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 80 of 92.
“I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and other Members of Seanad Eireann. I welcome the opportunity to address the Seanad on the issues of international trade and international relations. Trade and our trading relations with partners around the world are, of course, at the core of the Irish economic model. It is not just an economic theory. It is at the core of how we see ourselves in the world. As an island people, we have always been traders. We have always looked beyond our shores and sought exchange, dialogue and interconnection. International trade and international relations are, of course, deeply connected. They are best managed when understood together.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and I thank Mick Finnegan for his incredible advocacy on this issue. He has been in Leinster House on many occasions because of his advocacy work. I sincerely thank him for that. I will speak directly to the Minister involved and I will come back to the Deputy.”
“The Deputy is right. Survivors should never read that information third-hand or in the media. The Minister, Deputy Foley, shares that view. I will speak to her about what can be done to update the survivors directly and to apologise for any way in which that information has been disseminated and put into the public domain in a way that is not sensitive to the survivors and does not attach paramount importance to their needs. My understanding is that the report is due to come to Cabinet but let me seek clarity on the next steps and I will ask the Minister to come back to Deputy Connolly directly.”
“I thank the Deputy. I do indeed know Carnew well as I represented it until the Electoral Commission took it off me. I am sure it is well represented now. Regarding IPAS centres, I am not familiar with that one. It is always important that communities are informed. However, I am also very proud to live in a county that has welcomed so many people from migrant communities and people seeking international protection. Communities across County Wicklow have done that. The flow of information with communities is important and I will ask the Minister with responsibility for migration to provide the Deputy with an update regarding the issue he has raised.”
“I will follow up with the specifics in terms of what the Deputy raised for very good reasons and I will ask that the Minister comes back to him and Colin on this matter.”
“I thank the Deputy and I join him in thanking Colin Dempsey for his work on this project and bringing it to the Deputy's attention, and the Deputy, in turn, bringing it to the attention of the Dáil. He is right that everyone wants to see an efficient public transport system but other issues also matter. Safety and inclusion also matter. As we go about out daily lives, all of us want people to access public transport in a way that is inclusive and safe. My understanding is that disability awareness training, DAT, is provided by all public transport operators. The PSO contracts have a condition that the staff DAT has to be renewed every three years. As part of DAT, they now also have to give consideration to the issue of hidden disabilities as well.”
“In the here and now, I will ask the Minister of State what more can be done to help people in Carlow and Kilkenny and I will ask him to meet the Deputy to discuss this matter.”
“I thank the Deputy for the important question. I will ask the Minister with responsibility for older people to meet her to discuss what more can be done. We are spending more on home support now than ever before. The home support budget for this year is the largest ever at €840 million, delivering more than 24 million hours of home support to more than 60,000 people at any one time. However, the Deputy pointed out the disparity between rural parts of her constituency and less rural parts of the country and how we can recruit and retain staff in those areas. The work the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, is leading on is around the need to get to the statutory home care scheme. That will provide much greater clarity in terms of funding, employment and structures than the current situation.”
“I thank the Deputy for bringing this situation to my attention. It must be a very stressful time for Filip, his mother Kasia and the family, made all the more stressful by this confusion, to put it mildly. I suggest that the Deputy, with the family's permission, send the details to my office and I will link with the Minister for Health and the head of the HSE and l ask that they provide some clarity to the Deputy on a way forward.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I agree with him that we need to continue to invest in the bases for our ambulance service. I will certainly seek an update from the Minister for Health on the plan for the new ambulance base at the Tipperary hospital in Clonmel. My understanding from conversations I have had is that the Minister hopes to bring forward the HSE capital plan this month. That, perhaps, will be a moment of update. I will certainly ask her to come back directly to the Deputy.”
“I have been working with the Attorney General and with my officials to find a way forward and I am pleased to tell the House that I intend to bring a memo to Government in the coming weeks - hopefully this month - that will set out a legislative path that will allow this country to ratify CETA by the end of this year.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. He is right. We are in a phase now when it comes to trade policy and our economy where we have got to keep influencing what we can influence, including the United States and the EU but we also have to control what we can control. As to what we can control, we can help companies diversify and help open up new markets throughout the world to Irish companies. This country is proudly a free trade country. We have always been a nation of traders and there are big opportunities in Singapore, Vietnam, Canada and, potentially, India. I had a good meeting with the Indian foreign minister in Dublin a couple of weeks ago. The Deputy is right to reference CETA, which we endeavoured to progress in the previous Oireachtas. We know the difficulties we got into on that occasion.”
