I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I have heard of the concern the issue is causing in his community and in County Offaly.
TDs / Simon Harris
0
questions asked
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them
566,209
words spoken in the chamber
566,201 as a minister, 8 as a TD
140
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From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
Members of the Government answer parliamentary questions rather than ask them, so this page lists none of theirs.
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Contributions to debates 2,972 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
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| Month | Contributions |
|---|---|
| December 2024 | 4 |
| January 2025 | 4 |
| February 2025 | 255 |
| March 2025 | 42 |
| April 2025 | 83 |
| May 2025 | 249 |
| June 2025 | 175 |
| July 2025 | 144 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 79 |
| October 2025 | 214 |
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| January 2026 | 97 |
| February 2026 | 197 |
| March 2026 | 187 |
| April 2026 | 226 |
| May 2026 | 119 |
| June 2026 | 127 |
| July 2026 | 93 |
| August 2026 | 2 |
| September 2026 | 83 |
| October 2026 | 53 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 2,685 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Wicklow 29 November 2024 to now
- office Taoiseach 29 November 2024 to 22 January 2025
- party Fine Gael 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister for Defence 23 January 2025 to 25 March 2025
- office Minister for Foreign Affairs 23 January 2025 to 25 March 2025
- office Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade 26 March 2025 to 18 November 2025
- office Minister for Defence 26 March 2025 to 18 November 2025
- office Minister for Finance 18 November 2025 to now
It is causing concern in Laois and Offaly. I will ask the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, as the Minister with responsibility for this area, to engage directly with the Deputy.
I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and for his persistent work on the matter on behalf of the people of counties Longford and Westmeath. Last year in Longford and Westmeath, more than 660,000 hours of home help were delivered. That was more than 51,000 hours ahead of target. Funding has been provided for this year to at least maintain that level of service. I am pleased to tell the Deputy that a recruitment cam…
I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. This Government is determined to work on an all-island basis on many issues.
It makes sense to do that. I have already been to Belfast and met the First Minister, Deputy First Minister and other political leaders. The programme for Government specifically commits very substantial additional funding to grow shared island projects in the years ahead.
I am pleased the Deputy r…
I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of audiology services in Cork. I am informed there are two factors particularly impacting the waiting lists in Cork. One is demand in our ageing population. That is something we should be able to plan for. The second is a specific issue regarding recruitment pressures. The Department of Health and the HSE are working together to remedy this with a new national hearing care pla…
The Deputy made a very good point. We need to reflect on some of this again. Stoves would have been very helpful in many houses during the recent storm. We have to show more flexibility rather than ideology when it comes to delivering these initiatives. We have a climate emergency. We are deadly serious about making progress on it but when people are willing to do their part to help with their homes, we have to meet …
I congratulate and thank Blanchardstown Centre for Independent Living for the excellent work it is doing, which is demonstrated by what the Deputy outlined in the huge increase of the numbers of people using the service as well as the huge increase in the services provided including transport. I take the point about the need for the State to follow that up with an appropriate level of investment. I will ask the Minis…
I thank the Deputy and I thank Tina for raising the case of her son, Michael Joseph. While I am pleased to hear he is doing well in playschool and so on based on what the Deputy said, he rightly used the word “hurdle”. As a mother she has got over one hurdle in the assessment of need and now there is the worry of the next thing. We need to do much better at breaking down silos for people with disabilities, particular…
I was very grateful to have an opportunity to meet those people in Clonmel. The sincerity of their feelings was very clear to me and I fully accept their bona fides.
A pause needs to be placed by the Department on the situation regarding Ukrainian accommodation. I made this very clear. What I mean is the idea of uprooting children in the middle of the school year is not acceptable. Second, the idea of their having a…
I addressed this matter yesterday. I also note what the Ceann Comhairle has said in recent days and very much respect that.
What I want to say, to be helpful to the House, is a disciplinary process will commence. I do not want to say anything that in any way cuts across that or, indeed, impedes on people's privacy and the need to respect the person's privacy in terms of the woman here as well, but I expect the highe…
I will try to get the Deputy some specific information on the cost of that attack to Ireland from an economic point of view. The issue of cybersecurity is taken extraordinarily seriously. The Deputy will note in the programme for Government our plans to relocate cybersecurity to the heart of the Department of Justice, which, I think, is appropriate, and also for the Government to produce a national security strategy …
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 to Amiens Street cycl…
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 to come back to him d…
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 in terms of whether t…
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 publishing a revised Housi…
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 that all sides of th…
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 election. In fairness t…
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.