Simon Harris TD

Simon Harris TD was appointed Minister for Health on 6 May 2016.  He previously served as Minister of State at the Departments of Finance PER and Taoiseach with Special Responsibility for the OPW, Public Procurement, and International Banking (incl IFSC) and was elected to Dáil Éireann in the last General Election. 

Simon’s involvement in politics began after he established an Autism support and lobby group in County Wicklow to seek to give a voice to people living with Autism and their families and to articulate their concerns and needs. He works tirelessly as a disability advocate and through his work in the disability area he has first-hand meaningful understanding of issues affecting people with disabilities.

In the Dáil, Simon has served in the following roles:

•     Public Accounts Committee Member

•     Member of the Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform

•      Convenor of the Cross-Party Group on Mental Health

•      Co-Chair of the Fine Gael Working Group on Autism

•      Secretary of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party

 He has previously served the community as:

•       Member of Wicklow County Council

•       Member of Greystones Town Council

•       Chairperson of the County Wicklow Policing Committee

•       Chairperson of the Dublin-Mid Leinster Regional Health Forum

•        Board Member of Wicklow Tourism

•        Member of Wicklow Vocational Educational Committee

The Sunday Business Post has described Simon as “epitomising the fresh flush of youth that has been infused into the Irish political system” and Irish Tatler Magazine named him as one of Ireland’s “12 up and coming power players” and as a part of “ a generation of politicians that has the potential to change the future of Ireland.”

Passionate about Wicklow and Ireland, Simon brings to the Dáil and to his constituents; energy, youth, new ideas and a voice in Government for County Wicklow.

Simon’s work as a disability advocate extended to him being appointed to a Committee of the National Disability Authority to assist with the organising of the European Year for People with Disabilities.