Simon Harris
Wicklow · Fine Gael · Ireland
“There are more than 10,000 routes and thousands of buses involved and the number of students using the services is not a million miles away from 200,000. The current terms of the scheme are going to continue to apply for the 2026-27 school year.”
“I thank Deputy McDonald for raising what is genuinely an important issue. I do take the point that when we talk about this in the abstract or from a process point of view in here, that for people watching this is their real lived experience.”
“There number of children who have been supported by means of the school transport scheme, as Deputy Fitzmaurice knows and has alluded to, has grown significantly in recent years. Since 2018, the number increased from 120,000 in 2018 to more than 181,000 now. Included in that figure are 24,000 pupils with special educational needs.”
“I knew the Deputy would have to mention the GAA, especially with Galway and Limerick playing at the weekend. I wish everybody involved the best of luck. We are very committed to the school transport scheme. If the Deputy wants to see our commitment, he should look to our budget.”
“An ageing population, increasing healthcare needs, the transition to net zero and the need for continued investment in housing, energy and infrastructure will place a significant demand on public resources.”
“There is also a legitimacy to the point the Deputy made about how it is a legitimate form of transport for some people. We see this working in other European countries. We see it in our nearest neighbours. I do not want to get the regime wrong, but I think they have registration at the point of purchase that allows people to track this.”
The complete record
Every one of 4,585 lines we hold for Simon Harris, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 23 of 92.
“As the Taoiseach said yesterday and I say today - we are completely ad idem on this - we keep all of these matters under review. We have taken a number of practical measures already to assist people, including the expansion of the fuel allowance to 50,000 more households next week, the reduction of the VAT rate on people's energy bills, the reduction of the PSO and increasing the rate of fuel allowance. We will continue to work on this intensively in the time ahead.”
“I am extraordinarily conscious of the fact that people at home following this debate and people in workplaces are feeling an extraordinary sense of economic anxiety. However, I also have to make sure we have the best data and best analysis available in terms of the economic impact this conflict may have in our country, on the eurozone and on the global economy. That enables the Government to then decide how best to intervene should that be required. I made the point earlier today, and I make it again, that working at a European level is important. That is what we did as a country at the start of the brutal Russian illegal invasion of Ukraine. It brought about policy changes, regulations and decisions at a European level that allowed, for example, for a windfall tax, and the benefits of that being utilised for our citizens.”
“-----where we have built up financial buffers. That allows the Government to make an informed evidence-based responses in the time ahead. That is exactly what we intend to do. Governments right across Europe are grappling with this. That is why will also have that engagement at a European level, starting with European finance ministers on Monday.”
“If we get into a position of a prolonged conflict in the Middle East and in the Gulf region, what we have to watch and be honest about is the adverse affect that could have on inflation, on commodity prices and the shocks that could cause to the global economy. That is where our priority and our focus has to be now. I am conscious people are anxious and worried. I can fully understand that with what they are seeing on their television screens, the text messages they are getting about heating and the things they are seeing at the pumps. However, this country is approaching this moment of potential economic shock from a position of strength where we have more people in work than ever before, where the economy is performing well-----”
“We have said very clearly that we will devise a cost-of-disability payment. The Minister, Deputy Calleary, has opened the consultation process on that. We are eager to get everybody's idea and views as to how best construct that. We have increased the weekly disability payments, the weekly carer's payments, the weekly pension payments and we kept the likes of the Christmas bonus. I have to reject the Deputy saying nothing was done. We have seen inflation fall from a very high level, and we have to be honest about this. For the first time in a long time, we have seen real incomes in Ireland rising again. We need to make that point. These figures are there for all to see. They are not my figures; they are published by the CSO. Incomes are now increasing in this country again.”
