Results 1-20 of 2,199 for long speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2024)

Simon Harris: ...and Naughton. That is why we announced an additional €12 million last week to try to address the backlog in families waiting for an assessment of need. Many families are waiting far too long. I again acknowledge the Deputy's constructive role in the Labour Party in this area. I am pleased that, in the short term, private capacity will be used to try to help address some of that...

Ireland's Recognition of the State of Palestine: Statements (28 May 2024)

Simon Harris: ...the Ceann Comhairle for his words of leadership in this matter, which I wholeheartedly endorse. Last Wednesday, with the Tánaiste and the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, I announced that Ireland, alongside our partners in Spain and Norway, was recognising the State of Palestine. Today, the Government gave formal effect to that decision, and now Ireland has formally recognised the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I know Deputy Madigan has had a long-standing interest in this issue and I thank her for raising it. I am eager that any outstanding issues in the programme for Government are advanced and progressed. I am sure the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, is working on this. I will get an update from her for the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 May 2024)

Simon Harris: ...forcefully and passionately put forward their view that Ireland must act. Not to be disagreeable, but the only point on which I slightly disagree with the Deputy is when she says it has taken too long. It has always been the position of this Government, previous Governments and many governments across the EU and in other parts of the world that the recognition of a two-state solution...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Foreign Conflicts (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: ...We are now seeing people starving and, in many ways, being starved as a result of an inability or refusal to allow humanitarian aid access into Gaza in any sort of way of scale that is required. Along with the leaders in of the coalition Government, I wanted us to recognise the state of Palestine today because it is true this has been in programmes for Government before and these,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Foreign Conflicts (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: ...had with other leaders, including President Zelenskyy of Ukraine and the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. I will continue to avail of every possible opportunity to call for an immediate ceasefire and to express our belief that long-term peace and security for the people of Palestine and the people of Israel can only be achieved through a two-state solution, with an Israeli and a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: ...and the Opposition in Ireland speak with one voice on this matter. It is important for the people of Palestine and for Ireland that we recognise the state of Palestine. I acknowledge the Deputy's long-standing support for that. I assure her and the House that we will continue to work at every possible opportunity for an immediate ceasefire. I will do that at every avenue, every...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Cairns for her contribution. I acknowledge her long-standing support and that of her party for the recognition of the state of Palestine. I am proud to be Taoiseach in a country where there has been, for a significant period, a political consensus about the importance of this. We have division in this House on many occasions, which is right and proper in a Parliament and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

Simon Harris: ..., and rental supports. Today, the Government will publish the Housing Commission report. In an effort to be helpful to the House and to inform debate on this, the Minister will also publish alongside it an initial assessment of where we are at with a number of the actions. This is a good thing to do and will allow us to have an informed debate. The Deputy will see that a number of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (21 May 2024)

Simon Harris: I am new to Taoiseach's questions but we have come a long way from asking when the Cabinet committee will next meet. We will do our best. I thank colleagues for raising a variety of very important issues. I will take a moment on the very important issue Deputy Kenny raised about data sharing between the RSA and the local authorities and when that issue will be resolved. The RSA is...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (21 May 2024)

Simon Harris: Sorry. The Deputy has given me the figure for the number rescinded. I will have to get the details as to why they were, which is an appropriate thing to do. This matter is quite a long way from the questions that were asked, so I do not have the information to hand, but the Minister for Justice of the day, whoever he or she is, has a role to play in the migration process and can make...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 May 2024)

Simon Harris: ...of needs whereby the HSE will now use approximately €12 million - I believe up to €11.9 million - to fund assessments of needs using private capacity for children who are waiting for far too long.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 May 2024)

Simon Harris: ...an energy supply. Almost 40% of the electricity generated here last year came from these sources of energy. We need to get the guidelines right. I accept that this has been going on for a long time. I also accept that it has been going on for too long. I want finality to brought to this matter in order that there will be certainty this year in the context of what the revised...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 May 2024)

Simon Harris: ...with us and inject a degree of common sense and reasonableness in how we go about that. As the Deputy knows, the review of the 2006 wind energy development guidelines has been going on for a very long period. This tries to address a number of key aspects of the guidelines, including set-back distance, noise, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 May 2024)

Simon Harris: ...report of over 400 pages, 83 recommendations and over 500 actions and subactions, one generally likes to consider them, work with one's team and develop responses. I do not think that 13 days is a long period of time to elapse. This is what a responsible Minister would do. We will publish the report this week. It is important that we publish the report because - I say this with respect...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 May 2024)

Simon Harris: ...in Ireland so that we move beyond this boom-and-bust scenario where in some years, many homes are built and in others, none are built, to a situation where we have once and for all a sustainable long-term approach to housing. We asked it to do a body of work and it has done it. It has now submitted a report that is more than 400 pages long and has 83 recommendations and more than 500...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 May 2024)

Simon Harris: ...first home. All Deputies see new homes being built in their constituencies. The Government also knows it is not just about the here and now, however. We have to look at when we get to 2050. Long before any reports in any media today, as Deputy Collins well knows, it was always the Government's intention to review the housing targets. The next half of this decade is not about plodding...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Middle East (21 May 2024)

Simon Harris: ...other Leaders including President Zelenskyy of Ukraine and the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. I will continue to avail of every possible opportunity to call for an immediate ceasefire and to express our belief that long-term peace and security for the people of Israel and the people of Palestine can only be achieved through a two-state solution, with an Israeli and a Palestinian...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (14 May 2024)

Simon Harris: ...including Lebanon, a country that is already very fragile and in which both Ireland and Spain have members of our Defence Forces serving with United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL. Spain and Ireland have long taken a special interest in the region. It is fair to say that both countries are strongly committed to the vision of a two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 May 2024)

Simon Harris: ...in an emergency. However, let us be clear. The views of the Tánaiste are the views of myself as Taoiseach, and are the views of the three parties in this Government. We want to see an end to long-term leasing. We have been clear that the use of long-term leasing will end by the end of 2025. There are figures out there that I do not believe to be accurate. A figure of...