Results 24,321-24,340 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar
- Leaders' Questions (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: The Government's aim is to ensure that every child, especially those with special educational needs, can fulfil his or her potential and avail of all of the educational opportunities available to him or her. During the worst years of the recession when public spending was cut across the board, it was one of the areas which was protected from spending reductions. In fact, resources grew...
- Leaders' Questions (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I am informed that the enrolment of the school for 2017 and 2018 is 97 pupils. That represents a 28% increase over the past five years, so this is clearly an expanding school - with a growing number of pupils - that is responding to the needs that exist in the local community. In terms of the Department's capital budget, its first priority when it comes to school building is what it has to...
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: It will be published this month. The Minister for Health has not brought it to Cabinet yet but he intends to do so in the next week or two. As Deputy Adams correctly pointed out, it has been widely leaked to the newspapers. The content should come as no surprise to anyone.
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: It proposes, alongside reforms to our health service, that we will need 2,500 additional acute beds between now and 2021. I should repeat what I said. The Government did not need a bed capacity review report to tell it that we need additional beds in hospitals. We have been increasing the number of beds for the past two years at the rate of approximately 150 to 200 a year. That work was...
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: The Government and the Cabinet have not yet made a decision on the issue. I am keen to hear people's views. We had a good discussion at the Cabinet last week. I also attended a meeting yesterday of my parliamentary party which lasted for five hours to hear views across the parliamentary party on the issue. There will be a debate on it in the Dáil and the Seanad in the next couple of...
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: With the greatest of respect to the Deputy, he is one of the champion filibusters in the House.
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I hope he will not filibuster on this or any other legislation in 2018.
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: The process of having a Citizens' Assembly, referring matters to an Oireachtas committee and making decisions at the Cabinet and in this House was established by the Government. 3 o’clock Despite what other people may think, it was never about delaying tactics or long-fingering this issue. I do not want to long finger it either.
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I am committed to having a referendum in May or June if possible. However, I answered the Deputy's question in my previous reply. Before members of the public vote in a referendum, they will want to have some indication as to what legislation this House will enact if the eighth amendment is repealed. As the Deputy is aware, if the amendment was repealed tomorrow, it would not change the...
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: People would like to see, at the very least, a detailed, general scheme in order that they might have some understanding as to what might be the new law. We need to check the position. The Citizens' Assembly differed from the all-party committee as to whether there needs to be an enabling provision which makes it clear that only the Oireachtas can make the law on this issue because...
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I do not have any information on that particular contact but I will ask the Minister for Health to respond to the Deputy.
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy knows, the local property tax is principally a tax matter. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, brought a memo to the Cabinet today to ask for permission to commence the review. As that permission was granted, he will be making a statement in the next short while on the details.
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I have read a little about this matter in the newspapers, but I do not know all of the details or the facts. I am absolutely of the view that the only people who should provide addiction services are those who are appropriately qualified and licensed to do so. On occasion, these services can be provided by religious groups. I know that a number of Catholic groups provide alcohol...
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: No matter from what background they come, it is essential that such services only be provided by those who are qualified and legally permitted to provide thelm.
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: Deputy Michael Healy-Rae will be delighted to know that I know exactly what the GLAS scheme is. I am aware of the detail of all sorts of payments-----
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: -----that I do not receive-----
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: ------as is, I think, everyone in this House. That is the nature of our work. As Deputy McConalogue pointed out, the Minister, Deputy Creed, and I will be attending the IFA AGM this evening.
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I will certainly bring it up-----
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I will certainly raise it with the IFA and ensure that it gets a response.
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2018)
Leo Varadkar: With the Minister obviously, not with the IFA.