“I do not mean this in relation to the Deputy but people can see a headline and think that that does not sound fair. It does not when you see the headline but when you look at the detail, it is not comparing like with like. The data centres have to pay significant fixed costs for the infrastructure, as is right and appropriate. The tariff might be lower but the actual amount they are spending on the energy infrastructure is a hell of a lot higher, as it should be, than a household. That is an important point. Regarding people with disabilities, the Government has been very clear on this. We have increased the level of investment in disability services this year by around 20%, with €618 million extra. That was the priority - investing further in disability services with much-needed investment.”
“We have intentions to further strengthen the powers of the CCPC and we look forward to working with people across this House in relation to that. I agree with the Deputy on that point. I also agree with him on there not being a need for a universal energy credit anymore. I agree that TDs do not need energy credits. There are people who need assistance. We can debate this and different parties will have different ideas but the targeted way the Government is going about it is through the expansion of the fuel allowance. The Deputy makes the case that he would like to see it further expanded to cover more people. We are adding 50,000 more households next week. I hear the point about the data centres and I want to respond to that.”
“The Minister is working on this too and we will continue to work to monitor the economic impact of this conflict as it unfolds.”
“Over 400,000 homes qualify for fuel allowance support, which makes up more than a quarter of the homes in the country. That maths just does not add up. More people are qualifying for fuel allowance than are in energy arrears in Ireland, according to the Deputy's own figures he just shared with us. We will continue to work on this situation intensively. I do not doubt anyone's bona fides; we all want to assist people. The first thing, though, is to call out price-gouging and to not add to it by buying into the narrative that fuel prices should be going up right now. There is a lag in any impact on changes in wholesale prices and what people should be seeing at the pump and that should be called out. The CCPC has an important job to do in relation to this.”
“-----for the first time next week and backdating it to 1 January. That is practical action. It is not abstract. There are people tuning in today, whether watching this on their television screens or listening on the radio, who will benefit. A total of 50,000 households in Ireland will benefit next week from a fuel allowance payment-----”
“We are acting. We did not need a conflict in the Gulf or the Middle East to take action on energy costs in Ireland, which are too high. That is why more people than ever before in the history of the State are eligible for fuel allowance. It is why we have increased the amount of fuel allowance and are bringing the working family payment recipients into it-----”
“As he said yesterday, and as I say today, we will keep this under review and we do not rule out actions that may be needed to assist people or the economy. What we cannot do, five or six days into a conflict, is try to predict where this will bring us economically in the time ahead because it depends on the length and depth of the conflict. We have got to make sure that any response is the correct one in helping to secure our economy.”
“While I do not want to make a direct comparison with Ukraine because prices and inflation rates are not in that space, let us just take it as a comparison of when we last saw a major conflict break out. What did we do? We worked together at European level. We worked with other European countries. It was not about one Department doing something here or one country doing something there. The Deputy will remember that, by Europe working together, it brought us to the point of the windfall tax legislation. On Monday, I will meet with fellow European finance ministers to analyse the impact in terms of energy affordability and supply. The Taoiseach will attend a European Council meeting where this will be an agenda item as well.”
“Real incomes are rising. The Social Democrats often call for targeted supports. I listened to their proposals. They are not in favour of energy credits for all different people. The Opposition has many different views. The Social Democrats call for targeted supports. Next week, we will bring in a targeted support in which 50,000 households will benefit from a fuel allowance payment for the first time. It will be backdated to 1 January. These are working families in receipt of the working family payment. They will receive up to €380 in one lump sum. We are continuing to work on this intensively. The priority this week has been trying to get people safely home from a dangerous region. We are also working to try to map out the potential economic impact of this.”
“We saw less than one hour ago figures come out on our economic growth that show that real incomes are now rising. Real incomes in Ireland are rising. You would not think that in here with the conversations we have.”
“If he were not meeting the companies tomorrow, the Deputy would be questioning why he were not. Sometimes, he cannot win. Earlier in the week, the Opposition asked why the Minister just sent a letter. The Minister is doing what a Minister should do, that is, sitting down with the companies and industry representative bodies tomorrow, in addition to the urgent investigation under way by the CCPC. I thank the Minister for the work he is doing in this regard. To say there is no support from this Government for families is just not true. This Government has taken many actions to assist people right across the country, such as free school books, hot school meals and increases to pensions and the carer’s allowance. There are more people in work than ever before.”
