Simon Harris

We do.

First, I fully appreciate the Deputy is making a point that is broader than Ballymun. I just wanted to acknowledge the trauma in Ballymun and point out there is a structure there that Government should harness to try to support the community at this time of particular acute challenge. We have taken a number of initiatives to try to tackle deprivation in the country. I can think of one as recently…

I thank Deputy Coppinger for raising this issue and this case again, and I say that sincerely. I know the intense and constructive ways in which she has been engaging to try to support this student. I say that before I say the next piece, which is I am genuinely not 100% sure how to answer this question, for the reason that I am conscious, based on what she has told me now and what she has said pr…

I am not in any way, shape or form undermining or implying any doubt in regard to what the victim has said to the Deputy and others. I am simply respecting the role I have versus the roles others have in society. There are obviously processes outside of here that have to establish fact. I do not say that to be in any way lacking in empathy; it is just to be factual. On the broader point the Deputy…

I thank Deputy Collins. I join with him in wishing Brigid McGlynn all the very best. I was not aware of that. I say it from a position of affection and respect that she has been part of the furniture around here in all the time I have been here. She is quite an institution in and of her own and I wish her and her family all the very best, and indeed the best, as the Minister of State, Deputy Higgi…

I would make a couple of points on the surplus. First, it is better to have one than not have one, and it has enabled us to bring in a €750 million package of supports, one of the largest in the European Union, and not have to borrow for it. If you look at our nearest neighbours in the UK, they brought in a smaller package for their citizens per head of population. They had to borrow and were char…

I thank my colleague, Deputy Butterly, for raising this matter. I accept her challenge and request in terms of seeking progress and expediency in relation to this. I am also conscious of CIÉ pensioners who are probably watching this and thinking there has been nothing expeditious about it. I am conscious of that as I say it. I did speak with ministerial colleagues on this during the week and I kno…

The Deputy is right; time does not stand still. There are real people waiting for this increase, and waiting longer than they ever expected they would have to and longer than we would have wished. I acknowledge that. I also acknowledge that they are people who worked bloody hard in public service for the good of our country, through a great and proud tradition of working in CIÉ. Many of us know pe…

We are listening, we are acting. It is an important and serious issue. We have made a lot of progress in relation to improvement to our cancer services over a sustained period. Under the current national cancer strategy, we have already allocated €105 million to support our cancer services and an additional €120 million in direct investment in radiation oncology centres in Cork and Galway to addre…

I rarely disagree with the Deputy, and I do not mean to be argumentative, but that woman in Wexford received penalty points because she was speeding not because there was a lack of signage. Speed kills. I encourage people to put up correct signage, but we are living through a road safety crisis. Static cameras are an effort to try to assist people. Nobody likes to get penalty points. If you obey t…

Before answering, I would like to welcome the young people in the Gallery from the Youth Advocate Programme, Foróige and Springboard Family Support Project, all of whom appeared in front of the Joint Committee on Children and Equality. Deputy Keogh, the Chair of the committee, asked me to say that. They were before the committee in respect of the topic of online safety, which, I assure them, is so…

The short answer is that I will speak to my colleague the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, in relation to this. Thankfully, we live in a country that has had full employment for 16 consecutive quarters, but we are not in any way complacent in saying that. We are seeing a churn, for want of a better phrase, in the jobs market. There is no room for complacency. That is why IDA Ireland, which had its mo…

On the Deputy's point about the need to have a plan for replacement jobs in Laois and the use of IDA Ireland land is a fair on, as is that which he makes around people's quality of life and traffic congestion. We believe passionately in balanced regional development. On foot of the Deputy raising this matter today, I will ask the Minister to speak to IDA Ireland and to come back to him directly.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue again and for acknowledging Deputy's Aird's interest and work in this area as well. I am very sorry to hear of those extraordinarily painful, difficult and sad situations regarding children. I will seek an urgent update from the Minister on the specific drug and the condition to which it relates and on the Deputy's broader point regarding early access. I …

I take that point too. I think €1 in every €8 in the health budget is now spent on drugs. The Deputy's particular point about rare diseases and the need for Ireland to significantly up its game in terms of an early access programme is serious and sincere. I will ask the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to come back to him directly. Considering that this matter comes up too often in th…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue with the housing assistance payment. As he rightly says, the law is clear about people not being able to refuse a tenant on the basis of HAP. He is also right to highlight the fact that there are sometimes people trying to skirt the law in this regard. I will bring those comments to the attention of the Minister for housing. The second issue he raised abou…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue about the financial contribution scheme and Dublin City Council's view that it requires funding for it. Truthfully, I am not sure of the next steps but on foot of the Deputy raising it, I will speak with the Minister, Deputy Browne, and ask him to come back to the Deputy directly.

I thank the Deputy for raising an issue that I know has been harrowing for his community and constituency this week. On a human level, there is the trauma and loss of childhood innocence for an 11 year old and the other child the Deputy rightly referenced. For that child to come across and fire a gun, it is but for the grace of God that nobody was seriously injured. That is not to take away from t…

I join with Deputy Neville in welcoming the students from Confey College. Before I get to the seriousness of the water burst, if you got a day off school for that and a day in the Dáil, it is not a bad week, and there is a bank holiday on Monday. They are welcome and it is great to have them in Leinster House. The point my colleague and friend, Deputy Neville, makes is a serious one. I know it is…

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of St. Aidan's and St. Senan's. I thank them for all they do to meet the needs of the young people of the community and people with additional needs in Enniscorthy. I also acknowledge that for them to be able to do that in the way they want, and the way people expect them to do it, we need to work with them to support them. On foot of the Deputy raising thi…

I thank the Deputy. I make the broad point that this country, including Irish farmers, benefits hugely from free trade. Most of what we produce in this country in the agrifood sector is sold abroad. We are a better and more prosperous nation, and farmers are better and more prosperous, as a result of free trade. However, we had specific concerns about Mercosur because level playing fields, common …

On foot of the Deputy raising this matter in relation to Loreto College Swords, I will speak to the Minister, Deputy Naughton, and ask that she engage with the Deputy directly to see if a solution can be found. On education capital more broadly, I would say that the list is not the final word from Government. There will be further allocations made in the time ahead in relation to building more sch…

I thank Deputy Hearne for raising this issue in relation to Ballymun and the absolute horror his community experienced this week when that young child found and discharged a gun. As the Deputy quite rightly said, it is a miracle nobody was seriously harmed or even worse. I take his point that this is not an isolated incident and that there are broader issues in respect of community safety in Bally…

I thank Deputy Brabazon for raising this significant issue of annoyance, concern and inconvenience for his constituents on the James Larkin Road and in the surrounding areas. As he says, all of us and our communities expect some degree of disruption when works have to be carried out. However, we also expect that these works will be completed in a timely manner and that there will be an awareness a…

Deputy Clendennen is absolutely right. I love the local improvement scheme. It works really well. It makes a real difference to rural communities. As he said, people in rural communities who are always looking to get on and help themselves but sometimes are looking for just a little support as well. It is also clear that people like the LIS, and that is why there has been such a demand. We have se…