Results 23,441-23,460 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar
- Leaders' Questions (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I again thank the Deputy. Among the actions being considered by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charles Flanagan, is the provision of free legal aid for victims of alleged domestic abuse. That is one of the things he is considering and prioritising in his budget. It is not a decision I will make personally, but four of the Ministers who are involved in our struggle against...
- Leaders' Questions (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I have a different approach. I do not think the best way to solve a problem is to set up a Cabinet sub-committee. The best way is to take specific actions.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: The Cabinet met this morning and approved the publication-----
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: The Cabinet met this morning and agreed to the Finance Bill which will be published tomorrow. It was agreed to make a further change to taxation for farmers on consanguinity relief, to remove the age limit for a period of time to encourage and facilitate the intergenerational transfer of land within families from older to younger farmers. That was agreed to this morning and the Bill will be...
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I will ensure the Deputy will receive a reply.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I know that this issue is of real importance to the Deputy and that he has raised it on a number of occasions. Unfortunately, I do not have an update for him since he last raised the issue, but I will ask the Minister for Health to provide an update for both of us. I think everyone in the House agrees that we want to ensure women who are experiencing a crisis pregnancy will receive the best...
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: This is an important issue but it is principally an issue for local authorities, or councils. As I indicated yesterday, I will ask the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, to take it up with county and city chief executives as part of his regular engagement with them to see what can be done to remove potentially dangerous trees.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I have spoken to the Deputy about this before. I think it would be something that would be nice to do. It would be nice to extend child benefit to people who are 18 years of age and still in education. However, when it comes to the social protection budget, we have to prioritise. Obviously, providing another year or two years of child benefit to people who are 18 or 19 years of age would...
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I would have to ask the line Minister to come back to the Deputy on that. There is nothing promised in legislation or the programme for Government.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: These are really matters for the ten-year capital plan, which we hope to have published by the end of the year.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: The Government does not decide which medicines are reimbursed and which ones are not. There is a process in place to do that involving the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics and the HSE. The decisions are based on objective criteria. To date, there have been two applications for reimbursement. It was determined by the medical, clinical and economic experts that this particular medicine...
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: This largely relates to current currency fluctuations. That is why more people are importing cars from the UK rather than purchasing them here in Ireland. We have no specific proposals to deal with it at present. Currency fluctuations between sterling and euro, unfortunately, are beyond the control of Government. If the Deputy or the motor industry have specific proposals in mind, we would...
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I may have to ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Michael Ring, to reply to the Deputy in more detail. I have heard from people around the country that there are delays in administering Leader grants. There has been a meeting at ministerial level with all of the Leader companies about this specific issue and an outcome of that was a decision to streamline the...
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: The Deputy will be pleased to know that the budget and resources for the Revenue Commissioners were increased again in the budget for 2018. The Finance Bill, which was agreed by Cabinet this morning and will be published tomorrow, will involve further actions to close tax loopholes, crack down on tax evasion and implement our commitments to the OECD on tax transparency. On the specific...
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: Post offices are not closed by Government decision. When they close, it is generally because somebody retires, as the Deputy mentioned, and the company is unable to find somebody who wants to take up the role.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: It is not an issue I know about in great detail but I know that Deputy Noel Rock held a very successful public meeting on the matter in Finglas-----
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: -----and I will ask Deputy Rock to keep Deputy Ellis informed of his work-----
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: -----on the matter.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: Quite favourable tax reliefs are in place in these situations. I do not know the detail of the funds that the Deputy is referring to but I suggest that the best way to get a swift, detailed answer would be by means of a parliamentary question to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: The insurance (amendment) Bill is prepared and is on the list for publication in this session. Needless to say, I will not be in a position to answer questions on anything involving an ongoing court case or an investigation.