Results 23,701-23,720 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: EU Meetings (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will start with the first question, which related to Catalonia. We are all concerned about the political crisis in Estonia.

Ceisteanna - Questions: EU Meetings (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: And in Spain. At the dinner on the first night, Prime Minister Rajoy was invited to update us on Catalonia but declined to do so. However, I took the opportunity to speak to the Spanish informally on the margins of the meeting. I emphasised our full support for the territorial integrity of Spain and respect for its constitution. I acknowledged, as Deputy Martin has, that it does not...

Ceisteanna - Questions: EU Meetings (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The resolution of the current crisis needs to be within the constitutional framework and Spain's democratic institutions. It is for all Catalans and Spaniards to shape their own constitutional and political arrangements through their democratic institutions and laws. As we are all aware, measures have now been taken to limit regional autonomy. I hope that after the elections regional...

Ceisteanna - Questions: EU Meetings (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: That is my prediction at this stage. This will, of course, all depend on what happens over the next number of weeks and what specific assurances and written guarantees we can get from the United Kingdom.

Ceisteanna - Questions: EU Meetings (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As I stated earlier to Deputies Howlin and Burton, I cannot predict the future and I do not know what will happen in the next couple of weeks or months. It is my sense that we are moving in the right direction and I am more optimistic than I was in the weeks before the October summit. However, that may change. I have been asked to give clarity but I cannot as it is not clear. It should be...

Ceisteanna - Questions: EU Meetings (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: It was not in the interest of Ireland, and certainly not in the interest of citizens in Northern Ireland. The term "special status" is very much rejected by unionists in Northern Ireland, and it is going to be very hard to achieve anything for Northern Ireland in these talks if the democratically elected representatives in that country do not want it and do not ask for it. The use of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: EU Meetings (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: We can talk about special arrangements for Ireland and Northern Ireland, but once we mention "special status" the conversation is shut down. The difference is the language. What is the difference between a deputy First Minister having a small "d" and a capital "D"? That is the kind of thing that Sinn Féin demands in Northern Ireland-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: EU Meetings (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----because that defines the co-equal. The language is very important.

Ceisteanna - Questions: EU Meetings (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In terms of Digital Europe many things were discussed. The main digital issues are completing the digital single market, moving public services online, which is a very important issue across Europe, and upskilling citizens so that people can avail of the digital revolution which is underway. Digital tax was discussed. There is a specific reference to the Council's conclusions on the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Communications (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 16 together. I had phone calls with the UK Prime Minister Theresa May on October 16 and on November 1. In our conversation on October 16, we discussed the latest developments in Northern Ireland at that time and urged a rapid resumption of talks, with a view to restoration of the Northern Ireland institutions urgently in the interests of the people of...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (8 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My meeting with President Macron in Paris covered bilateral relations, the Brexit negotiations, and the future of Europe. We noted the extensive trading relationship between us and agreed that this provides a solid platform on which to build into the future, especially as Ireland looks to grow and diversify markets in the context of Brexit. We also discussed our co-operation in other areas,...

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The first thing that should be recognised is that we as a Government are committed absolutely to establishing the facts around these matters and this very sorry affair. That is why we established a commission of investigation in the first place and a tribunal thereafter. I assure the Deputy that those of us here on the Government benches want to know, as much as anyone in the House, the...

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister for Justice and Equality informs me that he has written to the Ceann Comhairle this morning in relation to Deputy Kelly's questions and the Department will co-operate in full with any request for information received from the tribunal. I cannot tell the Deputy here today whether it has provided all the information asked for by the tribunal but it certainly will do so. It is...

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy is very welcome back. I understand she was on a fundraising trip to the United States last week. I hope that went very well. In terms of the two reports the Deputy mentioned, the daft.iereport and the ERSI report both add to our understanding of this issue and they are both worth a read and worthy of consideration. I had the opportunity on the way in this morning to listen to...

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The process of Garda reform is much very under way. We have an acting Garda Commissioner who I met last week. He is not retiring and will be in place until we are in a position to recruit a new Garda Commissioner, which we intend to do as soon as possible. Discussions are under way with the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland and the Policing Authority to make that happen...

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. He will appreciate that I am not au faitwith the inner workings of the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland. I will certainly raise the matters the Deputy has raised with the Minister for Finance because it is essential that any public body should operate solely within the legislation passed by this House to provide for it. The Strategic Banking Corporation of...

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In terms of the breakdown, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, SBCI, has committed €881 million to its on-lending partners. The vast bulk of that, €400 million has gone through AIB, followed by Bank of Ireland, €200 million; Ulster Bank, €75 million; Finance Ireland, €51 million; First Citizen, €40 million; Bibby Financial Services,...

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy will know that the various pension anomalies actually relate to four different sets of rules, some of which were changed in 2012 and some of which actually date back to 1961. The averaging rule dates back to 1961. The Minister for Finance's use of the word "bonkers" was in reference to the marriage bar, which ended in 1973 and which certainly was bonkers. That is a different...

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The situation will be rectified-----

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----by 2020 when we will introduce the new total contributions approach. Under that approach, it will not matter when a person made his or her contributions. Gaps will not matter. What will matter will be the number of contributions made over the period of someone's working life, namely, in the 50 years between the ages of 16 and 66. There will be generous provision to disregard periods...