Simon Harris

I thank Deputy Doherty for the question. The Department received a wide range of proposals in relation to the State’s banking investments over the years, as the Deputy will be aware. As part of their normal functions, officials explore and assess such proposals. On 5 September 2025, the Department received a non-binding and indicative proposal in writing from Centerbridge Partners to acquire the …

I am informed by my Department that there was one non-binding, indicative proposal received on 5 September 2025 from Centerbridge Partners to acquire the stake in PTSB. When the indicative proposal was received by the Department, it was assessed. The view was rightly taken that it did not adequately reflect the value of the State’s shareholding in PTSB. The proposal was not pursued and, instead, t…

I truthfully do not know the answer as to whether officials in the Department of Finance were on that call or reviewed that transcript. I am happy to find that out for the Deputy. I truthfully do not know that. I also cannot account for why the CEO of the bank said that on an investor call. I genuinely believe that it made no material difference to the formal sale process and recovering taxpayers’…

I thank Deputy Connolly for his question and his comments, and that is the approach the Government is trying to take. None of this is easy for households or for businesses. War has caused havoc in the world and it has caused a shock to the global economy. Ireland, as a small open economy, is not immune from that. There is no government in the wide earthly world that can insulate its people, even i…

It is a fair question. What I am saying is that it is not possible for somebody to absorb the full 32 cent. I get that point but I also have to balance that with the fact the Deputy, on behalf of his constituents, Deputy McCormack, on behalf of his, and all of us on behalf of ours, will be looking for things to be done in the budget too. I cannot ignore the fact that the price of oil is now fallin…

It is a fair question. Thankfully, as a country, we have had an ability to bring in a very significant package, one of the largest packages in the European Union, without having to borrow for it. Our nearest neighbour, the UK, brought in a much smaller package per head of population and had to go to the markets and borrow for it. I think it got charged approximately 5% for the luxury of that. The …

As the Deputy will be aware, the 9% VAT rate will be reintroduced for hairdressing services and for restaurant and catering services in the food-related hospitality sector from 1 July 2026. We have different views on this. I am very pleased that this is happening. The decision reflects the Government's commitment to supporting employment in sectors that are highly labour-intensive and form a key p…

While I vehemently disagree with the Deputy on this, and he vehemently disagrees with me on my position on it, I do not doubt his bona fides on it. Nobody, neither nor the Deputy, is suggesting that we have a monopoly on trying to support jobs. The Deputy wants to do it as do I. We all want to sustain employment. I accept that point but we have a difference of view on how to go about it. I am ver…

The Deputy would not be doing his job if he was not scrutinising the decisions we make; that is his job. I believe it is a good use of taxpayers' money because the cost of this needs to be seen alongside the amount of income tax and other taxes these businesses and their employees are going to create. When I go back to my community and constituency and go into the local café, I know they will feel…

I can indeed. I thank Deputy McCormack for his question. I see there are a lot of students in the Public Gallery. I am not sure what school they are from, but they are very welcome. They picked a lovely sunny day to come into the Dáil. I thank them for being here and hope they enjoy their summer holidays, which are coming shortly. As the Deputy will be aware, the programme for Government commits …

Deputy McCormack is right. We have introduced significant reform in this sector and we now need the industry to ensure the benefit of those reforms are passed onto the customer. We have seen some progress in some areas but, frankly, we have not seen enough. We are very carefully monitoring this in the Cabinet committee. We are often asked for a long list and told if we do A, B, C and D, the premiu…

This is a big area we are focusing on. I am conscious insurance costs are significant for all businesses, but they can have a disproportionate significance for smaller businesses, where a hike or an extra premium cost that was not expected could be the difference between viability or not. We have all met businesses in that place. Attracting more competition into the market is very important and h…