“My understanding is, without sounding like some sort of technical person, that there is an issue when a viewer in Northern Ireland attempts to view an event on the TG4 online player. On a technical level, this is because there is no separate IP address protocol for Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK and, therefore, the device assumes that the viewer is outside of Ireland. We need to work our way forward on this. I am assured that TG4 circulates this message on its Spórt TG4 website and social platforms. On the broader issue the Deputy has raised, let me raise it with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I will then come back to him. I accept the seriousness of this issue for people on both sides of the Border.”
“I thank the Deputy for the ongoing work he has done to promote closer relations and engagement throughout this island. Of course, he is right. The Good Friday Agreement committed to facilitating a number of initiatives, including the widespread availability of TG4 in Northern Ireland. I will certainly raise that issue, the issue of BBC Radio Ulster and all the other issues the Deputy has raised with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when we next meet. With regard to the sports events the Deputy referenced, it is my understanding that TG4 had the right to broadcast that event on an all-island basis. As such, viewers in Northern Ireland may access these events on a free-to-air basis on the Freeview platform, which carries TG4.”
“I am told it was a positive engagement on the issues parents face when seeking a suitable special educational placement. The Minister said she would like to meet that group again to follow up and we will ensure that happens.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I take those parents extraordinarily seriously. Parents are busy and have a lot going on, particularly parents of a child with special needs. To come and sleep out at the Dáil shows the sense of real frustration, worry and concern they feel right now. Some 369 of the 400 classes for next September have been sanctioned as of today. The NCSE continues to assess additional provision in local areas. My understanding is that the provision of those additional special classes for the 2025-26 year, that is, the next school year, will be confirmed in the coming weeks. I understand the Minister for Education and the Minister of State with responsibility for special education met with a number of parents of that group last Wednesday.”
“The transport requirements of the area will need to be met in a variety of ways, and indeed light rail-Luas could well be one of those. These issues will all be considered in our review of the national development plan and what level of funding is available. However, the project will be considered in that context this summer.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As he rightly said, the National Transport Authority, NTA, has a responsibility for transport planning in the greater Dublin area and the development of the Luas red line extension to serve Poolbeg is currently one of the projects they are giving real consideration to. Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, is the sponsoring agency for the proposed Luas to Poolbeg project and the NTA is the day-to-day approving authority. I understand the NTA recently instructed TII to undertake a pre-feasibility analysis of the Luas to Poolbeg project. We are cognisant that an increased demand for travel from Poolbeg to the city will need to be catered for in coming years. The Deputy is quite right.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Indeed, I heard him comment on it publicly this week as well. I first admire his guts in putting forward radical ideas on energy policy. That is worthwhile in this Dáil because energy and security of energy supply is really important for homeowners, businesses and for broader security reasons. The best advice available to me in Government is that the pathway to advancing the supply is through renewables and offshore wind development. However, I will ask the Minister for energy to respond to the Deputy's proposal directly.”
“My understanding is the council was advised to apply to the Department once the relevant consents were in place and I will seek a further update on that. I will send the Deputy a note on the next steps. There is quite a bit of detail, but I am happy to engage with the Deputy directly on this to see if we can make progress.”
“I thank the Deputy, and I hear his frustration on behalf of his constituents. My understanding is that in April 2024 a delegation of Cork County Council officials and representatives from the Union Hall Save Our Pier Committee had a meeting with the then Minister and the assistant secretary general for the seafood and marine division in the Department headquarters in Agriculture House. At the meeting the council outlined that the development plan for Keelbeg pier consisted of three phases - the refurbishment of the old pier, the extension of the new pier and the dredging of Glengarriff harbour. My understanding is that the council was reminded of its own responsibilities to step projects forward to make them ready for delivery and that any costs associated with studies, design and consenting must be borne by the council.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I thank those workers and everybody who works in the Oireachtas complex for the important role they play in how this place and our democracy functions, and the broadcasting of all that to the public. It is not out of any lack of sympathy or respect for the workers and the issues the Deputy raised but this is a matter for the Oireachtas. We have had significant debates about the difference between the Oireachtas and the Government in this House in recent times. My understanding is that we are shortly due to constitute the new Oireachtas commission. Perhaps that is a forum in which this could be discussed.”
“They have a role to play, and I have no issue with that, but there are certain parts of the country and certain communities where there really is a lack of provision. I am happy to work constructively with the Deputy. Perhaps when the new Oireachtas committees are established, which I hope will be soon, this could be an area of focus.”
