Results 22,821-22,840 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Order of Business (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: No, the committee is tomorrow. It is coming in here on Thursday.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, and 87 together. My Department has responsibility for the National Economic and Social Council, or NESC, the statutory basis for which is as a body under the framework of the National Economic and Social Development Office Act 2006. As that framework is no longer necessary, the Government has agreed that it should be dissolved with NESC...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am sure the Deputy is aware of the purpose of the Rugby World Cup 2023 Bill. It will allow the State to provide a certain guarantee and to underwrite the finances of the Rugby World Cup bid. I can guarantee the House that if there was simple legislation that we could rush through the Dáil to eliminate waiting lists or homelessness we would do it. However, those are not problems that...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----is much slower than it would have been in the past. The Domestic Violence Bill is being piloted by the Minister for Justice and Equality and it is priority legislation for the next session. We have already passed some legislation relating to domestic violence. A particularly important provision relates to temporary orders which ensure that it is the abuser who is ordered to leave...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: With regard to NESC, its role is to analyse and report to me, as Taoiseach, on strategic issues relating to the efficient development of the economy, the achievement of social justice and the development of a strategic framework for the conduct of relations and the negotiation of agreements between the Government and the social partners. The 2006 Act provides for social partnership but that...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together. The Cabinet committee on justice reform was established to provide political oversight of the delivery of commitments in the programme for a partnership Government to reform the policing, justice and legal systems and related issues. The Cabinet committee last met on 7 March 2017. The main focus of the Cabinet committee was the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Regarding Cabinet sub-committees, I am trying a new way of working. The previous system of Cabinet sub-committees sometimes worked well and sometimes did not work well. There were ten or 12 such sub-committees if I remember correctly, and when one included Ministers, Ministers of State and senior officials, between 30 and 40 people attended meetings on occasion. As I was not sure that...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The format in which people meet will depend on the issue. It will not be the case that everyone will be required to attend every sub-committee meeting. Some people will be required and others will be invited depending on the issues that are being dealt with. I am doing many more things bilaterally. I had a very long bilateral meeting with the Minister for Justice and Equality and his...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I also want to state clearly that I am a big supporter of the Garda. Ireland is a very peaceful country with a very low level of crime, and part of the reason for that is that we have an unarmed, trusted and respected police force. These are not only words. Look at the actions the Government has taken. We restarted recruitment, which Fianna Fáil stopped when in government.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: There are now 13,500 members of the Garda and the number will increase to 15,000 as part of the current programme. We will also increase the size of the Garda Reserve and double the number of civilians in the force. That is what we are doing to improve the Garda. We also have a €300 million plan for investment in information technology, buildings and vehicles in the Garda. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----public moneys should be used only for the purposes for which they are intended and prosecutions should be taken to the highest standard. It is because I support the Garda so much that I want the highest standards from the force and that is something I will communicate strongly to the Garda Commissioner and Minister for Justice and Equality in my interactions with them.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Political engagement with our European Union and international partners is important, especially as negotiations on Brexit proceed. I am, therefore, likely to have a number of overseas meetings during the second half of 2017. These will include two meetings of the European Council in Brussels scheduled for 19 and 20 October and 14 and 15 December. A number of other high-level informal EU...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Two in Brussels and one in Estonia.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Yes.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I wonder where he is.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The meetings that I outlined - in Tallinn, in Brussels, in Jersey and in Washington - are those that are confirmed. There are, of course, others that are in planning but are not confirmed yet. I have had bilaterals already with Prime Minister May, Prime Minister Ratas, Prime Minister Muscat and Chancellor Merkel. I have met President Macron. As Deputy Micheál Martin will know from...

Topical Issue Matters (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, is taking them.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: State Visits (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I was delighted to welcome Prime Minister Trudeau and his family to Ireland last week. The Prime Minister was especially welcome as my first international visitor and given the close and historical ties between our two countries. Our meeting was an opportunity to discuss our shared and common outlook on issues such as free trade, multilateralism and climate action. We discussed the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Living Wage Expenditure (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The additional annual salary cost of implementing a living wage of €11.70 for employees directly employed by my Department or in bodies under its aegis is approximately €18,600.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (11 Jul 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The tables below detail expenditure by my Department on photography, advertising, communications advice/public relations and website development for the years 2013 to 2017 inclusive. There was no expenditure on interview training and preparation in those years. Expenditure for communications advice/public relations was only incurred by the Department in 2013. Relevant expenditure in the...