Latest news with #Tánaiste
RTÉ News
11 hours ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
29th North South Ministerial Council meeting to take place in Co Armagh
The Taoiseach, Tánaiste and other Cabinet members are due to attend a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in Co Armagh. They will meet Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers and other members of the Stormont Executive for discussions on a wide range of issues. It will be the 29th plenary meeting of the body established by the Good Friday Agreement. Business and trade, including the potential impact of US tariffs and increasing uncertainty across international markets, is expected to top the agenda. There will also be discussions on infrastructure and investment, including the upgrade to the A5 road, the Narrow Water Bridge project to link counties Down and Louth, and the ongoing saga of Casement Park in west Belfast. Mother and Baby homes, Magdalene laundries and cross border efforts to end violence against women and girls will also feature.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Efforts intensify to help Irish citizens flee ‘increasingly dangerous' Israel and Iran
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Harris, said there is particular concern around the safety of Irish citizens, especially diplomats in Iran. He was speaking after holding talks this evening with the Foreign Affairs Ministers of Saudi Arabia and Jordan. 'In Iran we have around 29 Irish citizens that we're aware of, and around twelve dependants. And if they do wish to leave, we are working with other countries where safe to do so in terms of putting routes in place," he said. 'In relation to Israel, there are more Irish citizens in Israel, in and around 200, and we're working with other European countries in terms of the potential of getting to Egypt or Jordan and be able to take flights from there. "Ireland is working with other partners about potential routes out," he said. In his talks with Jordanian and Saudi Arabian counterparts, the Tánaiste pointed to the fact that Iran will attend talks in Geneva tomorrow, which is seen as crucial for any breakthrough to take place. Ireland will be represented at the meeting by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. The UK will also be in attendance. The Tánaiste said: 'It is not possible to overstate the serious moment of danger, not just in Iran and in Israel, but indeed in the broader region, and indeed in relation to global security. 'We need Iran and Israel to step back from the brink." He said: 'I welcome the fact that tomorrow Iran will attend talks in Geneva with the European Union and what they call the E3 – Germany, France and the UK. 'I think that is a really important moment to try and get to a position where we can get Iran back to the negotiating table in relation to its nuclear programme.' Simon Harris added: 'I spoke to the Jordanian and Saudi Arabian ministers today as well and it is very clear that there is a real risk of overspill into other parts of the region. "Of course, all of this is happening against the backdrop where the horrific humanitarian catastrophe, the genocide is still continuing in Gaza.' So, this is an extraordinarily dangerous situation, and the ongoing challenge in Gaza is still obviously persisting, and the world can't forget Gaza either.'
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Simon Harris promises 'definite plan' for Laura Brennan HPV catch-up scheme with weeks
The Laura Brennan catch-up vaccination programme will go ahead regardless of "anybody in the civil service who thinks they know better", the Tánaiste has said. Simon Haris has promised to provide a "definitive plan" on the roll-out of the HPV catch-up programme within the next three weeks, after the issue was raised in the Dáil. Mr Harris has also implored all TDs to push back against what he described as vaccine "misinformation" and called on them to publicly pledge their support for the HPV programme. Campaigners have raised concerns around a backslide in uptake of the vaccine, which can prevent a number of cancers, including cervical and throat cancer, and are urging the coalition to restart what was previously a highly successful catch-up programme. Vaccination rates have been dropping since 2019, and about 16,000 young people now do not get it each year. Under questioning from Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman, Mr Harris said a Government commitment to extend the Laura Brennan HPV catch-up vaccination programme to anyone under 25 who missed the original vaccination would be implemented. We put it in the programme for government and it is going ahead. If there's anybody in some part of the civil service who thinks they know better, can I assure them that we intend to deliver on the programme for government commitment, I passionately believe in this. "I give that commitment, I think within three weeks, let's come back with a definitive plan in relation to that." Mr Harris added: "While I'm on my feet, can I also suggest that as this relatively new Dáil commences, that every member of this house would publicly commit to supporting the vaccination programme. There's no room for pseudoscience. "I want to know if every single elected representative in every single political party is committed to supporting the HPV vaccine for young boys and young girls, a vaccine that can help eradicate effectively a form of cancer in this country. "What an incredible thing to say we have within our grasp, over a number of years, an ability to effectively eradicate a cancer, a cancer that disproportionately affects young people, most particularly young women, but not just women. We have an opportunity here, through vaccination and other means, to effectively eradicate it." Mr O'Gorman said he had raised the issue with the Taoiseach last month and had made numerous queries with the Department of Health, but had not got clarity on it the timing of a catch-up rollout. "There does come a stage when you feel that somebody is deliberately not answering the question because they know that the answer isn't going to be popular. The Irish Cancer Society has also raised the status of the catch-up scheme with officials. It was suggested to them that a broad catch-up campaign could undermine the initial take-up of the vaccine by school children, and that there were some international studies to back this point up," Mr O'Gorman said. However, he welcomed the clarification from the Tánaiste. "We know the risks from the HPV virus, the risks that can materialise years, even decades, after the initial infection, cervical cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, penile cancer, vaginal cancer, life threatening, life-altering illnesses." Read More Government urged to restart Laura Brennan HPV vaccine programme following backslide in uptake