“I like "páistecare"; it is a good way of putting it. What emerged during the election period is that while all parties had different areas of focus, they all said that something significant needs to happen on childcare. I take the point, and while it is not for me to tell committees how to do their work, but as they are established, a focus on how we can advance a proper fit-for-purpose childcare system is crucial. I am proud of the some of the work we have done on reducing the cost of childcare. I know it can still be too high but not being able to get a place is the real issue. That is why I am unashamedly on the record, and the programme for Government alludes to this, regarding need for the State to intervene in terms of public provision. We will of course be working with private providers too.”
“That decision we made last week, on which the Minister for Education will shortly bring proposals to Cabinet, will allow the NCSE to hire therapists for schools, starting with special schools. That will make a difference. I know that no parent sleeps out at night if not for a very good reason. It speaks to their frustration and genuine worry. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, met with a number of parents in the group last Wednesday. I understand there was positive engagement on the issue and the Minister wants to meet the group again to discuss their concerns and how progress can be made.”
“I thank the Deputy for the constructive suggestion. He is right, in that we have to get a hell of a lot better at planning. The sense of surprise when a child seeks to move in a moment of transition in his or her life is not acceptable. We need to break down the silos. We have established the Cabinet committee on disability. We met last week, or the week before last, and a number of decisions were made, including to put therapists back in schools, starting with special schools. I see a lot of frustration from parents who get a place for their child in school and think it is great and they have finally made some progress only to realise that is just the education part and they are still not able to get speech and language therapy, physiotherapy or occupational therapy.”
“I have written to the Ministers, Deputies Foley and Browne, on this. The Minister, Deputy Foley, is committed to working with the group through the Donegal county childcare committee and Pobal. I will keep Deputy Doherty updated on this.”
“I will endeavour to work constructively with Deputy Doherty and others in Donegal on this issue. As Deputy Doherty said, I met the Raphoe community playgroup. It told me about the great work it has been doing and I am in no doubt about that. It has been in operation since the early 1980s. It moved into a new purpose-built facility in 2000 and, as Deputy Doherty rightly said, that building has been condemned due to defective blocks. We all have sympathy for it but it does not want sympathy. It wants money. It wants to move this forward. It has been working very hard to come up with a solution. The Department of children has the building blocks grant scheme, which provides capital funding for new buildings and extensions. There is an issue with the ownership of the land. We need to find a way through that.”
“On a positive note, I should say that the allocations for road projects for 2025 include the N11 Oilgate to Rosslare Harbour project, which has received an allocation of €4 million. This project, which is at design and environmental evaluation phase, will deliver safety improvements to the N11 corridor. It will also improve regional connectivity and ensure the increased volume of freight traffic using Rosslare Port can be accommodated. In addition, we have provided €2 million for the Rosslare Europort access road. Let us continue to work constructively on this matter.”
“That is right, but in fairness to the NTA, the policy direction of recent years in terms of roads was regrettable. It delayed the delivery of the projects needed as regards the N11. There needs to be absolute policy clarity on this now, and I believe there is. All of us, regardless of party affiliation or of being in government or opposition, from Wicklow-Wexford and Wicklow should come together and meet the NTA on these matters. There are real issues for people living in commuter belts. The traffic congestion is having a direct impact on issues such as childcare, quality of life and being able to pick kids up from school and drop them off in the morning. There are challenges being felt by people in the wide commuter belt area that I am proud to represent in the Dáil.”
“All of these measures will make a very positive difference in terms of being able to increase the frequency. I am told the NTA is examining the issue of extending the DART service to Wicklow, which could increase the service frequency along that portion of the line from six trains per day each way to a train every hour. Taken in the round, these measures will see increased frequency on the Dublin to Rosslare line. In addition to this, we need to advance the programme for Government commitments on including funding for new roads, including funding for the protection and renewal of roads and establishing distinct budgets for road maintenance and new road construction in order to give that policy direction to the NTA that Deputy Byrne rightly referenced.”
“The Department of Transport is working to pursue the recommendations of the all-island strategic rail review, including an increase in services for Wexford and Rosslare to at least one train every two hours. I know this is an important measure. Other measures further up the line will have a positive impact on congestion, traffic and commuters. As part of the DART+ programme, specifically the DART+ Coastal South project, it is planned to increase service frequency between Bray and Greystones and that portion of the Rosslare line from approximately every 30 minutes in each direction to every 20 minutes. The extension of the new battery electric DART carriages is also being looked at very actively, which would enable the DART to service Wicklow town.”
