Results 23,721-23,740 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: A memo on the social welfare Bill was approved by Cabinet. It has to do with the budget changes.

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Government will produce its own legislation in respect of this matter. It will be better legislation. The relevant Bill will be published in the next two to three weeks. In such circumstances, I encourage the Deputy to wait to see the Government's legislation and judge it after she has seen and read it. I know she will want to do that and will not want to reject it before she has seen...

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill is very close to my heart. The Deputy and I are architects of it and I am very keen for it to pass through the Oireachtas as quickly as possible. It has completed Committee Stage in the Seanad. The Government anticipated it would complete all Stages in the Seanad and, hopefully, be introduced into the Dáil before the recess but, if that is not to be...

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I think it has been established but I may be incorrect. I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, to answer the question by correspondence.

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: There is no legislation promised on the matter-----

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----but funding for respite care will feature in the HSE service plan.

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The new scheme will be legislated for in 2018.

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: An tAire Dlí agus Cirt.

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know. There is no legislation promised on the matter and it is not a specific programme for Government commitment but I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, to respond to the Deputy.

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: No report of that nature came to Cabinet today. As I indicated earlier, we have a solution, which is a new approach to calculating the State pension contributory, namely, the total contributions approach. It will come into effect in 2020. It will need to be legislated for. However, in the meantime, the Minister and her officials and officials of the Department of Public Expenditure and...

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: An tAire Tithíochta, Pleanála agus Rialtais Áitiúil.

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The figure the Deputy mentioned is 2.5% of GDP. That is €5 billion. That is a lot of money, and the country has many demands and other priorities at present, not least housing and some of the other issues others have raised.

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I cannot give the Deputy a timeline for this. What I can say is that we have moved from 30th place in the world in science and innovation up to tenth place, so we have made a lot of progress.

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Being able to set aside €5 billion for research and development, particularly in light of the enormous demands that we face in housing, health care and other areas, is going to take some time.

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy is correct that unemployment is down and employment is up in every county and region. However, progress in this regard is uneven and Sligo has not performed as well as other counties. It will be a priority of Government in the months and years ahead to ensure that those parts of the country where the recovery has been slow will experience an acceleration in their recovery. A big...

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I queried that but have not received a reply. I will follow up on it now that the Deputy has reminded me.

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: That is not a bad suggestion. The legislation will be before the House shortly. The Deputy will have the opportunity to speak on it and, perhaps, table an amendment to that effect should he so wish. We should not, however, forget that 13 young people with learner permits, 11 of whom were unaccompanied, have died on our roads while driving this year. That puts the matter into perspective....

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The new scheme requires primary legislation and it is anticipated that the primary legislation will be put before the House next year.

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Not to my knowledge. Perhaps a parliamentary question to the Minister for Finance would be more appropriate.

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: That is not promised legislation but I am sure the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade would be happy to answer in the form of a parliamentary question.