Results 7,081-7,100 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Microfinance Loan Fund Scheme (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Microenterprise Loan Fund administered by Microfinance Ireland provides loans to businesses that do not meet the conventional risk criteria applied by commercial lenders and have less than ten employees. Data on the number of microenterprises that applied for a loan directly from Microfinance Ireland and through the LEO network in each of the past five years and the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Under the provisions of the Redundancy Payments Act 1967, it is the employer’s responsibility to pay statutory redundancy payments to eligible employees. However, in situations where an employer cannot sustain the cost of redundancy payments due to financial difficulties, the Department of Social Protection provides a safety net for both employers and employees and can make the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications have advised that the electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European Union regulatory regime, wherein electricity and gas markets are commercial, liberalised, and competitive. Operating within this overall EU framework, responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets, including the...

Insurance (Restriction on Differential Pricing and Profiling) Bill 2021: First Stage (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: No.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The cross-border scheme derived from European law, the cross-border directive. Northern Ireland is no longer in the European Union, unfortunately; that was beyond our control. Therefore, the cross-border directive no longer applies. People may still travel to other EU countries under the cross-border directive. The Minister for Health has approval from the Cabinet...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am no more obsessed with Sinn Féin than the Deputy is obsessed with berating the Government at every opportunity rather than being constructive. I will certainly take up the matter she raises with the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly. Medical cards need to be reviewed from time to time to confirm that people are still eligible. Special arrangements were brought in during the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I can confirm that in level 5 social housing construction can continue because it is necessary. It is among the exceptions made for construction. On the question of Sinn Féin's housing policy, one could probably say Sinn Féin is in favour of housing in theory but not in practice. It consistently votes against it when it has the opportunity. This Government and the previous...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Under the protocol for prioritising people for the vaccine, the first group comprises nursing home residents and staff, as the Deputy knows. The second group comprises healthcare workers who have patient-facing roles and who either work with Covid-19 patients or other patients, such as in emergency departments. They are most at risk and they are supposed to be prioritised over healthcare...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and I know he has raised it many times in the past. It is on the priority list of the legislative programme published the other day.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am aware of the concerns about Castlerea fire station and Senator Aisling Dolan has raised the matter as well. I do not personally know the details but I will certainly speak to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and let him know this was raised by the Deputy in the Chamber and ask him to engage with her directly on it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to double-check but my understanding is we plan to establish that commission this year. One of the matters we will ask the commission to consider is the possibility of a referendum enshrining the right to housing in our Constitution.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: A lot of them were already working in other parts of the health service, including in nursing homes, and wanted to move to hospitals. I will get the Deputy a better update on it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is engaging with the banks all the time. Sometimes the engagement is very robust. I can tell the Deputy that for certain, having been present at some of the meetings. In circumstances where people cannot pay a business loan or a mortgage because of the effect of Covid on their income, mortgage breaks and loan breaks will be available. Other solutions such as interest-only...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The higher charge results in a lower interest rate. The second difference is the fact that we in Ireland, for very good reason, make it very hard for a bank to repossess a house and that has an impact on mortgage rates.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Even the European banks that provide mortgages here add on a premium for that reason.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: On the first point, yes, the heads of the Bill have been brought to Cabinet. That will be provided for in legislation that the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, and I will bring through to increase the powers of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC. We are going to include in that Bill giving ComReg the power to levy administrative sanctions. We expect the Bill to be...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I do not want to be in that space for giving advice on what medicines people should take.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: In response to Deputy O'Donnell, the commitment I can give is that community healthcare workers, GPs, dentists and pharmacists will be included in group 2. I will take it up with the task force next week to make sure that happens. I appreciate that there are going to be differences from one part of the country to the other and from one community healthcare organisation, CHO, to another, but...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am surprised at how quickly the Deputy becomes sanctimonious. He is forever using Covid to score political points. He did exactly that in his contribution only half an hour ago and made no mention of the sad deaths of at least 50 people yesterday. Sinn Féin beats the band when it comes to using Covid to score political points, but it will not do the two things it should do to help....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am not. The Minister for Finance has responsibility.