“As part of various allocations, €12 million in capital funding was allocated to Wexford County Council and a further €3.2 million was allocated to Wicklow County Council to cover new roads and the protection and renewal of the existing national road network. In addition to this investment in our national roads infrastructure, a number of significant improvements are also planned across Ireland's rail network over the coming years, including on the Dublin to Rosslare line. Last year, we saw some changes to timetables on the line, including a new late evening service between Wexford and Gorey. I look forward to similar timetable improvements being introduced.”
“Let me be very clear, in that there is a new Government and the Government made up of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, with the support of Independents, is a Government that wants to get on with the business of building roads. Even electric cars need roads to drive on. The buses also need roads to go on. Unless we are getting hovercraft, we need roads. There is road safety issue, a road maintenance issue and a quality-of-life issue. We need to do more, which I can see with the N11-M11 in a practical way. Approximately €502 million of Exchequer capital funds have been provided for national roads for protection and renewal and for new roads. In addition, €98 million has been provided for national roads under public-private partnerships.”
“I thank Deputy Malcolm Byrne for raising this important issue, which affects his constituency and mine. It actually affects quite a number of constituencies and our region. In many ways, it speaks, as Deputy Byrne rightly said, to the issue of infrastructure. We are too slow at delivering infrastructure. This is why when we came together to form this Government, the programme for Government was very clear on expanding the mandate of the Department of public expenditure to also include a new division on infrastructure delivery and having, for the first time, a Cabinet committee dedicated exclusively to the issue of infrastructure so we can remove bottlenecks, if Deputy Byrne will pardon the pun, and try to drive forward these projects. The Government is not anti-roads.”
“There is a lot of active engagement going on. I do not want to say anything disrespectful to that process but I am hopeful that the issue can be brought to a speedy resolution. It is important that it is. I accept it is going on too long. I accept women expected the measure to be in place before now. It needs to be brought to a finality and that is the Minister's priority.”
“I want to be very clear, in that I am certainly not, and I hope no one in government is - I have not heard anyone in government doing this, and the Minister for Health certainly is not - blaming pharmacists at all. Pharmacists have an important role to play. In fact, in our programme for Government, we commit to wanting to see an expanded role for pharmacists and a new pharmacy contract. When properly and robustly financially supported, there is huge potential for pharmacists to do more. I know that from calling into them across the country. There is no blame game here at all. What there is is a new Minister in a new Government determined to get this issue over the line. I asked everybody involved, including the pharmacists, to let us all have a little give and take and try to reach a resolution quickly.”
“There is much work we need to do in this area but I hope these are strong signs of our commitment to the area. Delivering free HRT will be the next important step.”
“This has included: a GP clinical lead for women's health, established in 2021 to lead on the improvement of women's health supports in the community; development of a new menopause theory course for GPs and GP trainees via the Irish College of General Practitioners; and development of a quick reference on menopause for GP and practice nurses. The "It's My Time" campaign was launched in partnership with Sport Ireland. It was aimed at encouraging women over 40 to increase physical activity levels, which can also be helpful in managing symptoms of menopause. We saw the launch of the first ever national menopause awareness campaign. A second phase of that campaign is now in place. We have six specialist menopause clinics open for women with complex experiences of menopause requiring specialist care.”
“They want to see this introduced as an absolute priority. I would ask everybody involved in this today - representative bodies, the Department, the HSE - to let us all have a bit of give and take in order to get to a point where the scheme can be activated once and for all in a way that supports our pharmacists, whose great work in communities across Ireland I acknowledge, and, crucially, fulfils the policy objective of making sure these HRT measures are funded and available to the women of Ireland. Progress has been made on women's health over the past number of years. It became clear in the work of the women's health task force that menopause was a neglected aspect of women's health. This led to an increasing focus on providing assistance to those experiencing menopause under the women's health action plan.”
“In fact, we discussed it as recently as yesterday. She has had a number of direct meetings with pharmacists and their representative body to try to get this matter over the line. In addition, the Department and the HSE have engaged extensively with the Irish Pharmacy Union on the practical roll-out of the measure. This measure matters for the reasons the Deputy outlined. When operational, it will cover any HRT medications and products that are reimbursable by the HSE and have been prescribed for the purpose of alleviating the symptoms of menopause. Reimbursement supports for the new HRT measure will be available to participating pharmacies from the date the measure formally commences. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and officials in the Department are actively engaged in the matter.”
