Results 21-40 of 43,181 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Bruton for his contribution and for the work he is doing on positive ageing from the position of our own political party. I am aware of a number of really good initiatives like the Age Friendly Ireland programme, and the real impact that is having. I am conscious of the Minister of State with responsibility for older people, Deputy Butler, who does an absolutely excellent job...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I agree with the Deputy on this. We got an opportunity to engage on this in my previous role so we do need to rectify this. I am going from memory now but my understanding is that primary legislation is required. In my last role, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and I brought a joint memorandum to Government with regard to progressing this through housing legislation. My...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy pointed to a couple of issues. We are all very proud of the work being done by staff in the hospital. The Deputy is right to make that point. Staff working on the front line in UHL are doing extraordinarily good and important work in providing the very best care they possibly can to the people of the mid-west. We are not in any way, shape or form moving away from the very...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: When I was on my way in the car this morning, I heard on the radio that it was the Deputy's birthday. I meant to wish her a happy birthday in a moment of levity.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I am sure she is delighted to be spending it with me. I hope she gets some time to enjoy it later. I thank the Deputy for raising a very serious issue. It is a rare issue on which the Deputy and I agree. Our view on the UK legacy Act has been clear since the legislation was first published. We are opposed to it. It is a unilateral move in the wrong direction and represents a...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I wish the Deputy a happy May Day as well. I thank her for raising this issue. This Government has taken any number of measures in terms of workers' rights, whether that is the statutory sick scheme, domestic violence leave or parental leave. I appreciate the area the Deputy has raised is very important and sensitive to many people. I will familiarise myself with where that is within the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: Of course, I would disagree with that assertion of the Government's actions. As the Deputy said, the Government did introduce the increased stamp duty. The Government is continuing to keep this under review and has not ruled out going further in this regard. The Minister for Finance said that himself in recent weeks. I will ask him for an update on that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy has a better understanding of how to run a sweet shop in Bray that he has of migration policy because this Minister does measure metrics and talks about them to this House.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I will come in and buy a lollipop from the Deputy in Bray.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: Processing times are down and deportations are up. The numbers of countries on the safe country list are up. More gardaí are being freed up. We are working with our European colleagues because we recognise that this island on its own cannot solve migration issues. We must have effective policies in place around returns, which is a word I do not like, by the way, when we are talking...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I have no interest at all in this country being used as a pawn in British politics. We have an agreement in place. It is called a standard operating procedure for processing and transferring asylum seekers between the UK and Ireland.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I ask the Deputy to stop interrupting. The agreement has been in place since 2020 and it sets out the procedure. It is an operational guide that is rooted in the following legislation of this country: the International Protection Act 2015 and Part 18 of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Act 2020, which the Deputy may or may not have...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising an issue about which he clearly, and understandably, feels passionate. Without wishing to make Opposition parties in this House feel uncomfortable, I do not doubt that all parties raise this issue on a regular basis. I do not doubt the bona fides of anybody on any side of this House in respect of wanting to see progress in healthcare and in respect of UHL....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I certainly will come back to the Deputy on those three issues. I will liaise directly with the Minister for Health and revert to her then. I take the point about global figures and the need to make sure that we do not just use them and that we get under the bonnet. I would just say on the recruitment issue that I have endeavoured to do quite a bit of that in relation to UHL. By any...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I reject out of hand the Deputy's hypothesis relating to our migration situation in this country. The reason we have seen a very significant increase in people coming, not just to Ireland but right across the European Union is multifold. None of them have anything to do with the name of the Minister for Justice of any country. That is very clear. Anybody with any understanding of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising important issues relating to our health service. She has touched on a number of topics and made a point about recruitment that I want to respond to as well. She began by referencing University Hospital Limerick. I, too, welcome the decision by the Minister for Health and the HSE chief executive yesterday to send a specific support team to Limerick to help to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be at the opening.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: Am I to take from that that the Deputy does not believe there should be any cap on recruitment in the health service at all?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: You can hire whatever you want whenever you want. Is that this week's Sinn Féin health policy? If it is, can the Garda Commissioner hire whoever who he wants? Can the Minister for Education? I am just wondering where this ends.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2024)

Simon Harris: For a party that now aspires to be in government, Sinn Féin has to tell people what it is going to do every year. This year, we are very honest-----