I thank Deputy Kelly for raising this matter. I know he is somebody who has consistently highlighted this issue and his significant concerns in relation to it.
I do think there needs to be further examination and inquiry into these matters. The form that takes or how that is brought about is obviously a matter in the first instance for my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan. I have not had a chance to di…
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
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
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.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Contributions to debates 2,972 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| 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 |
| November 2025 | 347 |
| December 2025 | 192 |
| 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
We have a State organisation in the Land Development Agency that is making a real and positive impact in relation to the delivery of homes right across our country. I have been on many sites with it in recent weeks and months. We do live in a housing emergency, of that there is no doubt, but it is important to quote the report in the round. I note that we did see the number of terminations actually fall in the final …
I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett very much. I know we are not allowed to do a back-and-forth, but could I ask him if the children are in the school?
Sure. I thank him for raising the issue on behalf of his colleague, Councillor Reddy. I will speak to the Minister for education today and see if she or somebody on her behalf can engage with the equality in education campaign to see how we can bring progress to this as quickly as possible.
I thank Deputy Dolan very much. I appreciate him raising this issue today as Daffodil Day is tomorrow and this House will not be in session. I am meeting the Irish Cancer Society this afternoon. I am sure this is one of the issues that it will want to discuss too. I do not want to pre-empt what the Government may do in future budgets. Deputy Dolan would give out to me at an Oireachtas committee if we did that. We do …
I thank Deputy Brennan for raising this issue. First and most importantly, I want to express my deepest condolences to the family of the late Claire Cullen. It is an incredibly heartbreaking case for the Cullen family and the community in Courtown in Wexford as well. I want to assure him and the House that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is very much aware of this tragic case. It also wants to extend its …
I thank Deputy Guirke for raising this issue. I want to clarify that this was not a decision taken by the Minister for Health but it was, indeed, a change in pricing practice by a number of pharmacies across the country.
The position in this regard is as it always has been. I ask that pharmacists engage with their loyal customers on the issue and reflect on the comments of the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I wi…
On foot of this matter being raised by the Deputy, I will make myself aware of the details. I do not want to comment on any specific legal actions or outworkings that could be ongoing because such cases require the law to be followed. There are protections in place, with clear rules in relation to tenancies outlined by the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB. I expect all of those rules to be adhered to. Without comment…
As the Deputy said, he raised this issue with me a number of weeks ago. I spoke to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, who committed to getting back to the Deputy. I will follow up with the Minister on foot of our interaction today. We keep the allocations we make for roads and transport under review as the year progresses. The Deputy has highlighted a specific concern in relation to Cavan and Monaghan and has enga…
I take the Deputy's point that saying something is a priority but asking someone to wait for three years clearly is not what people would rightly expect. On foot of his raising this issue, I will speak to the Minister directly to ask that she look into the matter and revert directly to him.
I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The Department of Health and the HSE are aware of the outbreak recently reported in the UK and are actively monitoring the situation. Based on information available, the HSE assesses that the overall population risk in Ireland related to the UK outbreak remains very low. This aligns with the assessment of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control that …
I acknowledge, as I always do, that this is an issue the Deputy has prioritised since he came into this House. It is something about which I know he feels passionately. I will check with the Minister for Health where we are at in terms of the roll-out of the early access scheme. I assure the Deputy, and, most importantly, the people who have rare diseases and parents of children with rare diseases, that the Governmen…
We will always work constructively with colleagues on housing. I acknowledge the Labour Party has brought forward constructive proposals in relation to housing in this Dáil and the previous Dáil. I have a different perspective in terms of the Government's position on housing. In our rental reforms Bill, we brought forward very significant protections for renters. We introduced security of tenure, with tenancies of a …
I thank Deputy Healy for raising this issue. We are seeing very significant increase in the number of gardaí entering training in Templemore. It is a huge priority for the Government to increase the number of gardaí. I am absolutely disgusted and angered to hear about any assault on a member of An Garda Síochána. When I was justice Minister, we changed the law to increase the sentencing available to the courts for an…
I thank Deputy Ó Muirí for raising this matter. I know the flooding experienced in his constituency of Dublin Bay North was really horrendous. I remember witnessing the video footage of it. We all saw the videos in particular of the basements of apartment blocks being flooded, and the fear and anxiety that created. The emergency response payment administered by the Department of Social Protection does not exclude apa…
I agree with everything the Deputy has said. It is our intention to finalise a package. It is our intention to agree that package at Government next week. One of the criteria that we have set for measures we bring forward is whether they can be put into effect quickly. While I am not talking about the Deputy, people in this House, often those on the Opposition benches, have ideas, even some good ideas, but actually i…
I do not want to jinx it, but I think there is a compelling case for providing flexibility in terms of people being able to watch us qualify for the World Cup and then, God willing, get to the World Cup. I wish our team all the very best starting next week in what is a crucial period of time for Irish soccer. The Deputy's point is a really important one and it is also an economic point. When people come to our countr…
I move amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:
"notes that, the Government:
- remains deeply concerned about the escalating conflict in the Middle East and the Gulf;
- affirms Ireland's long track-record of support for international law and the United Nations;
- continues to seek de-escalation through dialogue and diplomacy so that these issues can be resolved;
- …
It will be quicker than any legislation Sinn Féin is bringing forward which is not before this-----
Cathaoirleach, may I speak on a very important issue? I want to work in a collaborative fashion. I do not need to be shouted down. It is an important issue, Deputy Doherty.
We will act-----
Please, Pearse, on some occasions just park the partisanship, just the odd time. We will act.
There will be decisions taken by this Government before this Sinn Féin motion even arises for a vote.
There is no vote tonight.
There is no vote tonight-----