“It is unfair to the work of the CCPC to call it toothless. Last year, it got six convictions and its first ever criminal conviction. It is a body that can levy fines of up to €10 million. I hope, before the Deputy gets into the litany of his view about what the Government should do, that he will join with us in welcoming the fact that the CCPC, which has significant powers, has opened an urgent investigation into allegations of price-gouging in relation to the energy situation. I encourage everyone in this House to pass on any information they have in this regard. There is an independent agency. The Deputy and I cannot stand up and decide to convict people for price-gouging. What we can do is seek an urgent investigation into it, which we have secured. That is an action that a responsible and effective Minister has taken.”
“The Deputy nor Mystic Meg, Lord rest her, could predict where this conflict is going to go. We are working to protect and get our citizens home and seek de-escalation. We are working at a European level to see what further actions are appropriate in terms of energy affordability. That is what a responsible Government does. I wish to let the people watching in at home know that we are acting and we will take further action-----”
“Deputy Cullinane does not need help. Give him a chance. He was picked to do it today. In addition to the 50,000 households, we also took a decision in the budget to reduce the rate of VAT on people's energy bills and keep it there for years ahead. We also took a decision to reduce the public service obligation, PSO, on people's energy, as well as increase the fuel allowance. The Taoiseach, the Government and I have been consistent on this. We will continue to keep under review-----”
“The Deputy may not have been listening to my reply. Let me say it again. Practical action that will help 50,000 more Irish households will take place next week. The Deputy likes to say that this will not matter to anybody, but 50,000 households will qualify next week for assistance with their fuel who do not qualify for it today.”
“That means up to 50,000 households will receive the fuel allowance for the first time. They will receive up to €380 in a lump sum payment, as well as them being entitled to it going forward. That is progress and real action. We continue to monitor the situation to keep everything actively under review. I have to be honest too. I do not doubt the Deputy's bona fides or anyone's bona fides on this. We are a couple of days into a conflict here. We cannot do anything that is knee-jerk. Something that might seem like the right idea today could indeed be the wrong recipe next week or the week after. We are monitoring this, we are working on this and we will act where required.”
“The Minister will discuss with them the sharp increases that we have seen in recent days. They will be asked to explain how their pricing structure has changed so drastically so quickly. That is an important thing to do. We keep everything under review in terms of assisting. As the Taoiseach and I have both consistently said, we are monitoring this situation extremely closely. On Monday, I will meet with European counterparts at the Eurogroup. The issue of energy affordability is specifically on the agenda. It is important that we continue to monitor everything and keep everything under review. It is also important to say that real action is being taken in the here and now to help people with energy costs. Next week, 50,000 more households will qualify for the fuel allowance. That will be backdated to 1 January.”
“I note the Deputy has been asking people to contact him with any concerns that they have. I encourage him and every other Deputy to please pass on all of that information to the CCPC. I also encourage all our citizens to use the helpline to pass on any information as well. There are laws in this country, which must be upheld. The CCPC has a range of powers to investigate and prosecute where there are breaches of law. It can impose fines of up to €10 million in certain circumstances, or 10% of a company's turnover. There is a confidential whistleblowing service as well in relation to any suspected cartel behaviour too. The Minister is meeting the industry representatives tomorrow, which I had presumed the Deputy will welcome. Meeting the industry representatives and suppliers is an important thing to do.”
“The Minister, Deputy Burke, has been extraordinarily proactive this week. He has done exactly what a responsible Minister would do in formally communicating with the body that has responsibility for consumer protection and competition. The Government's view that we have been receiving, as it sounds like the Deputy has as well, many reports across the country as what many people are referring to as price-gouging. People are putting up the price and causing panic and fear for people, quite frankly. I have seen the text messages telling someone to get the fill of oil now or it is going to go up. That sort of behaviour is causing real concern as well. The Minister has worked with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, which has said it will open an urgent investigation into the concerns.”
