Results 23,521-23,540 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar
- Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I do not know the details of the law in this area, but I can assure the Deputy that whatever procedures have been followed for the past ten or 20 years were followed in these cases as well. What happens is that, when a Minister moves from one Department to another, technically his or her special adviser becomes unemployed as a result of the fact-----
- Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: Legally, almost all of his or her staff become unemployed because the Minister has been moved to another Department. It is the normal process that those people are not just told to be unemployed. They are treated as people should be treated and moved into the next Department with the Minister. Arrangements are made within a few weeks to normalise that.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: The short answer is "Yes", but I will give the Deputy the figures, which I have here.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I will give the Deputy the figures for the total mental health funding over the past number of years: 2012, some €711 million; 2013, some €737 million; 2014, some €766 million; 2015, some €791.8 million; 2016, some €826.6 million; and 2017, some €853.1 million. For next year, it goes up to €912 million. Those are the facts. In the past six...
- Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: These are very important matters, and probably matters that would be better answered by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport than me. I am very encouraged by the fact that we are seeing a significant increase in the number of people using public transport this year and last year, and a lot of that is down to the improvements in the economy and the fact that there are more people...
- Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: It is good to see those improvements happening but, on a more serious point, I certainly would share the Deputy's concerns that any industrial dispute or any strike in Irish Rail would impact very seriously on taxpayers, passengers, and working people. Strikes, unfortunately, in the transport sector happen too often. They are always resolved in the normal way with the engagement of the...
- Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I am advised that the heads of this Bill will be published in this session.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I cannot give Deputy Harty any such commitment, but I am meeting the Minister, Deputy Harris, tomorrow, so I will certainly raise it with him and ask him to respond to the Deputy directly.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: We do not have a timeline for that legislation at present, but I will come back to the Deputy in writing as soon as I can.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: Again, I think that this question would be better answered by the Minister for Health because I may not have the most up-to-date information. I understand that a mobile cath lab is now in place in Waterford. I will be interested to see in the coming months the impact that that has on wait times for patients. If it has reduced wait times for patients, I think that strengthens the case for...
- Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: It is a matter that would best be answered by way of reply to a parliamentary question to the Department of Health rather than by me as I do not have the up-to-date information.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: The Deputy makes a valid point on orphan drugs and ultra-rare diseases and I recognise his expertise in this matter. No matter what we do with orphan drugs or ultra-rare diseases, we need some mechanism to establish whether the medicine is effective and what represents a fair price as we need to ensure that patients receive drugs which are effective and which taxpayers can afford.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I do not know specifically what the position is in relation to that report. Perhaps a written question to the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government would receive a detailed response for the Deputy. As to voids being returned to use, funding is available next year to bring 7,900 social houses into use. That includes funding for 600 voids to be returned to habitable condition.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: Not really, but I am happy to answer briefly. President Macron and I are very much aligned on this issue. We both support Mercosur because free trade is, on balance, a good thing for the Irish economy, creating jobs and revenue. This deal will potentially be eight times bigger than the deal with Canada and, as such, it is something we should be positive about. We have a particular...
- Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I will ask the Minister for Health to respond to the Deputy in detail.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: National Risk Assessment (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. The 2017 national risk assessment was published on 29 August. This is the fourth national risk assessment produced by the Government. It aims to provide an overview of strategic risks facing the country. It is focused on the identification of risk and is not intended to replicate or displace the detailed risk management strategies...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: National Risk Assessment (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: On Storm Ophelia, I am advised this morning by ESB Networks that all homes and businesses have now been reconnected to the electricity network. I join with others in acknowledging the phenomenal work of the staff of ESB Networks, the assistance we received ScottishPower and others in Britain and from Électricité de France, EDF, and Réseau de Transport d'Électricité,...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: National Risk Assessment (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I am out of time.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: National Risk Assessment (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I think there was a request for a meeting.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: National Risk Assessment (25 Oct 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I suggest that the relevant people's offices speak to each other and try to organise it.