Results 23,961-23,980 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committee Meetings (22 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Cabinet Committee D covers housing, climate action, infrastructure investment and delivery, the National Planning Framework and the Ten Year Capital Plan. Among other issues, this Committee is providing political oversight of our efforts to tackle the challenges in housing and homelessness and our transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy. The next meeting of Cabinet Committee D is...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Contracts Data (22 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department liaises closely with the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) on all matters related to public procurement and monitors all areas of expenditure on an ongoing basis to ensure that value for money is being achieved. There are currently 21 external contracts in place for goods and services provided to my Department, as set out in the table. My Department has availed of OGP...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Strategic Communications Unit (22 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 98 and 99 together. There are seven staff working in the Strategic Communications Unit of my Department: - One Director (equivalent to Assistant Secretary); - Three Assistant Principal Officers; - One Higher Executive Officer (equivalent); - One Administrative Officer; and - One Clerical Officer. My Department is currently finalising the assignment of three...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Strategic Communications Unit (22 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department's budget for 2018 has decreased by 2% compared to 2017. €5 million has been allocated to the Strategic Communications Unit of my Department for 2018. My Department does not delegate salary budgets to individual divisions/units. The salaries of the staff in the Strategic Communications Unit will be met from my Department's 2018 administrative salary budget. All...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Strategic Communications Unit (22 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 to 105, inclusive, together. As part of the planning process in setting up the Strategic Communications Unit the Director and a member of staff in the Strategic Communications met with their counterparts in the UK and the Netherlands to learn at first hand how both countries went about the streamlining and optimisation of government communications,...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: EU Summits (22 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 to 108, inclusive, together. I attended the European Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 17 November. I was accompanied by the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, and the Minister for European Affairs, Helen McEntee. EU Heads of State and Government were joined by social partners and...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Strategic Communications Unit (22 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 110 together. The costs associated with the Strategic Communications Unit, since its establishment in 2017, will be met from my Department's Budget. No monies have been sought from other Departments to fund the Unit. But it is intended that the Unit will drive savings across all Departments overtime through efficiencies generated by: -...

Termination of Ministerial Appointment: Announcement by Taoiseach (28 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I wish to announce for the information of the House that I am advising the President to accept the resignation of Deputy Frances Fitzgerald as a member of the Government and that I have accepted the Minister's resignation with regret. I have nominated myself to serve as Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation for a temporary period in addition to my existing duties pursuant to...

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I can confirm that arrangements are being made for the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charles Flanagan, to make a statement to the House to apologise for the failure of his Department to answer questions fully in the past couple of weeks, to offer further assurance that questions which have not yet been answered will be answered in full and that in the future he will ensure, as...

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will add to that by acknowledging that Deputy Micheál Martin, as leader of Fianna Fáil, and the Fianna Fáil Party engaged in good faith with me and the Government over the weekend in our efforts to avert an unnecessary general election. Both parties were always of the view that an election should be avoided if it could be. I regret that it necessitated the resignation of a...

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I assure the Deputy that neither I nor anyone on this side of the House has any fear of genuine accountability. Every time I come to the House, I act in good faith and tell the truth as I believe it to be. I put on the record the facts as they are given to me. If Members of the Deputy's party down the years and today acted with that level of standard, honesty and truth,...

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----it did not stop her putting down a motion of confidence in the Tánaiste.

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: That is because for Deputy McDonald and the Sinn Féin Party this was never about getting to the truth or ensuring fair play; it was just about getting ahead and scoring points. Now, they are just trying to figure out on whom they can inflict damage next.

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: That is not the way honourable parties and politicians should operate.

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The allegations that have been made against Deputy Fitzgerald by Deputy McDonald are now matters for the tribunal. I hope that, after this episode, Members on all sides of the House will at least allow the tribunal to do its work and hear evidence in the calm, judicious way in which tribunals operate and to give us the full facts. It will be interesting to see what the outcome of that...

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I never want to be put in that position again. The House can be sure I will be holding the Department and its senior officials to account to ensure that neither I nor any Minister or Member of the Dáil will ever be put in that position again.

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: There were indeed emails from gardaí to officials in the Department of Justice and Equality, but not among those which were in the public domain last Thursday or the one to which the Deputy referred in her contribution last Thursday, which was that of 15 May 2015. The latter was entirely an email involving officials, advisers and the Minister.

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I have already answered the Deputy McDonald's question. Last week I ordered a trawl of all the documents and Members have seen the outcome of that already. I ordered a progress report on the implementation of the Toland report and Members have seen the output of that already. As of today, I am ordering an external inquiry into why the Department of Justice and Equality did not find those...

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----and why they were not sent on to the tribunal.

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am absolutely open to suggestions for who should carry it out but the norm in these circumstances is for it to be carried out by a Secretary General of another Department or of the Government. It may be the case that a reason cannot be discovered for why these documents were missed but I want to find out, for my own information at the very least. We will deal with it when we have an...