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Next day or two crucial in how situation between Iran and Israel develops, says Tánaiste
We could not be in a more dangerous situation, the Tánaiste has said as he warned that the next 24 to 48 hours will be crucial in how the current situation between Iran and Israel plays out. Simon Harris said there are a number of risks at the moment, including a spill-over beyond the two countries, and the message must be about "stepping back from the brink". The position of Ireland and the EU on the matter is that there needs to be an immediate de-escalation and a return to the talks programme. "Nobody wants to see Iran with nuclear capabilities, everybody is aware of the dangers that Iran poses," said Mr Harris. If the Iranians are not willing to engage directly with the US, then it is important that they, at a minimum, engage with the EU, the foreign affairs minister told RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne. "It is almost impossible to overstate the potential danger of this, if there ends up being involvement of other countries, or indeed spill-over into other countries," he said. Ireland, in one sense, is far away from it all, but there are a number of Irish citizens in both countries and there are a significant number of Irish troops in Lebanon, Mr Harris noted. Currently, there are 29 citizens in Iran most of whom are long-term residents and hold dual citizenships while there are around 200 people registered as living in Israel. A small number of these have expressed their desire to leave if the opportunity arises and the Irish embassies have been in contact with them. Mr Harris said Ireland is working with other EU member states and examining the options available to help people to leave in a safe manner. With airspace closed in Iran, the only option is to go over a land border which is "not without risk", Mr Harris explained. "From an Israeli point of view, it means going to maybe Jordan or Egypt where obviously flights can go from. So there are a number of options available to us and we are working very closely with a number of member states," he said. Mr Harris added that they are also looking at how best to support Irish diplomats to effectively operate and in terms of safety and security issues. The Fine Gael leader will attend a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers this Sunday and Monday where he expects discussions will be dominated by the rapidly deteriorating situation in Iran and Israel.
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Paul Murphy returns to Dublin following detention in Egypt
Paul Murphy has encouraged the Irish people to keep campaigning for an end to the "genocide" in Gaza after arriving back from Egypt. The People Before Profit TD was greeted by his wife and young child in Dublin Airport after being released from detention in Cairo. He had his passport and phone taken by officials after attempting to march to the Rafah border with thousands of other protesters from across the world. Speaking in Dublin on Tuesday, Mr Murphy demanded that Tánaiste Simon Harris, who made contact with him on Sunday morning as efforts continued to assist Irish campaigners who were detained, to "match his strong words of criticism of Israel with action" including the full implementation of the Occupied Territories Bill and a ban on the facilitation of Israeli war bonds. Mr Murphy said he would be willing to go back again but conceded that a march to the Rafah border will not be possible at this stage and instead campaigners will now focus their attention on an EU meeting in Brussels next week, which will also be attended by the Israeli foreign minister. "We've had tremendous support from the Egyptian people. It's clear that the Egyptian people are very, very supportive of Palestine. Obviously, we're disappointed with the stance that the Egyptian state took. "I'm fine, all the Irish people are fine, there are still some people, non-Irish people, who are detained out there, so we're hopeful that they're released as soon as possible. We have to be kind of mindful with the fact that they're potentially still in detention, and there's other Irish people who want to come home, in terms of the comments we make about Egypt," Mr Murphy said. "But in any case, our focus isn't on ourselves and any inconveniences that we suffered pale into insignificance." He added that it was not about him and that 4,000 people had travelled to Egypt in an attempt to reach the border and highlight the death and starvation being inflicted on the people of Gaza. "This is probably the biggest global coordinated march for Palestine that we have seen. And even though we didn't reach Rafah, we did succeed in highlighting what's happening. Just yesterday, 38 people were killed while queuing for aid, that's a pattern now." Defending his decision to travel, Mr Murphy said: "I left on Thursday, I was in the Dáil on Thursday morning. I'm back today, back for the Dáil today. I think my constituents and most people in this country want politicians to do everything they can to stop this genocide."
