Results 22,301-22,320 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (1 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 7 April 2017, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Reports (1 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Pathways to Work report and the report on An Analysis of the Community Employment Programme are readily available on my Department’s website - www.welfare.ie The Pathways to Work Quarter 4 2016 report is available here: The Pathways to Work Quarter 1 2017 report should also be available on the website shortly. The report on An Analysis of the Community Employment Programme,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobs Initiative (1 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The students’ summer jobs scheme was first introduced in 1993 to provide income support for less well-off students who were disqualified under social welfare legislation from receiving unemployment assistance during the summer months. The scheme allowed students to take up part-time work useful to their community and to receive payment for this work. The scheme required considerable...

Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (14 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Go raibh míle maith agat a Cheann Comhairle. Is mór an onóir dom a bheith anseo inniu mar Thaoiseach tofa i nDáil Éireann. Táim fíorchorraithe agus thar a bheith buíoch as ucht an tacaíocht atá faighte agam ón Dáil. Is am speisialta é seo, ní hamháin domsa, ach do mo chlann, mo chairde agus mo lucht tacaíochta...

Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (14 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: On a personal note, I would like to add that were it not for Deputy Enda Kenny, I have no doubt that I would not be standing here today. As a result of his stewardship, I was able to regain the seat for our party, first on the council and then in the Dáil. In fact, I took my seat in the Dáil for the first time ten years ago to the day, as did many other people. Congratulations,...

Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (14 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Enda Kenny also gave me the opportunity to serve on the Front Bench and then to serve as a Minister, along with an opportunity to demonstrate my ability and potential. Without opportunity, there is no hope and there can be no progress. This is a theme to which I will return later. Deputy Enda Kenny's leadership also enabled me to become an equal citizen in my own country only two...

Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (14 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I have been elected to lead, but I promise to serve. I thank Deputy Micheál Martin, the leader of the Fianna Fáil Party, for his words of advice. I thank all of the speakers who have set out the challenges facing this country and this new Administration. Leadership should never be just about one person. Leadership is not just about setting a course for the future, it is also...

Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (14 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Therefore, the equal right to speak must also apply to Ministers and backbenchers of this party and also Members of the main Opposition party. As stated earlier, I took my seat in the Dáil exactly ten years ago today. So much has changed in the intervening decade. I have grown, evolved and changed in that time as well, but I am still motivated by the same ideals which drove me to...

Appointment of Taoiseach and Nomination of Members of Government (14 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: B'áil liom cead a chur in iúl, mar eolas don Dáil, gur chuir mé m'ainmniú mar Thaoiseach in iúl don Uachtarán agus gur cheap sé mé dá réir. I beg leave to announce, for the information of the Dáil, that I have informed the President that the Dáil has nominated me to be the Taoiseach and that he has appointed me accordingly....

Appointment of Taoiseach and Nomination of Members of Government (14 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am adding some of the facts the Deputy has not acknowledged, such as child poverty decreasing in 2015.

Appointment of Taoiseach and Nomination of Members of Government (14 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: It increased when Deputy Shortall was in government.

Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: First, I refute absolutely any suggestion that I instructed the President to do anything of the sort. I understand there was a story in one of the newspapers this morning that is not true and is without foundation. The arrangements made for the appointment of Ms Justice Whelan were made by officials in accordance with the long-standing procedures to confirm three judges, one being Ms...

Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: First, I had understood up until now that Deputy Martin's difficulty was with the process, not the qualifications of the candidate.

Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: It is not a good thing for this House that it is now discussing whether an individual who is now a judge is competent to hold that office. I would argue that she is equally competent to somebody like John Murray, who was appointed directly from being Attorney General to the European Court of Justice-----

Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Like other line Cabinet Ministers, I saw the memo on the morning of the Cabinet meeting but I was aware the evening before that it might be a possibility, given that there was a vacancy in the Court of Appeal. I did not have any role in putting the memo before the Government.

Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The evening before.

Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I think we may need to amend Standing Orders to allow for an additional part to Leaders' Questions where the Deputy and the leader of Fianna Fáil can question each other. To answer the questions the Deputy put to me, the mandate I have comes first from the people in Dublin West, the people who voted for me and allowed me to be a Member of this House, then from my party and then from...

Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Let me be very frank about the controversy around the appointment of Máire Whelan to the Court of Appeal. This is definitely not the issue I would like to have dominated my first week as Taoiseach. I do not want there to be any further controversy while I am Taoiseach about any judicial appointments in future, so things will change.

Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: First, we will prioritise the judicial appointments Bill. That Bill will be brought into the Dáil next week.

Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2017)

Leo Varadkar: If the Dáil and Seanad have to sit into July and into the recess-----