Results 23,661-23,680 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Leaders' Questions (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: We know the social consequences that derive from that.

Leaders' Questions (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: We know how Sinn Féin votes in the councils on which it has councillors across Dublin.

Leaders' Questions (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: It is to keep the property tax down, cut the budget for homelessness, cut the budget for housing and support only segregated communities, with people living in social housing in one district and people living in private housing in the other.

Leaders' Questions (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The reason Sinn Féin wants that is because it wants segregation. It wants to divide people so it can brew up discontent and disadvantage.

Leaders' Questions (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid the Deputy is misinformed. I was asked two separate questions. One was on sexual harassment, and I gave a very clear answer to that. It was an unequivocal condemnation of sexual harassment and sexual assault of any sort in any place, not least workplaces. I was asked a separate question about macho behaviour in the House, to which I gave a separate answer. I will assume the...

Leaders' Questions (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will not discuss specific individual allegations in this House. It is very important that all allegations are taken seriously and fully investigated but it is also important that we remember that allegations are allegations and no matter what form of crime or violence is being alleged people do have a right to due process and to have their good name protected. I would encourage the Deputy...

Leaders' Questions (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----regardless of the issue. In terms of the Government's actions to date, I draw the Deputy's attention to the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017. It is legislation introduced by the Government that was enacted on 22 February this year. It enhances and updates laws to combat sexual exploitation and the sexual abuse of children, including new offences related to child sexual grooming...

Leaders' Questions (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I have never been a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance. I do not know if the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, was present at the EGM but I do not believe he was. With regard to the Paradise Papers, there are 13 million documents and I do not think anyone has had a chance to read all 13 million yet so I imagine the story is still very much evolving. Tax avoidance is very much...

Leaders' Questions (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy is quite correct that there is a difference between tax evasion and tax avoidance. Tax evasion is a crime and tax avoidance has a wide spectrum ranging from tax incentives set up by the Government, which we encourage people and businesses to avail of, to the other extreme which is people using aggressive tax planning to exploit loopholes in the law - loopholes which the Government...

Leaders' Questions (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: To the best of my knowledge, "No". I do not know, but I do not think so.

Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: October certainly was a bad month in terms of overcrowding in our hospitals. It is important to examine the statistics produced by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation to see the extraordinary variance that arises among hospitals. Deputy Martin mentioned a number in which the figures were very bad, including the hospitals in Limerick and Kilkenny. These hospitals have new emergency...

Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I do not believe any legislation is promised on that matter, but I will ask the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Murphy, to correspond with the Deputy directly.

Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The legislation is done, as the Deputy acknowledges, and it is something I strongly support. It will be beneficial to have a system by which deposits are held by a third party and not by the landlord for many reasons that people in the House will understand. I understand there have been some difficulties in getting the system set up. However, I do not have up-to-date information on it. I...

Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: No legislation is proposed.

Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: That provision, which is being brought forward as an amendment to the Road Traffic Act, was approved by the Cabinet yesterday. I draw the Deputy's attention to the fact that 13 people with learner permits, mainly young men and women, have died on our roads so far this year and of these, 11 were driving unaccompanied. Perhaps if they had complied with the law and had been accompanied, they...

Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The scheduling of the business of the House is a matter for the Business Committee. On the road traffic law consolidation legislation, this is, it is fair to say, a longstanding project in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. I am not sure how much progress has been made on the legislation as yet.

Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: A consolidated Bill would be a very good step forward. We have consolidated corporate law and taxation legislation. Road traffic law is heavily litigated and the fact that there are so many Acts amending and overlapping other Acts makes it even easier for solicitors to get their clients off when they should not get off. I will discuss the matter with the Minister as I would like to see it...

Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: There will be no Government mission to North Korea. Having said that, Members of the House are free to travel anywhere they like in their own capacity and at their own expense.

Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy's question would be best addressed to the Minister for Education and Skills. I will, however, share one thought with him. The number of teachers being hired is increasing every year. We hired 2,000 extra teachers this year and 2,000 last year. We are not having a significant difficulty hiring teachers. However, it may be that because we are hiring teachers and so many of them...

Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I understand the decision was made by the Citizens Information Board and is not one for the Minister or House. I reassure the Deputy, however, that there are no plans to close any of the local Citizens Information Board centres or MABS offices. What is happening is the regionalisation of the board structures for reasons of good corporate governance. However, the local MABS offices and...