Results 24,181-24,200 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Administrative Arrangements (6 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: For the record, what the SCU deals with is the provision of public information and campaigns. It does not deal with political matters such as the Brexit talks or responding to what happens on television or radio programmes. That is not its role as I am sure I have said many times. As regards how I structure my Department, one of my special advisers, Ms Angela Flanagan, follows health...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Brexit Negotiations (6 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: Ongoing political engagement with our EU and international partners remains crucial as negotiations on Brexit proceed. Throughout the process - both before and since negotiations began formally earlier this year - the Government and officials have maintained a programme of deep and regular engagement with our partners. I meet and speak regularly with my EU counterparts, bilaterally, and at...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Strategy Statements (6 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: My Department supports the work of the Civil Service Management Board to ensure overall implementation of the 25 actions in the Civil Service Renewal Plan. This work is seeking to strengthen capacity and performance across the civil service to deliver services in a professional, unified and responsive manner. The third progress report, published by the Department of Public Expenditure and...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Programme for Government Priorities (6 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: In July the Government established Cabinet Committee F. This represents a significant reform in the structures for policy and decision making in the areas of security and defence. The Committee will keep national security arrangements under review. The Committee met again in November 2017 with a further meeting to be scheduled early in the New year.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (6 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As I informed the House on 30 November 2017, I have decided to establish a new Cabinet Committee, Cabinet Committee G, to deal with justice and equality issues. Up until this, Cabinet Committee B, which deals with Social Policy and Public Services, had responsibility for equality issues.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (6 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I am advised that the information requested is not readily available, due to the significant volume of information sought and having regard to the long time period in question. The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled by my officials and will be sent to the Deputy when it is finalised.

Leaders' Questions (12 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I share the Deputy's sentiments on the orchestras. I would not like to see either being lost, or the two being merged. I read a letter in the newspaper recently - I cannot remember who wrote it - which pointed out that Finland, which is a similar sized country to ours, has many orchestras where we only have two. In the past the Army had bands and orchestras, but it no longer does, and we...

Leaders' Questions (12 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: It is important that orchestras do not get caught up or find themselves used as part of any attempt to campaign for an increase in the licence fee. RTÉ receives considerable revenues from the licence fee, from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and it also receives commercial revenues. That gives it an income - I cannot give an exact figure but it must be some...

Leaders' Questions (12 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy has my commitment. I will ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Madigan, and the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten, to examine the issues in order to identify what options are available and see if there is a way the Government can assist. It is always important to consider the opportunity cost of not...

Leaders' Questions (12 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: As part of their consideration, they would need to look at how RTÉ is spending its money and see if RTÉ could make savings in other areas. Could it restrict spending in other areas to preserve what the Deputy and I both agree are national assets?

Leaders' Questions (12 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to come back to the Deputy on the detailed numbers relating to those homes. I think they were some time ago and, if I recall correctly, a number of them were not in areas where there was a high level of demand for social housing. As a result, they were not all suitable for social housing. I will certainly get the details on that and give the Deputy a detailed answer by...

Leaders' Questions (12 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: We will continue to increase capacity in the next couple of weeks so we can ensure that there will be an emergency bed available for anyone who needs one.

Leaders' Questions (12 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: We all know how politics works. If the Deputy genuinely wanted an answer to that question, he could have got it by tabling a parliamentary question to the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government.

Leaders' Questions (12 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: That is how one gets an answer to a question of that nature. If you are going to ask a question without any notice to me on Leaders' Questions then obviously-----

Leaders' Questions (12 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: If the purpose of the Deputy's question was actually to get an answer he could either have given me notice of the question or he could have put it down as a written parliamentary question to the line Minister.

Leaders' Questions (12 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: That is how one gets an answer to a question if one genuinely wants an answer.

Leaders' Questions (12 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: I will give the Deputy the best answer that I can give him-----

Leaders' Questions (12 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----and that comes from the Housing Agency, which is purchasing 600 of the homes mentioned. The Minister with responsibility for housing has already committed to Sinn Féin that he will examine the other homes to establish why the Housing Agency did not purchase them. The Housing Agency is the expert body when it comes to this matter and it is its advice that is followed as to whether...

Leaders' Questions (12 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: We have agreed that we will examine the others to see why they were not suitable for purchase. I point out once again the contradiction in the position that is being put to us here again by Sinn Féin. Only last week and the week before we got criticised for buying homes. We were told it does not count and all that matters is houses that are built directly by local authorities-----

Leaders' Questions (12 Dec 2017)

Leo Varadkar: -----and they are the only ones that count. If they are not directly built by local authorities they do not matter.