I acknowledge, on one hand, that Deputy Boyd Barrett welcomed, albeit he said we did it belatedly, our recognition of the State of Palestine, I do not believe that anyone sees it as hollow symbolism. I accept the point and the debate about the need to do more and the questions as to what comes next and how we can continue to apply maximum pressure. These parliamentary questions relate...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I had written that down. My apologies, I am trying to read my own handwriting. Deputy Ó Murchú said the affordable scheme needs to be looked at and reviewed. I will raise this specifically with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (25 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 20 together. I was very pleased to have had the honour to meet with the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Ireland on 6 June. The ambassador told me it was the first time a Palestinian representative had been welcomed to the office of the Taoiseach. The ambassador was very gracious in acknowledging the work of the Government and Ireland in...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: There are a lot of issues there. In direct answer to Deputy Durkan's question, and to a number of others, in terms of what we are doing and what we can do, we are building housing again at a level that we have not seen in a very long period. I know that cannot come fast enough for people looking for a roof over their head, people wondering if they can move out of the box room and people...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputies for raising these issues. Starting with Deputy Ó Murchú and the issue of Carlinn Hall in Dundalk, this is a matter he has raised before in the context of how we need to have a better support scheme for renewable energy and district heating and, ideally, for the optimal use of waste heat. I will speak directly to the Ministers involved in this regard and ask...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 18, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on housing last met on Thursday, 30 May. The committee is scheduled to meet again on Thursday, 11 July. The committee works to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the implementation of Housing for All and the programme for Government commitments regarding housing. At almost the mid-way point of the year,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (25 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, together. Climate change is among the most pressing global challenges of our time and addressing it is a central ambition of the Government. As a committed partner in global efforts to combat this shared threat, Ireland has adopted challenging emissions reduction targets at both EU and national levels. We also face our own domestic...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Nash for raising this important issue. We have tried to put a focus on dereliction and vacancy through a range of grants to help local authorities and individuals to put properties back into use. I will seek an urgent update from the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, on the timeline for the Derelict Sites Act review. I look forward to having that meeting with Deputy Nash shortly on...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy raised an important point. I will ask the Minister about it and speak directly to the LDA about it. We have developed a new model from scratch in relation to cost-rental and a new structure from scratch in relation to the LDA. Like Deputy Rabbitte, as the Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities, I am eager that all these schemes are inclusive in a real and...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I will come back to the Deputy directly about it. It had not been brought to my attention.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: Let me say, without commenting on any specific case for a variety of reasons, that anybody with a criminal conviction should not be a member of the Defence Forces, plain and simple. Its own rules refer to the fact that the dismissal process should begin for anyone who has been given a custodial sentence or a suspended sentence. The question I want answered is if that loop has been closed....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: We have a lot of work to do when it comes to getting to where we need to be in relation to refuge spaces and safe houses. The Minister has, as the Deputy said, established Cuan, the new statutory agency. It will, which is quite important, publish regular - I think monthly - progress reports in terms of how we get from where we are now to where we need to be. In relation to the specific...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: On the issue of information, there are liaison people, community liaison teams, community engagement teams-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: Look, it is factually incorrect to say that there are none. There is a community engagement team in the Department of children and integration.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy knows the name of its head and that person is contactable to him as an Oireachtas Member. I am sure he has their email address, as do I.