Results 1-20 of 47,517 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I will only unilaterally agree on behalf of the Government but it is a very sensible suggestion. This is certainly not a new area but it is a relatively new area that Members in this House, people in local authorities, citizens and people new to our country are all trying to grapple and engage with. I am not seeking to be divisive here but the debate should not be hijacked by anybody nor...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: What I would say to them is that love is love and they live in a Republic where equality must be at the core of all that we do. Homophobic attacks and violence are crimes and there needs to be zero tolerance of them. The Minister for education reminds me that this week is Stand Up Awareness Week, an important initiative by Belong To in our schools. I thank it for the work it is doing....

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: We have been working on this together over the past while. We meant what we said during the election. Having a childcare system that is fit for purpose, empowers parents, is affordable and accessible, and has quality at its heart is a core priority for this Government. If we can get this right over the course of this Government, we can transform childcare in a way that other parts of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I was familiar with this in times gone by and would have had engagement with the family, as I know so many representatives over the years have, both in Wicklow and in government. I will ask the Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries, Deputy Dooley, to update me on the matter, to come back to the Deputy directly and to see if we can...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: Yes.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I know it is an issue of importance to many people, including people in Dublin West, commuters and people going about their business and encountering these toll charges. The Deputy has made some very interesting suggestions that merit further examination. As she knows, TII has a role in this. She has called on it to give consideration to this. I...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I will speak directly to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill on this matter. We have made good progress on cancer care and cancer treatment in recent years in this country and it is important we build on that. We have a national cancer strategy. We are increasing our capital investment in health as well. I will try to understand the rationale around those timelines and whether there is...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter for her constituents in Castlecomer. The Deputy and Councillor Michael Doyle have been working on this issue of greater water capacity in Castelcomer and the wider area so I thank them for that. Uisce Éireann can confirm, as the Deputy and her constituents know, that there are supply and demand issues on the Castelcomer water supply...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is a really important one and particularly important in her constituency. I am proud of the work we have done together to try to bring some level of closure at this point to families who were quite frankly abandoned for far too long in terms of the State apology and the initial phase of compensation. The Deputy is absolutely right that there...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I assure Deputy O'Rourke the Government takes this matter extraordinarily seriously. My colleague, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, initially met the group on 29 September to engage with them personally and listen to their concerns. The Taoiseach met the group on 3 October and both the Minister and the Taoiseach met the group again last Wednesday, 29 October. I understand meetings with a...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: It is a very sensitive matter and I will not play politics with it as the Deputy has endeavoured to do by suggesting-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: It is a very important and sensitive matter. The Government wants to see the matter resolved. That is why it wants to see a facilitator in place. That has happened. There is engagement with the group. There is daily medical attention as well, which is important. I hope this matter can be resolved quickly.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: This is the largest and most horrific humanitarian crisis in the world right now. It is also the one that is probably spoken about least, so I particularly thank the Deputy for raising it. This country has called for an immediate cessation of the atrocities in Sudan, following the takeover of the city of El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces. I am horrified by recent reports that the RSF...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I assure the Deputy this is receiving a lot of attention, as it should, from Government and the State. We want to see this resolved. I understand a mediator met with the group this week - I think on Wednesday. There is work following on and flowing from that. I really understand the emotion and sensitivity of this but I would urge - I think it is the responsible thing for me to urge -...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: We have provided the health service with funding which will enable it to increase the numbers of people working in the health service, including in community healthcare, like healthcare assistants. I will ask the Minister for Health and the HSE to directly revert to the Deputy on the situation in south Tipperary and see what can be done to assist. The HSE should be in the business of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I have not yet had the opportunity to see the programme but I intend to see it. I have heard quite a bit about it over the course of the week. The Deputy can be assured the Government will be looking into the issues raised on the programme. I will ask the Minister for Finance to directly respond to the Deputy. I am not aware of any such issues, nor would I necessarily be. The point about...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I certainly will. I will talk to the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and no doubt he will engage with the Garda Commissioner, who decides the allocation of gardaí across the country, on that matter. I was at a Cabinet committee discussion on justice and Garda recruitment issues this week. There are some encouraging signs. The programme for Government commits to further increase the...

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I join with Deputy McCormack in extending my sympathies to the family of the late Noel Bourke. We think of his family today. I also think of a former colleague of mine, the former councillor Jim Finucane from Kerry, who passed away in recent days. People who serve at local government level are the essence of public service and they do our democracies, parties and traditions proud. We...

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: I will certainly speak to the Minister, Deputy Burke, in relation to this. Such is the sensitivity and importance of the issue, I want to make sure all of these matters are considered thoroughly and appropriately. I will ask the Minister to engage directly with Deputy McCormack and other Offaly TDs on this matter. We are keen to provide as much support and assistance as we can in what is a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Nov 2025)

Simon Harris: The point I am making, and the reason I used the word "technical", is since 6 November we are offering all homeowners who have been given that non-demolition option the choice of continuing as was or having that full technical review. I am making the point that review will be informed by the current research, that is, the latest available scientific information. We are genuinely trying to...