“I thank the Minister, Deputy McEntee, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and officials on the ground who have been working really hard in what has been a very stressful and anxious time. There is absolutely no doubt that the conflict in the Middle East and the Gulf is going to have an economic impact. It is going to have a potential inflationary impact. It is going to have an impact in on commodity prices, including oil and gas. It is also important to say that the scale of that impact will depend on the length and the depth of the conflict that is under way. My Department, at my request, is currently carrying out a macroeconomic analysis in terms of what we believe the impact to be on a whole variety of indicators. We will publish that in our spring forecast at the end of this month.”
“I thank the Deputy. The Government has been working round the clock on the very serious situation in the Gulf and the Middle East. We have been working on it from a whole range of aspects, including the economic aspect, which I will get to now in relation to the question. The first and most important thing we have been doing in the here and now is working to protect Irish citizens abroad and to get them home. I welcome the fact, as we meet today, that we are now seeing hundreds of Irish citizens arrive safely back in Dublin. We have seen some commercial flights resume activity. We have plans in relation to chartered flights. Across the House, I know everybody welcomes that work.”
“I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett. The Government is in the process of working to develop a cost-of-disability payment. The consultation opened on that last week. We are actively engaging now with people with disabilities directly and also with their representative bodies. I encourage everybody and political parties in this House to get involved in that process as we try to design, for the first time, a cost-of-disability payment. I appreciate the cost-of-living challenges are real people, which is why we took a number of measures in the budget that were targeted, including expanding the eligibility for fuel allowance. I also make the point that emergency payments are available through community welfare officers for anybody in any difficulty.”
“I will indeed, and I thank the Deputy for highlighting the issue. I thank his constituents in the community for the incredible amount of fundraising they have done, raising €41,000 for maternity care that is no doubt urgently needed in Gaza where the health service has been obliterated and utterly decimated. I will ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to inquire with our embassy in Cairo on this issue to see what assistance Ireland can provide and she can revert to the Deputy directly.”
“One of the big focuses the Minister, Deputy Chambers, has been working on is that where we have identified need and provided funding, we reduce the regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles in terms of the length of time between the identification of a project and its delivery. Perhaps this is an example of such. As this business case is developed, I will keep in close contact with the Deputy to see that we can deliver the project as quickly as possible.”
“I thank Deputy O'Shea very much for raising this matter on behalf of his constituents. My understanding is that the Kanturk wastewater treatment plant has provision in the current RC4 investment cycle. There are plans to initiate a wastewater treatment plant upgrade project. This project is currently at stage 1, where Uisce Éireann develops the project objectives and outcomes and indicative range of costs. This work will continue through the year and I hope we can get this to the business case stage as quickly as possible. More generally, we need to see this moving quickly in terms of water and wastewater.”
“I thank Deputy Moynihan very much for raising this issue, which I can only imagine is causing significant concern for residents and businesses in Palmerstown and Clondalkin in his Dublin Mid-West constituency. On foot of him bringing it to my attention, I will speak to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, who is the Minister with responsibility for energy and also ask that he engages with the ESB in relation to this. There is a broader issue in regard to our need and wish to invest more in our energy grid, and energy network. The Government has identified significant additional funding for EirGrid among others. It is important that the investment plan is put in place as quickly as possible.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. What he said is right based on what I have heard today from the Deputy and his colleagues - that you have to see it to believe it. The good news is the fact that the Minister for education has seen it. I know she was out at the school in the past month or so. On foot of the Deputy raising this, I will speak to the Minister, Deputy Naughton, later today and ask that she would endeavour to pull people together to see if we can find a temporary solution that seems to be based around modular, while planning for the longer term future and advancement of the school. The immediate priority has to be to address the health and safety concerns and modular may well be an option and a way forward there. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Naughton, to come back to the Deputy directly.”
