Results 23,541-23,560 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 6, inclusive, together. Cabinet committee D met on 15 September 2017 and the next meeting of the committee is scheduled for 23 November 2017. The committee’s terms of reference relate to infrastructure and its main focus at present is on housing and the forthcoming ten-year capital plan. Since the meeting on 15September, the Government has...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Cabinet committee D mainly covers infrastructure but it also covers transport, which is a key part of our infrastructure. It is a Cabinet committee. Cabinet committees do not deal and never have dealt with industrial relations disputes. These disputes are dealt with by the Workplace Relations Commission and then by the Labour Court if a resolution cannot be found. It is correct to say...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: It is true. Tullamore was the last one. Having built none since 1997 or 1998, there are now three under construction - the national rehabilitation hospital in Dún Laoghaire, the new national children's hospital with satellite centres in Blanchardstown and Tallaght and the national forensic mental health hospital. Wings of hospitals were built, as were major hospital developments such...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am being honest. There certainly were so, for example-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Examples would be the Nutley wing in St. Vincent's University Hospital or the Whitty Building at the Mater Hospital but there have been no whole new hospitals.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: That is part of Cork University Hospital.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will give the Deputy that one. It is a fine hospital. The point I am making, which is also the truth, is that we now have major new hospitals under construction, which is the big deal, quite frankly. I hope a fourth one will be under construction by this time next year, which would be the new national maternity hospital on the Elm Park St. Vincent's campus. As the Deputy knows,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Yes.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 11, inclusive, together. I met with Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, on 5 October in Government Buildings. We held a very useful discussion on a range of shared challenges and priorities such as education, housing, health care, unemployment, economic management and the budget. Our conversation also touched on Brexit from our respective...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will be as brief as I can. It was a real pleasure to meet and talk with First Minister Sturgeon. We had spoken on the phone previously but it is the first time we met. She is a very impressive person. She is somebody who is very direct and business-like. I was very impressed by her. We are aligned on many issues and I look forward to working closely with the Scottish Government in the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: They also have influence through the-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----Sewel convention and also through the legislation. They are not part of negotiations; that is absolutely correct. However, it is absolutely incorrect to say they have no influence or role because they can have an influence and a role. Deputy Burton asked about a hard Brexit. Our meeting was quite short and rather than focusing on the hard Brexit, we spoke more about how we could...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: It is not inevitable by any means. We plan to avoid it, obviously, by negotiating an exit treaty with the UK and a subsequent new relationship treaty with the UK that does not result in a hard Brexit.

European Council: Statements (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Tá áthas orm seasamh os comhair an Tí le labhairt faoi chruinniú an Chomhairle Eorpaigh na míosa seo, a bhí ar siúl sa Bhruiséal Déardaoin agus Dé hAoine seo caite. Ar an Déardaoin, rinne an Comhairle Eorpach plé ar inimirce, an Eoraip dhigiteach, cúrsaí slándála agus cosanta agus an caidreamh seachtrach. Ag...

European Council: Statements (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know.

European Council: Statements (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I apologise if Deputies do not have it yet.

European Council: Statements (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I rewrote it somewhat this morning and so there may have been a delay. This is reflected in the conclusions we adopted. Without a level playing field internationally if Europe were to act unilaterally, we might end up handing an advantage over other non-EU economies. As Ireland has maintained on numerous previous occasions, the OECD is the best forum for dealing with this. That is why...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: European Council Meetings (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Meetings of the European Council always provide useful opportunities to meet and interact with the Heads of State or Government of the other 27 EU Member States. I attended the October European Council in Brussels last week and, over the course of the two days, had the opportunity to engage with several of my EU counterparts. I was also invited, along with the Dutch Prime Minister, to join...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I visited Derry on the 13th and 14th of October.On Friday 13th, I addressed the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce President's Dinner when I set out the Irish Government’s ongoing commitment to the peace process and North/South Co-operation, particularly in the context of Brexit.I also highlighted the success of cross-border co-operation in the North West and the future potential of the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: European Council Meetings (25 Oct 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Although 'EU reform' was not an agenda item at the recent meeting of the European Council in Brussels, the Future of Europe was discussed over breakfast on Friday 20 October. This issue is part of an ongoing process, and has been discussed at a series of Informal Summits in Bratislava, Valletta, Rome and Tallinn. President Juncker and President Macron have also recently made useful...