Simon Harris

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am aware of his passion in the area of active travel on behalf of his constituents and, indeed, the benefits that it brings in terms of the climate and the capital city. I have looked into this matter. What I have basically been told is that one of the reasons for the larger budget in 2024 than in 2025 related to a specific scheme called the Fairview t…

I thank Deputy Ó Snodaigh. I myself visited the Digital Hub in recent years and I am aware of the excellent work it does in the community in the city and the positive impact it has had on job creation over a long number of years. I will get the Deputy an accurate answer to the question as to where its future lies in terms of the various organisations involved and I will ask the relevant Minister t…

I am pleased that Gaelscoil Phádraig is making progress in its building needs but I take the point that a school needs teachers, which is a vital component of any school. I can imagine the stress that it is causing for the principal and others there trying to fill those vacancies. I will ask the Minister, Deputy McEntee, to look directly at the issue the Deputy has raised on behalf of the school i…

I thank the Deputy for the constructive suggestion. It is what many people right across the country are asking, namely: can we pull everybody together and get all the levers that are necessary to address what is still a housing emergency in Ireland? The new Cabinet committee on housing will meet for the first time under this Government next week, I think, on Monday. We are also committed to publis…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. I thank the Deputy. I wish him well in his new role and look forward to working with him and other members of the Opposition constructively at an important time in the world for Ireland's position on a range of foreign affairs matters. I am conscious we are meeting against a backdrop of great fragility when it comes to the ceasefire, and I know …

I welcome Deputy Kenny. I share Deputy Ó Laoghaire's sentiments on the need to step back from the brink in protecting the fragile ceasefire in place. We will have an opportunity to engage on that shortly. To be clear, the Government and I, as the Tánaiste and leader of my party, still believe in legislating in relation to trade with the occupied territories. We gave that commitment during the ele…

I have been clear; I am not trying to be in any way evasive. The Government's position is to legislate prohibiting goods from the occupied Palestinian territory. That is our position. We are happy to engage constructively as we go through this process. More broadly, that means-----

I think I have answered the question directly. The Deputy asked if it is goods or services and I said "goods".

I am saying that at the moment our focus is on progressing legislation to prohibit goods as we bring forward proposals. I am happy to engage with the Deputy in relation to other issues but the programme for Government-----

It is crystal clear.

The Deputy might not like the answer but it is very clear. Give me one moment-----

We will have plenty of time here.

The programme for Government sets out the commitment to progress legislation prohibiting goods from the occupied Palestinian territory. That is the mandate I received and what I am now progressing. The mandate concerns what is in the programme for Government.

I take the point Deputies Kenny and Ó Laoghaire made in good faith about not wanting to see a watered down Bill. The only Bill that would be watered down would be one we would pass knowing it was not in compliance with law, the Constitution or EU law. I am not in the business of passing things I know are not lawful. That is an irresponsible act of government and of legislators.

Our position is that we will pass a Bill that is strengthened due to the fact that it can stand up to scrutiny at an EU level. That is important because we have to pass laws that are compliant. I will meet the Palestinian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in Munich this weekend where I will continue to discuss with them all of the efforts Ireland, the Irish Government and the Irish people are ma…

I will. That is the short answer. I join the Deputy in thanking my officials and staff in the passport service for the excellent work they have carried out. Often, I point to the passport service as an example of good practice when it comes to public service reform as regards the work that has been done with the use of technology and online service. The passport service issued over 1 million passp…

I agree with Deputy Ó Laoghaire that great credit is due to the staff. The Deputy will come back in a moment to the issue of the feedback loop, which is an important piece that we should continue to work on. Sometimes, I hear stories about it. Deputy Ó Laoghaire's question is how to get a passport urgently. We should all check our passports, keep them in date and check them before we book foreign…

I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire. It is a fair point. I know from memory and from previous postings that quite a bit of work has been done to try to improve the feedback loop, as Deputy Ó Laoghaire correctly referred to it, but based on this discussion, I will undertake to speak to the Minister for Justice on this to see whether more can be done or needs to be done. I know Deputy Ó Laoghaire agrees on t…

I thank Deputy Gibney and I congratulate her formally on her election to the House. I look forward to working with her collaboratively also. I thank her for the question. The United States is in a period of change in its economic and trade policy as the new Administration establishes itself. Ireland had a good working relationship with President Trump's Administration during his previous term in …

I largely agree with the Deputy's last point in terms of it being important that people know who has been invited to participate in that panel. An indicative list of proposed participants is currently being finalised in consultation with our embassy in Washington, our eight consulates general of Ireland across the United States and our relevant State agencies. Attendees will be drawn from a range …

It is important in an environment in which we know there is going to be significant policy change that could have a real impact on trade and investment and on jobs and growth, that we harness every possible avenue that we can in terms of getting the best possible information. That is why I will chair this new consultative forum that will bring all the relevant Departments together and indeed busin…

I thank the Deputy. I reiterate my strong concerns as to where we find ourselves in relation to the ceasefire agreement that is fragile. It is so important that all parties to that ceasefire agreement adhere to its terms. It is absolutely vital that Hamas releases the hostages and that Israel continues to observe the ceasefire. A return to violence and to conflict is almost unimaginable in terms o…

The Deputy is right. We will absolutely continue to speak out in relation to this at an EU level and at every possible forum we have because we have seen more instances of settler violence in recent weeks. While I have welcomed the fact that the EU has adopted successive rounds of sanctions against violent Israeli settlers, it is really important that further listings are considered and that furth…

What I have clearly said in relation to the Irish Government's position is that we will bring forward legislation in relation to the occupied territories and that we will fulfil the commitment in the programme for Government which focuses on goods. I said we will also constructively engage on other issues, including the issues the Deputy is raising. However, we are going to have to look at everyth…

I thank Deputy McAuliffe and formally congratulate him on his re-election to the House. I was pleased to have an opportunity to speak with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on 27 January. It is important that this was one of the first calls I had an opportunity to make on taking office because the relationship between Ireland and the UK is of fundamental importance. This is reflected in our many cl…