“There is quite a piece of work going on here to try to clarify all of these matters. We have provided significant funding for more than 400 new special classes, and at least 400 new special school places. This will see almost 3,000 new special education placements created for next September. I assure the Deputy that active work is going on to ensure that places are provided in advance of September. The Government at every level is working closely with the Minister for education and the Minister of State with responsibility for special education on this issue.”
“I thank Deputy Kenny very much, and for his ongoing work in this important area. I can assure him that the Government is working on this constantly through both the Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan. As a Government leader, I am being kept up to date regularly on this, as are others. There are a number of issues here. There is the opening of additional special classes. There is the fact that the portal opened earlier this year to try to have advance and earlier knowledge of the number of places needed. There is also the fact that through no fault of their own, other parents needed to apply after that date. There is also the fact that there may be some students in mainstream classes who may now require special classes as well.”
“I thank Deputy O'Flynn very much for raising this issue and the concerns of his constituents and the community in relation to the presence of asbestos and the actions that have been brought about potentially as a result of demolition works. While I am not familiar with all of the granular detail, on foot of the Deputy mentioning that the HSE and the HSA are both familiar with it, I will ask the Minister for Health, who has responsibility for the HSE, and the Minister for enterprise, who has responsibility for the HSA, to engage with both of those organisations and to come back to the Deputy directly. I will also ask that we follow this up with the planning authority from a planning enforcement point of view.”
“In the limited time available to me, I am also aware there are other measures in the here and now that I think need to be advanced, including the provision of 24-7 ED consultant presence in terms of mental health expertise within the ED in Wexford, which I believe is also lacking. I will talk to the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and ask her to come back to the Deputy on timelines.”
“I sincerely thank Deputy Mythen for raising this very important issue. As he rightly says, I was in Wexford very recently and I took the opportunity to visit the hospital. I met with the hospital manager, Linda O'Leary, and the team there who do very good work. I was very conscious in all of my engagements in Wexford that there is an acute issue with mental health services in the county. I have had very good discussions with the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, in relation to this. I welcome the fact that the HSE's capital plan in recent days tries to move this forward, with the commitment to a ten specialist bed unit in Wexford. I will ask the Minister of State to come back to the Deputy directly on timelines as to how quickly we can advance it.”
“I thank Deputy Ward for raising this serious issue regarding water quality in Dún Laoghaire and Dublin Bay and more broadly. We have made a lot of progress on water quality in recent years. We are investing more now through Uisce Éireann. On foot of the Deputy raising this issue, I will speak directly to Uisce Éireann in respect of it. We have provided a lot of additional funding to Uisce Éireann for the years ahead. I will certainly ask that it considers the point he has made about the need for a further attenuation tank. I will come back to the Deputy directly.”
“I thank Deputy Ó Cearúil for raising this important issue in relation to St. Patrick's National School in Celbridge. I am pleased to hear that the Minister visited the school in recent times and will, therefore, have an awareness of the situation. I am also conscious of the health and safety information the Deputy has read out in respect of the seriousness of this matter. On the basis of what he said, it seems that there may be a temporary situation that can be put in place to help alleviate this, including new modular accommodation. The Deputy is being constructive in bringing forward ideas as to how unused accommodation could also help. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Naughton, to look further at this issue and to revert to the Deputy directly.”
“This is an extraordinarily serious issue, after years of progress, and it is going to require all of our best thinking, not just from a policy perspective but also from an enforcement and individual behaviour perspective, to try to reverse this awful situation on Irish roads.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the very specific issue in relation that particular stretch of the N68. I will follow up directly with the Minister on the matter, on the funding involved and on the purpose for which the Deputy believed and which the documents indicated-it was for versus what she has heard locally. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy on the matter. I join with the Deputy regarding the broader point in relation to the importance of road safety. We are not that far into 2026, and we are already seeing road fatalities going in the wrong direction.”
