Results 24,861-24,880 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar
- Order of Business (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: One would have a hard time setting fire to the birds on Sceilig Mhichíl. I guarantee it.
- Order of Business (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I understand that legislation is being advanced for reasons of road safety and other matters.
- Order of Business (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: This is a hugely important issue for Deputies given the number of people who have raised it today. I reiterate that, as a Government, we stand on the side of people and families who are making an honest attempt to settle their debts and pay off their mortgages and loans, whether business or personal loans. PTSB has not yet sold any of these loans and it has not identified a buyer. People...
- Order of Business (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The Tolka Valley straddles his constituency and mine, and a few others. It is a very beautiful place that is often blighted by illegal dumping. Under the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment's new 2018 anti-illegal dumping initiative, €2 million has been allocated for smart technology, including imagery from...
- Order of Business (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: It is in the best interests of the Irish people that they get their money back from the bank bailouts and we will get at least half of it back, if not more. It is in the interests of the Irish people that their deposits in the banks are protected and it is in their interest that banks operate commercially in order that they can lend to people who need to borrow money, businesses and others....
- Order of Business (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I am advised by the Department of Health that these are local disputes, which centre mainly on issues around staffing, the development of a bed management protocol and other measures to help staff dealing with pressures on the service. Phase 1 of this action commenced this morning with members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association, PNA, refusing to answer phones, send faxes, open doors or...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff Data (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. The role of my Department is to support my work as Taoiseach and to co-ordinate the work of the Government and Cabinet. My Department uses workforce planning and succession planning to ensure that there are sufficient staffing resources in place to deliver the Department's strategic goals. With the exception of politically appointed...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff Data (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: My Department is structured around seven main work areas. The breakdown of the staff currently assigned to each of these is as follows: 24.3 staff are assigned to the international, EU and Northern Ireland division. They are the staff who mainly deal with Brexit but obviously they are very much supported by and work very closely with the hundreds of staff who work for the Department of...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff Data (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: There are 15. Staffing is complete. I cannot tell Deputies exactly who does what out of those various staff-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff Data (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: -----but the director, John Concannon, obviously directs the work of the unit.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff Data (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: They do not engage in any political advertising. They have been very clear on that. The Deputy opposite may be particularly interested to know that the last time a national development plan was launched and communicated to the public - it is important that we do tell the public what we as a Government are doing - was in 2007. At that time, the then Government made a decision to set aside a...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff Data (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: -----the content of the 2007 plan, including for advertising. Interestingly enough, a body called the strategic communication group was established to monitor it all. It was certainly not my idea. I got it from-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff Data (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I learned from the masters of political communication. That is a strength, not a weakness.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff Data (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: In the area of corporate affairs, there are 27.4 staff. There are 8.1 staff assigned to information and records management. There is no marketing unit at present. The staff of my Department includes services staff and those who are assigned to the private offices, constituency offices, the press office and also internal audit. I think I have enough staff. The staff complement of the...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff Data (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: There was. There were ads for many things.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff Data (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I imagine that my Department did so. My Department is organising the strategic communications for the Government.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff Data (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: It did; I know it did. I must say there were ads for many other things and it is not unusual for Government agencies and Departments to take out advertising.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff Data (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I was not sure what to make of the film, a Cheann Comhairle.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff Data (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: It was good but it was hard to warm to the heroine at all.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff Data (20 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I was not sure what to make of it. The ad was very good, though.