Results 25,201-25,220 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: EU Meetings (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Government has adopted a paper on the multi-annual financial framework. It was brought to Cabinet by the Tánaiste and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform about two weeks ago. The paper adopted by the Government was very much in line with views expressed in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. We indicated that we would be willing to increase our contribution to the budget...

Ceisteanna - Questions: EU Meetings (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I would always like to spend more time discussing issues of substance.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take questions Nos. 7 and 8 together. A Programme for a Partnership Government, which was published in May 2016, contains a number of commitments on Dáil and Seanad reform. The most recent report setting out the progress made in implementing the commitments in the programme for Government was published on 19 December last. An annual progress report will be published...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Seanad implementation group - and it is an implementation group - is designed to implement the Manning proposals. There had been a few suggestions for chairman and I am open to it being a decision of the House rather than my decision. I do not feel it needs to be an appointment that I make-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----so I will certainly take Deputy Howlin's suggestion into consideration. It is supposed to be independent. I do not see why it has to be an appointment made by me and I am not sure how that came about in the first place. There is no decision to restore town councils. Sorry. I am being distracted.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: As I said, the Government does not have any plan to restore town councils. The matter has been examined. It would cost approximately €40 million a year to do so, and we do not believe that is how ratepayers and people who pay the local property tax would like to see their rates and local property tax money spent.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister of State, Deputy Phelan, when he is ready to publish proposals, will do so. He proposes that town districts and borough districts would essentially function as area committees do now but could have the ceremonial functions that previously town councils and borough councils had. This would be a kind of restoration of their ceremonial functions. He is also carrying out a...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: When it comes to DIT's Grangegorman campus and the national children's hospital, the fundamental difference, I would have thought, from a very practical point of view, is that these projects were promised and promised and promised by previous Governments; now they are actually under construction.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: A Cheann Comhairle, I never mentioned the man, for a start.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Second, Deputy Martin has made any number of allegations against people not in this House and will not produce evidence to support them.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Martin has made any number of allegations-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----about people that he will not support with evidence.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Martin does not like his own standards being applied to him.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government Implementation (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Martin is happy enough to make allegations about unnamed people and not produce the relevant evidence. It is not right.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 12, inclusive, together. Cabinet committee D last met on 1 February 2018. The next meeting of the committee has not yet been scheduled. Cabinet committee D was established to cover the areas of infrastructure investment, climate action and housing. There is significant work under way across each of these areas. Cabinet committee D aims to ensure a...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: On Deputy Boyd Barrett's first question on Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company, I am not up to date with the issues relating to the harbour but I am familiar with the company and the place from my previous time as Minister with responsibility for transport. It was my view at the time, and we discussed it then, that the smaller harbour companies were not viable as semi-State companies and it...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: In terms of Project Ireland 2040, that was approved by Cabinet and not by a Cabinet subcommittee, and all projects were assessed by the line Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The extent to which there was assessment depended on the nature of the projects. Projects under the purvey of Transport Infrastructure Ireland or the NTA often had quite detailed...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (6 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Other ports, for example the Port of Cork, the Port of Dublin and the Port of Foynes, put forward their own detailed proposals for development, which the Government supports. That is why they are included in the plan. The plan, which is backed by a ten year infrastructure investment plan, covers ten years and in any ten year investment plan there is a pipeline of projects, some that are...

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Crimes of a sexual nature are among the most heinous crimes that can occur and crimes against children are the worst crimes imaginable. I am aware of the arrests of 11 people on Monday by An Garda Síochána. These people have been released and files will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. These arrests come as part of an intelligence-led investigation by...

Leaders' Questions (7 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There is total commitment on the part of the Government to the implementation of the report and the Minister and Government will drive those agencies, Tusla and An Garda Síochána, to do so. We will not take a hands-off approach when it comes to requiring these agencies and bodies to implement the report. The Garda Inspectorate's original report of 2012 made 29 recommendations,...