“This will consider all of the costs that businesses face, and particularly small and medium businesses, and any regulatory, infrastructural or policy or budget changes that should be addressed. Specific measures as to what we may or may not be able to do in the budget are a matter for budget day. I assure the Deputy that the next budget, just like the most recent one, will be about protecting jobs and supporting Irish businesses.”
“SMEs remain the backbone of the Irish economy. While this country proudly has a good tradition - and one we want to continue - in terms of foreign direct investment, including in the Deputy's county, the biggest employer in Ireland remains small- and medium-sized enterprises the length of breadth of the country. This is why we took a number of measures in the budget to support small businesses, to protect jobs and to try to maintain competitiveness. We also brought forward the reduced VAT rate on gas and electricity for SMEs and the reduced VAT rate on hospitality will come into place on 1 July. The Minister, Deputy Burke, has established the cost-of-business advisory forum.”
“I intend to convene a stakeholder forum on this within the next month or so, with the view to having options in advance of the budget. Deemed disposal is something that definitely deserves consideration. There is an unfairness in relation to it, and it was brought in at a very different time. I am minded to see what progress can be made on it in the time ahead. Specific taxation measures are obviously a matter for budget day.”
“In the two budgets that I intend to deliver as the Minister for Finance, I am absolutely determined that we do something in relation to retail investment. Irish people are among the best savers in the European Union, but we have one of the lowest rates of participation in investments. The reality is that good, hard-working and decent people right across the country are trying to do the right thing and put aside a few bob - even very small amounts because times are tough -but that money is not earning them anything. We have to fix that. In that context, I am actively considering how we might bring in a savings and investment account in line with the Savings and Investment Union at EU level. I am looking at what has been done in the UK, Sweden, Canada, Japan and a number of other countries.”
“It might be something that bridges the political divide in Tipperary, because Deputy Murphy has also raise this matter in the context of Clonmel. I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, and the Minister, Deputy Browne, to come back to Deputy Healy regarding the timeline for that report.”
“I truthfully do not know if the Minister has received the report, but I will certainly find out for the Deputy and ask that the Minister write to him. The programme for Government is clear in relation to this. There are examples around the country. I should declare an interest that I am a former member of a town commission in Greystones. There are examples of how town councils and town commissions provided excellent work, not just for budding politicians who might have wanted to go from a town council to a county council or maybe even the Dáil, but also for people who wanted to just serve their communities in that role. The councils organised events such as the Christmas lights or St. Patrick's Day parades and fostered a sense of civic pride. This is something the Government is actively considering.”
“Therefore, in the first instance, we will deliver on the part of the review that would have seen additional SNAs being allocated to schools. We will not go ahead with the part that would have seen a reduction in the number of SNAs. We will revise Circular 0030/2014, and it is a long time since then. We are happy to hear the Deputy's views and the views of others in relation to that. We will get the SNA redeployment scheme over the line. I say the following to be constructive- I said it a moment ago, and I know the Deputy has a sincere interest in it. We in this House need to look at how we can have wider engagement on the broader policy issues. The demographics are bringing us into certain areas, as are the complexities involved.”
“The Government has voted expenditure of over €118 billion. Within that voted expenditure, this additional allocation of around €19 million will be made to the Department of Education and Youth. No official should be in any way glib in that regard, because we are very sincere in respect of this matter. That money will be provided. I say this as a coalition leader and as the Minister for Finance. I take the point that after the week we have had, trust has to be earned back. That is a fair point. People were deeply upset and hurt. I can outline the rationale and all the statistics, but what I have said is also true - people were upset and hurt. How you earn that trust back is by listening and delivering.”
“The Deputy has been in this House long enough that when he says he attended the most impactful presentation he has been to, I take that very seriously. I will certainly arrange for the relevant Ministers, perhaps Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, in the first instance, to engage with that organisation and work through the list of, no doubt, constructive proposals it has put forward to try to make progress in support in this area.”