Results 25,081-25,100 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar
- Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: If we could solve homelessness in a day, we would do that. If it was a case of rushing through legislation or a piece of-----
- Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: -----legislation that would give everyone a house, we would of course do that. However, the Deputy was a Minister of State with responsibility for housing, sitting at the Cabinet table-----
- Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: -----for three years, and she knows as well as I do how complex this problem is.
- Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: There was a period of seven years during which this country was so broke that we were not able to build social housing and during which the construction industry and the banks were on the floor and were not able to finance or build private housing during which time it would have been expected that 200,000 or 300,000 homes to be built.
- Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: However, they were not. We know the causes of that crash. I certainly do not hold the Deputy responsible for it at all or for not building more houses in those three and a half years during which she was the Minister of State with responsibility for housing.
- Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: We are in a catch up.
- Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: We are in a catch up scenario and we are catching up. However, it is going to take time. There is an absolute sense of urgency and emergency. We would not be providing for so many people to stay in emergency accommodation and we certainly would not have a situation where we are avoiding families having to be on the streets by making sure there is emergency accommodation available, whether...
- Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I totally appreciate the considerable concern that exists around the proposed sale of mortgages by Permanent TSB. It has struck a raw nerve with the people. Many people raised it with me over the weekend. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, is examining this matter. We agreed to accept in principle legislation from Fianna Fáil to extend regulation over investment funds. We are...
- Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: We do need to make a distinction here. We need to make sure that the courts are allowed to hear cases. There may be circumstances whereby somebody can pay but is refusing to pay. That is a different circumstance and we have a good court system. People go into the courts, tell their story and their case is heard. The courts generally make the right decisions and do not provide eviction...
- Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: It is always the case when a new law is debated in this House that there is the law itself and the law of unintended consequences. There is a distinction to be made between people who are making an honest attempt to pay their mortgage, to settle their debts and pay as much as they can pay, and people who could do so but who are not. There is a difference in that regard and any reasonable...
- Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: It is the money companies hold on deposit to pay their staff. It is necessary to have a banking system to ensure that people can get loans, mortgages to buy homes, credit to keep their businesses going or credit to set up a business. We also must ensure that people get decent interest rates. There is a huge distinction between banks such as Anglo Irish Bank, which was bailed out by a...
- Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: The difference when it comes to the last two banks is that we will recover that money.
- Leaders' Questions (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: We have already recovered the money from Bank of Ireland and I believe we will recover it from AIB in time too.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: The Defence Forces are available to be deployed at the request of local authorities. Local authorities, the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, and many other bodies have snow ploughs and salt is stockpiled. Nobody can say whether that will be enough because we do not know the amount of snow that will fall, how long it will last or what blizzard conditions there will be. However, the equipment...
- Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: The legislation is due for publication in this parliamentary session.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I am his predecessor.
- Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: The Deputy is belittling the Holocaust.
- Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. I met the Italian President, Sergio Mattarella, during his State visit on Wednesday, 14 February. The President was accompanied by a delegation that included the Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Angelino Alfano. We had a very friendly and constructive exchange which covered bilateral relations, Brexit, migration and,...
- Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: For the information of Deputy Burton there is at least one public building in the State named after a woman involved in the Rising, 100 years ago. There may be others but there is certainly at least one, Elizabeth O'Farrell House, a new building for the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. That was a decision I took as Minister for Social Protection.
- Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (28 Feb 2018)
Leo Varadkar: I took the decision to ensure that public building was named after a woman. I was honoured to have Sabina Higgins, the wife of the President, come along to open the building for us. The Minister for Health has indicated that there will be a process used to consult the public on what the new name for the children's hospital should be. I would prefer that it not be named after a politician,...