I thank Deputy Cahill for the question. This is an important issue on which I have had several meetings. Capital acquisitions tax, CAT, is a tax which applies to both gifts and inheritances, and is charged at a rate of 33%. For CAT purposes, the relationship between the person giving a gift or inheritance and the person who receives it determines the maximum amount, known as the group threshold, b…

I appreciate this is a serious issue which causes stress, strain and worry to many people. I have had much engagement with colleagues and groups about this and continue to do that. We keep all these issues under review as part of the finance Bill each year. The tax strategy group will again look at these issues this year. We will publish data, information and costings that can help to inform the d…

Deputy Cahill certainly gives that very clear impression. I know this is a serious issue and I hear from colleagues on the Government and Opposition benches about it. I share some of that concern too. In the specific role that I hold, I have to be honest about balancing the competing demands. We will have a certain amount available for tax measures and we will have many things that different peopl…

As I know Deputy Callaghan is aware, the programme for Government and our party manifesto commit to making progressive changes regarding income tax. The aim here is to make sure that people can keep some more of their own money. People in this country still feel that when they work hard, play by all the rules and then look at the slip at the end of the week or month and see the take-home pay figur…

I have to give the annoying answer that we will consider all of these matters in the budget. I do not want to rule anything in or out today, other than to say a couple of things. The Deputy is right to acknowledge the burden that people feel from taxation. She is also right to acknowledge, very fairly, the benefit that we see from the taxes that people pay. The USC is expected to bring in €5.9 bil…

I thank Deputy Callaghan for acknowledging that there will be a personal income tax package. The aim is that it will deliver in line with the programme for Government commitments around progressive changes. We will look at the various options in the round. We will decide them on 6 October and will have plenty of opportunities to engage directly and to engage through this structure in advance of th…

I thank the Deputy. As he will be aware, wealth is already taxed in a number of ways in Ireland. These include capital gains tax, CGT, capital acquisitions tax, CAT and local property tax. Stamp duty also acts as a tax on wealth, including that charged on the acquisition of shares, stocks and marketable securities of Irish registered companies, and on the acquisition of property both residential a…

I thank Deputy Murphy for his contribution. I have already outlined the Commission on Taxation and Welfare's 2022 report and the issues that it suggested would impede the implementation of such a tax, as well as the Parliamentary Budget Office report from 2024. I have also outlined how we have one of the most progressive taxation systems and social transfer systems in the EU and the OECD and the r…

I thank Deputy Clarke for raising this important issue. At the outset, everyone on all sides of this House recognises the significant challenges, stress and worry that families face when they have a sick child, and the very significant challenges families face in relation to paediatric spinal services. There has been and continues to be ongoing additional investment in this area. A total of €30 mi…

To be clear, the Government is fulfilling its commitment to this House and the decision that it took to appoint Mr. Remy Farrell SC to carry out a scoping inquiry. There are a number of advocacy groups. There may be eight advocacy groups in this space in relation to children's paediatric spinal care and many are engaging with Mr. Farrell SC. I would encourage genuinely everybody to engage without …

I thank Deputy O'Callaghan for the question. I acknowledge this is an issue he has been rightly pursuing in this House for a period of time. The Deputy commended his colleague, Deputy Rice, the Cathaoirleach of the Oireachtas health committee. Deputy O'Callaghan will understand and appreciate I want to commend my colleague, the Minister for Health, because while I agree sometimes with Deputy O'Cal…

I fully agree with the Deputy. Let me be clear that the HSE has confirmed that any additional payments to consultants on that public-only consultant contract, POCC, contract relating to the service level agreement ceased at the start of the year. There are some consultants who do not work on a public-only consultant contract. It is important in winding down a long-standing arrangement and an agree…

Deputy Nash really does not like burgers, but we will get to that in a second. This Government has taken a number of actions in endeavouring to assist people. We should remind ourselves that in the country we live in, there are over 2.8 million people who got up and went to work this morning - the highest number ever. Figures from the CSO show the average weekly wage is now over €1,000. Yes, we a…