Results 25,321-25,340 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff Data (21 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The majority of civil service positions in my Department above the clerical officer grade are either filled using panels set up by the Public Appointments Service or through secondment arrangements with other civil and public sector bodies. Exceptions to this would be Special Adviser positions (to which Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act, 1997 applies) and posts filled by...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (21 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Following the advice issued by the National Emergency Coordination Group on the status red weather warning issued by Met Éireann on 28 February 2018, an email was issued to staff in my Department from the Head of Corporate Affairs to advise them that they should not attend work on Thursday 29 February or Friday 1 March 2018. This advice also applied to staff in the National Economic and...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff Data (21 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Details of staff assigned in my Department to the Government Press Office, public relations or communications roles as at 31December in 2015, 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018 are set out in the following tables: 31 December 2015 Position/Grade No. Government Press Office Politically appointed staff Government Press Secretary 1 Deputy Government Press Secretary 1 Assistant...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Strategic Communications Unit (21 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Following on from Budget18, it was decided that the Minister for Finance would visit four locations nationally and present to invited local business groups, organisations and networks. These presentations were held in Limerick and Galway. A further two presentations planned for Cork and Waterford were postponed due to the severe weather caused by Storm Ophelia.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Strategic Communications Unit (21 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: No contracts were entered into with individual journalists, freelance or otherwise for providing content or entering partnership agreements or another purpose.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Reviews (21 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Following consultation with the Attorney General, I appointed Mr. Michael Collins, Senior Counsel, to conduct an independent review of the practices and procedures employed by the Department of Justice and Equality in response to requests for documents from the Disclosures Tribunal. The Terms of Reference for the review were published on my Department's website:(www.taoiseach.gov.ie) on 13...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (21 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: To date, my Department has paid a total of €1,173.48 in respect of my mobile phone costs.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Strategic Communications Unit (21 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is routine for Government officials in my Department and across Government to meet with various stakeholders to discuss Government policy. The Director of the SCU met Paddy Cosgrave at his request. At this meeting, an outline of the SCU work plan was provided. All the information that was provided is in the public domain.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Strategic Communications Unit (21 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The amount spent on the Strategic Communications Unit since its introduction is listed in the following table: Details 2017 2018 (to 28 February) Total Travel and Subsistence €3,423.21 €299.34 €3,722.55 Advertising and Incidental Expenses €35,186.33 €124,385.38 €159,571.71 Postal & Telecommunications €626.48 €308.27...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Ministerial Staff Data (21 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Special Advisers are non-established civil servants appointed by Government at the request of the relevant Office Holder in line with Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act, 1997. There are nine Special Advisers employed by my Department, working in my office and the office of the Government Chief Whip, one of whom is a public servant (i.e. a non-civil servant). As the terms of...

Death of former Ceann Comhairle: Expressions of Sympathy (27 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Will there be an opportunity to say something?

Death of former Ceann Comhairle: Expressions of Sympathy (27 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I would like to begin by offering my condolences and those of the Government to the family of Seán Treacy. As a member of the Labour Party and as an Independent, he served the people of Clonmel, Tipperary South and the country with great honour and distinction. I would like in particular to extend my condolences to Deputy Howlin and former Members from the Labour Party, who all knew...

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I think I am correct in saying that since the Fine Gael-Independent Alliance-Independent Government came to office, we have managed to increase the number of teachers employed by the State by 2,000. We have 2,000 more teachers working in the education system than we had just under two years ago. Overall, we are able to recruit teachers but we acknowledge that we are encountering...

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: As is always the case in negotiations, it is difficult to set a timeline because it depends on the willingness of the two parties in the negotiation to compromise and meet each other half way. Having been involved in some negotiations, I believe that setting a deadline oneself can be counterproductive because having done so, it makes it harder to achieve the outcome one wants. We will not...

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: At last week's European Council meeting EU leaders unanimously agreed with the assessment of the Government of the United Kingdom that the Russian Federation is highly likely to have been responsible for the attack in Salisbury on 4 March and that there is no plausible alternative explanation. We affirmed that all EU member states stand in unqualified solidarity with the United Kingdom in...

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: As I mentioned earlier, the Tánaiste will be happy to brief spokespeople or party leaders. The Deputy is welcome to send her spokesperson or to attend herself if she wishes. I will be here for the next few hours and then I will be back in Cabinet. I then have an Article 28 meeting with the President so it is just not possible for me to do it today, but the Tánaiste is available...

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There is a provision in the confidence and supply agreement that there should be no surprises. We thought it appropriate that there should not be a surprise in this case.

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There is no such agreement with Sinn Féin.

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I would point out as well that when this was done by other countries - and in the past, it was done without even a Government decision - it was done simply as a decision of the foreign Minister. However, we decided not to make our decision at the same time as the 14 other European countries that acted yesterday afternoon because we thought it appropriate to brief Cabinet on that decision...

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Judiciary has, in the main, served us very well. It has acted impartially and in an unbiased way and has been very objective and professional in discharging its functions down the years. Regarding the appointments system, as the Deputy knows, the Constitution provides that the Government appoints judges, and we do not propose to change this. However, the Government can take advice...