Results 25,101-25,120 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----socialist or non-socialist.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Burton was indulged by going off topic and I think it is only fair that I should be.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I know but I would hope and trust that the Chair would be consistent in his adjudication.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Leas-Cheann Comhairle's adjudication is that we are to stick to the topic in these questions and the topic is the visit to the President of Italy.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I will be realistic. In the absence of clear ruling, I will speak to the topic of the questions.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I did not discuss party politics with the President of Italy. His role is similar to that of President Higgins and it would not be appropriate for him to speak about party politics in this country. As a result, I did not engage him on that. I am very happy to engage with Members of the House on issues. I am here for two or three hours twice a week but I do not think the way we do it is...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I would like to discuss it at some stage.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I will stick to the point but I would just mention that neither Deputy Micheál Martin nor Deputy Burton stuck to the point when I-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I will stick to the point in any event. In the meeting with President Mattarella, we did not discuss nationalism and the Spitzenkandidat process. However, we did discuss Brexit. President Mattarella's view was very supportive. His view was that if there was a hard border, there should no withdrawal agreement.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Communications (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 9, inclusive, together. The strategic communications unit does not hold twice weekly meetings with all Departments. The programme of work of the unit is part of the Civil Service renewal programme, which is overseen by the Civil Service Management Board. An assistant secretary delivery team has been established to lead the implementation of the unit's...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Communications (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: For context, there is no election on and there is no election campaign. We may all be candidates but I am not aware of any plans for an election anytime soon unless somebody else does. I understand from the newspapers - this may or may not be correct - that Fianna Fáil has lodged a complaint with the Standards in Public Office Commission and another party has lodged a complaint with...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Communications (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition, the leader of Fianna Fáil, said he had no problem with advertising so long as it is identifiable. I agree with that and it has been. I see the analysis that was carried out of the regional newspaper advertorials by The Irish Timestoday, which showed that 20 out of 20 contained a strapline stating that this was done in partnership with Project...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Communications (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----the Transport 21 campaign and the e-voting campaign, all of which were approved by a previous Government. I note from the Deputy's comments that he does not have a difficulty with officeholders appearing in advertorials. This, indeed, was done in the NDP advertorials - in fact much more frequently than any of these advertorials. The complaint seems to be that some of the content -...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Communications (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The whole point is that this is operating at arm's length. As my Department has confirmed, when it came to the regional newspaper advertorials, all the communications unit provided was the content of what was in the Project Ireland 2040 plan. No suggestions were made as to who should be interviewed. No people were put forward for interview. No photographs were provided. The content in...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Communications (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is relevant because editorial control of the advertorials was with the editors.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Communications (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: They were not written, designed, approved or signed off on by any civil servant, by me or by anyone in my office.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Communications (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Micheál Martin quoted an anonymous newspaper editor yesterday in the Dáil. I would be interested to know who that anonymous newspaper editor was.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Communications (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I would still be interested to know who it was.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Communications (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I would be also interested to know if Deputy Martin-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Communications (28 Feb 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I would be also interested to know if Deputy Micheál Martin believes it is ethical for somebody who is a newspaper editor and who is signing off on these things to be a Fianna Fáil candidate. I would also be interested to know if he has had any contact with the editor of the newspaper in that regard.