Results 23,821-23,840 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: Regarding the matter of 24-7 PCI in the south east, it is the settled policy of Government to decide the location of national specialist services on the basis of the best scientific advice. It is not a closed question. It depends on the best scientific advice. If that were to change, a different decision could be made. I ask the House to bear in mind that medical science changes also.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: Services exist now which did not exist ten years ago. Services that exist now may not exist in ten years time. Science changes as do population, demographics and lots of other things. One can never close the door on a decision like this. The second mobile cath lab is there on a temporary basis and the decision is that an analysis will be carried out towards the end of the contract on what...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: A decision will be made at that point as to whether it should continue. I acknowledge the enormous distress hospital overcrowding causes to patients who are required to wait for long periods on hospital trolleys for admission to a regular ward. I acknowledge also the distress it causes for staff. Having worked in three emergency departments, I know a little about that. I also have had...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Brexit Staff (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Taoiseach has an amalgamated international, EU and Northern Ireland division headed by a second Secretary General, who also acts as the Irish sherpa for EU business, including Brexit issues. Staff resources vary from time to time but currently amount to approximately 25 full-time equivalent posts across the full range of policy areas. The work of the division...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Brexit Staff (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I will start by replying to Deputy Micheál Martin. I am not sure where the figure of 11 comes from. He may be double counting or counting two different units together. As I have often said, staffing within the Department is entirely a matter for the Secretary General. It would be inappropriate for me to get involved in it and I do not do so.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Brexit Staff (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I often see articles in the newspaper about me requesting staff, etc. That is never the case. Staffing-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Brexit Staff (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: Staffing in the Department, as is the case with every Department, is entirely a matter for the Secretary General. The Deputy was a Minister for 14 years or something like that and he well knows-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Brexit Staff (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: In respect of the 25 who are working in the international affairs unit, the Deputy should bear in mind that is 25 working in the Department of the Taoiseach. There are lots of other people -hundreds in fact - working on international affairs, on Brexit and on issues relating to Northern Ireland within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Additional people in the various agencies -...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Brexit Staff (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: -----and the industrial revolution people predicted that adopting new technologies-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Brexit Staff (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: -----would result in unemployment and loss of jobs and actually something different has happened. Countries that have embraced new technologies have moved up the value chain and produced more jobs and better jobs.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Brexit Staff (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: There is no date for that.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Brexit Staff (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I do not have a date.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together. The role of Cabinet committee F is to keep the State's systems for the analysis of, preparation for, and response to, threats to national security under review and to provide for high-level co-ordination between relevant Departments and agencies on related matters. The Cabinet committee will allow greater ministerial involvement in...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: I have heard the recent news that France has been successful in its bid to secure the Rugby World Cup for 2023. Obviously on behalf of Ireland I am very disappointed at the decision. I do not regret for a second putting forward the bid. Ireland put forward a very good bid and we would have hosted a really good tournament had we had the opportunity to do so. I particularly thank the IRFU,...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: When the United States conducts or has just conducted a major military operation-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: -----it sends photographs from it. I am subjected to plenty of ridiculous criticism-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: -----but that is the most ridiculous that I have seen. I thought, when I saw the initial tweet from Deputy Lisa Chambers, it was a joke and I laughed. I cannot believe people take it seriously.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: It is demonstrative of the terror that people have of modern communications.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: The fact it is perfectly acceptable-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Nov 2017)
Leo Varadkar: RTÉ cameras can come in and pan a Cabinet meeting or Cabinet sub-committee meeting and nobody comments but somebody uses modern technology and it is a threat to national security.