Results 24,081-24,100 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Brexit Expenditure (29 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 85 together. The Brexit Loan Scheme announced during Budget 2018 will provide affordable working capital financing to eligible Irish businesses that are either currently impacted by Brexit, or will be in the future. The Scheme will be delivered by the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) through commercial lenders to get much needed...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Enterprise Ireland Funding (29 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Enterprise Ireland’s mission is to help Irish companies achieve global success. Enterprise Ireland’s Mentor Network programme helps companies to grow faster and survive longer. The mentoring programme matches new, early stage and established business owners with experienced business mentors. Mentors are entrepreneurs and senior executives who have experienced the kind of...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: IDA Ireland Site Visits (29 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: IDA Ireland markets Mullingar and Athlone as part of the Midlands Region, which includes three other counties: Longford, Laois and Offaly. There are 30 multinational companies based in the region, employing 4,280 people across all four counties. County Westmeath has a strong base of foreign direct investment (FDI) with 13 companies employing 2,571 people. The Agency is determined to increase...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Exports Data (29 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Neither my Department nor its agencies collect data relating to the average profit margins across the variety of sectors that export to the United Kingdom. However I can state that, as set out in my Department’s recently published strategy in response to Brexit entitled “Building Stronger Business”, Enterprise Ireland has been particularly active in supporting firms...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Brexit Staff (29 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy may be aware, an additional €3 million was secured for my Department in respect of Pay in Budget 2017 and targeted specifically to assist with increased staffing needs for the Department and a number of our Agencies to deal with the evolving Brexit scenario. These funds are enabling the Department and, primarily, our Agencies to recruit additional staff to supplement...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (29 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the table. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (2014 to date)* Staff Numbers Grades ** Exchequer Funding No of Staff Full-time Part-Time Chair Member PO AP (Higher) AP ***Case Officer HEO AO SO EO CO Service Officer ****Legal Personnel 2017 90 90 0 1 3 9 4 13 14 21 1 0 21 2 1 4 €12,138,000 2016 89 89 0 1 3 9 1...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Research and Development Funding (29 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions (PRTLI) was launched in 1998, with five cycles of expenditure to date. The Programme is designed to facilitate Ireland’s Higher Education Institutions to produce world class research in key strategic areas including bioscience/biomedical; medical technologies; energy, environment and marine; food and drink; social sciences and...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement Staff (29 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the table: 1. No. of staff1serving in the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) (2010-2017) GRADE 2 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 3 Director 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Corporate Compliance Manager 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 Legal Adviser 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 Principal Solicitor 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 Digital Forensic Specialist...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Job Creation Targets (29 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The goal under the 2016 Programme for a Partnership Government was to deliver an extra 200,000 jobs by 2020, of which 135,000 will be outside of Dublin. With a strong focus on job creation and retention, the annual Action Plan for Jobs provides a framework for the collaboration between Government Departments and Agencies to achieve this objective. Since Q2 2016, employment has...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Emigrant Support Services (29 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: This Government’s goal is to support the creation of an additional 200,000 jobs by 2020 with 135,000 outside Dublin and to attract back at least 70,000 emigrants by 200,000. The whole of Government effort to deliver on these objective is the coordinated by the yearly Action Plans for Jobs. The CSO estimates that between April 2016 and April 2017, 27,400 Irish emigrants returned to...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: State Bodies Funding (29 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The distribution of the 2018 allocations to the State Agencies under my Department will be determined as part of the 2018 Revised Estimates process which is currently being finalised and is expected to be published early next month. The allocations provided to my Department's Agencies for 2016 and 2017 are set out in the Table below: Agency 2016 Allocation (inc Supplementary Estimate)...

Appointment of Tánaiste: Statement by An Taoiseach (30 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I wish to announce for the information of the Dáil that I have nominated the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Simon Coveney of Cork South-Central, to assume the Office of Tánaiste.

Nomination of Member of Government: Motion (30 Nov 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I move:That Dáil Éireann approves the nomination by the Taoiseach of Deputy Josepha Madigan for appointment by the President to be a member of the Government. Pursuant to section 4(1) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1946, I have assigned the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation to Deputy Heather Humphreys of Cavan-Monaghan. I have now moved that the...

Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I acknowledge the considerable work done in recent weeks, particularly over the weekend, to seek an agreement. I refer to the work done by Ministers, officials and diplomats in Dublin, Brussels and elsewhere. I very much regret that it was not possible to conclude the deal yesterday, as had been envisaged, agreed and sequenced. The Government very much wants to move to phase 2. It does...

Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I agree that the absence of an Executive in Northern Ireland has been very unhelpful in the past year when we have been trying to secure a good agreement for Ireland and Northern Ireland. Before the Executive was collapsed there was an outline letter written by First Minister Foster and deputy First Minister McGuinness which set out principles which are not very different to what was agreed...

Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The text was agreed by the negotiation teams on both sides yesterday morning and was confirmed to me in telephone calls with the EU Commission President, Mr. Juncker, and the European Council President, Mr. Tusk, during the morning as well. It was only during the lunch that we got information that a problem had arisen. It is always the case with these agreements that nothing is agreed until...

Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: To clarify what I said earlier, what we agreed yesterday was the whole text, not just principles. We agreed principles and a detailed text and we had confirmation of that from President Juncker and President Tusk to whom I spoke last night. The principles and the basic outcome that we want are shared by all parties in this House and I am encouraged by and grateful for the support we have...

Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will pick up on one or two points. There was an exchange of text including different options, one being no regulatory divergence and the other being regulatory alignment. On Sunday night, we were satisfied that we could accept either of those sets of words and regulatory alignment was what was accepted by the British negotiators on Monday morning. We have also agreed a mechanism...

Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: We operate a particular line of communications. As Deputy Howlin knows, Mr. Barnier heads up the Barnier negotiating task force but that is a creature of the Commission. The Barnier task force reports to the Commission and to the President of the Commission. When I speak to an interlocutor, I speak to the President of the Commission, Mr. Juncker as my counterpart in the set up and also to...

Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: First, I do not agree with the Deputy about rent pressure zones. They are far from perfect but I believe they are working. Some 60% of people in tenancies are now covered by rent pressure zones and, as a result, they are assured their rent will rise by no more than 4% a year. Therefore, the 60% of people who are renting have that assurance, which is a very big assurance, that their rent...