Results 1,961-1,980 of 45,495 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Kerrane for raising the importance of the advanced paramedic and the rapid response vehicle. I will follow up directly with the Minister for Health and ask him to revert to her.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Farrell for raising this issue. I had a brief word with the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, on this earlier today. My understanding is that it is still planned to publish that legislation quite shortly. Obviously the timeline for passing it will depend on all of us in this House. In parallel to that we are reviewing the timeline for those elections and I will revert to...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I have been in the service in Summerhill and I know Dr. Austin O'Carroll and the very good work he does. I thank Deputy Shortall for contacting my office on this. I undertake to speak today to the relevant Ministers and I am happy to come back to Deputy Shortall.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Murphy. We are clearly on the side of saving the planet. We are clearly on the side of reducing our emissions by 51% by 2030. We have a very ambitious climate action plan on this and a lot of work to do. We urgently need to move away from fossil fuels to renewable and sustainable energies. I will ask the Minister for the environment to share a view on the comments of the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Canney. We will certainly give this consideration. I note the motion he brought forward to the House recently on a range of issues to do with carers. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, indicated at the time her intention to look at a number of these issues and the means testing issue in advance of the budget. We will factor this into our budget considerations and engage with...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: Not to be pedantic, but the RSA would not have written to me last March because I was not the Taoiseach then. I will certainly follow up on any correspondence the authority may have sent to my predecessor. I have met representatives of the RSA on two occasions since becoming Taoiseach. We have authorised the use of €3 million more of its reserves for those very important...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: That is a fair and important question. My medium-term plan, or my plan over an even shorter timeframe, is to secure State-owned lands that can provide safe shelter and access to sanitation. I will chair a multiagency meeting on the issue of migration and shelter this evening. I have a view about the tents that I think the Deputy shares. None of us want to see that happen from a...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: In case people at home will think this has been in any way rushed, this Bill had 120 hours of debate on Committee Stage. It also went through pre-legislative scrutiny. When Deputy Peter Burke was the Minister of State with responsibility for planning, many meetings were held with various stakeholders. At some point, we need to get on and pass a law that is going to reform our planning...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: We need to roll up the sleeves and get the job done. We are doing four and a half hours today and eight hours tomorrow. People need homes. We need our planning system to be reformed. This Government is going to actually make progress on housing, while some in the Opposition are trying to obstruct that progress.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: On carers, I am happy for that to be discussed at the Business Committee. There is no time this week for the reasons we have just outlined.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy can raise that at the Business Committee. I have no difficulty with a debate being held.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I am not sure I am on the Business Committee but the Deputy can raise it there.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I gave the Deputy figures to the end of February but I have just seen that to the end of April we have had 1,644 applications to the previous scheme and 436 to the enhanced scheme. That is just for the record because it is important to give the most up-to-date figures. Today, we took-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy knows this is a serious issue. I am trying to respond with the seriousness the issue deserves, if that is okay. Today, the Government took another decision that will benefit householders in the Deputy's constituency to the tune of tens of thousands of euro. These are substantive decisions that were taken. When we are in government, we do not just point out the problems; we...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: You cannot just erect a tent wherever you want and start blockading streets. You cannot do it. I know that is the Deputy's politics.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: It is not what this Government will stand over. We will provide people with shelter and sanitation. As a result of our work-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: -----the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, has provided hundreds more people with access to safe accommodation.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy has no solutions at all but he does not want any, in fairness to him.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Pringle for raising this issue. I know this has been extraordinarily tough and difficult. Those words do not fully capture the struggle and the stress that many families living in the Deputy's county and some other counties have been dealing with as a result of the loss and destruction of their homes due to defective blocks. We have worked very hard on this issue as a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: It is always interesting when the Dáil reconvenes after an election and people decide to present the election results in whatever way suits them. All I know is that more people went out and voted for my party than any other party. More people went out and gave Fianna Fáil seats in the local elections than any other party. Many people voted for the Green Party. The people on this...