“I thank Deputy Collins for raising this important issue. I should say about the comment on mná na hÉireann and the likes, I am very proud of a lot of the work we have done together in this House, often on a cross-party basis, to make progress on women's reproductive health, whether around contraception, repealing the eighth amendment or a number of other important steps. I accept we have much more to do. When I was Minister for Health, we established a new task force on women's health. It has been working through ever since with quite a number of outcomes. The Deputy is quite right that there is understandable frustration - anger, I would say - from many around the country that this measure has yet to be fully implemented. My colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, is working intensively on this issue.”
“For example, the scheme design has always had regard to scientific evidence. Decisions regarding the remediation of affected homes have been made in good faith on the basis of the current scientific evidence as set out in the existing version of the I.S 465 standard, which dates from 2018. As drafted, the replacement standard raises the issue as to whether scheme funding would need to be expanded to allow costs related to replacement foundations. There are a number of policy issues that we will have to address. In the first instance, we need to see the outcome of that consultation. I will certainly set up a briefing for the Deputy with officials on the technicalities.”
“I say sincerely that the fact he and constituents of Donegal have had to get into such a level of technical detail shows the complexity and seriousness of this issue for people in the constituency, and the seriousness with which the Deputy takes it as their representative. I would be happy to set up a technical briefing with officials from the Department of housing. I would also encourage the Deputy, his constituents and all Oireachtas Members from Donegal to fully avail of the consultation that is now open in respect of getting these standards right. The timeline is now clear. The consultation opened on Monday. It is expected that we will be in a position to adopt any revisions in quarter 3 of this year. There would be a number of policy matters to consider if the draft standard was adopted.”
“I accept it is complex but it is also important for the reasons the Deputy has stated that we get this right. It has serious implications for homeowners. We will certainly keep in very close contact with the Deputy on this matter.”
“This is a milestone moment from a decision the Government made back in 2021 and funding provided by the State into the required research for the NSAI to undertake its work on revising the standards. The committees responsible for the research and drafting of the revised standard included officials from the Department. On conclusion of the public consultation period, the NSAI will finalise its review. It is expected to likely publish the revised standard in quarter 3 of this year. To assist in the evaluation of the new research and development underpinning the draft standard, the Minister's expert group has reconvened to provide advice on the implications for the defective concrete block grant scheme administered by the authorities.”
“The grant rates that were set and increased in 2024 are based on expert advice and based at a level to ensure homeowners will get the money they need to put their homes right. In order to ensure that the grant scheme follows the most up-to-date science, changes were made to the scheme late in 2024 to take account of the most recent research and a forthcoming legislative Bill will make amendments to the grant scheme to allow these changes be implemented by the scheme's administrators. Specifically on the testing standard, I will not profess to be an expert on the technicalities and I am certainly happy to revert to the Deputy via the Minister with further information. My understanding is that the public consultation on the NSAI standard has now commenced. I believe it commenced as recently as last Monday, 31 March.”
“We have seen funding increase significantly in 2025, I believe by over 50%, because the scheme is now ramping up. It is designed so that sufficient additional funding will be provided as required. The estimate is that the overall cost of the scheme will be in excess of €2.2 billion. Notwithstanding the challenges that I accept and the legitimate questions the Deputy is asking, over €2.2 billion is a significant commitment by this Oireachtas to those people to try to make progress. Our aim has been to make sure the scheme is designed and delivered in a manner that meets the real needs of homeowners in an efficient and effective way. My understanding is that there are more than 2,000 homeowners at various stages.”
“I thank Deputy Ward for the question and his advocacy on behalf of his constituents in Donegal. I certainly will engage with him, as will the Government, on some of those technical matters. While I am taking the question, it very much relates to the testing standard that is used to evaluate the impact of defective concrete blocks. I realise this is an issue that is having a very significant impact and it is, as the Deputy has acknowledged, a complex issue as well. The Government is allocating a significant amount of public money to affected homeowners. We are doing so to try to help enable them to rebuild their homes and get on with their lives. I cannot imagine the absolute misery, fear, pressure and stress - I am sure those words do not even capture it - that people are living with. I want to acknowledge that.”
“The main impact from a sustained period of tariffs in the first instance seems to be a slowdown in new job growth and employment growth. That is not good either, of course, but working to retain the jobs we have will be the absolute priority. I do not want to give a knee-jerk response to any specific scheme. We have a meeting of the Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF, tomorrow. We will have a meeting of the Government trade forum. We are happy to engage and share insights and work with the Deputy on supports that may be required for the time ahead. The priority today and for the coming days is to mitigate the impact of the tariffs and get it to a better place.”