Results 25,381-25,400 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (28 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There is merit in the suggestion. It does work. It works in Dublin, Limerick and Cork. Why would it not work in Galway, therefore? I will certainly appraise the proposal and discuss it with the Minister for Health and HSE.

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: On a commercial basis, broadband is being rolled out across the country at a reasonably rapid rate at this stage and we should have passed approximately 75% of homes and premises later this year. As to the last 500,000 premises in rural Ireland, it remains our expectation to have that contract concluded this year.

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I ask the Deputy to accept the recommendations in the Dunning report, which provides us with a pathway whereby we can ensure that legislation is of sufficient quality to advance.

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: If Deputies are unwilling to accept the Dunning report, they should accept alternative proposals. I understand the Ceann Comhairle has been working on those.

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

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 16, inclusive, together. The questions take up three pages. My St. Patrick’s Day programme ran from 11 to 17 March, during which time I visited Texas, Oklahoma, Washington DC and New York. I had courtesy calls with Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, and Oklahoma Governor, Mary Fallin, in both cases discussing the deepening of links between the US...

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

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. The nature of these meetings is such that they tend to last approximately 35 to 40 minutes. In that period one may want to raise 20 matters and one tries to get through as many as possible. Often one can get through a lot, sometimes not so many. As the meetings to which the Deputies referred were neither recorded nor televised, I appreciate that...

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

Leo Varadkar: -----than that of the leaders in Congress, who are more for free trade and free enterprise. I very much gave my view that I would prefer for us to have a trade deal rather than a trade war and that we should have a free trade agreement, FTA, between the EU and the United States. President Trump did not dismiss this out of hand; he was actually quite open to it. This was one of the...

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

Leo Varadkar: -----do not want to do so for one nationality. That is the position they take and I can understand that perspective entirely. Obviously, our first commitment must be to our citizens living in the United States and it is. In relation to the County Clare wind farm, I gave a comprehensive explanation of the timeline at a press conference in New York and also produced the documentary...

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

Leo Varadkar: -----the development could have a negative impact on tourism in the area. With regard to the Oireachtas, I am pretty sure it is not in my authority to invite somebody to address the Oireachtas. I imagine it involves some sort of communication between the office of the Ceann Comhairle and my office. Ultimately, I would have thought it is the prerogative of the Oireachtas rather than a...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (28 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I would hate to suggest Deputy Burton does not need to hear the reply before she asks her supplementary question.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (28 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 26, inclusive, together. I attended the European Council in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, 22 and 23 March. On Thursday, we discussed jobs, growth and competitiveness, touching on the Single Market, digital Single Market, capital markets union, the European semester, economic and monetary union and social issues. Given recent events, the need...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (28 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: On a hard border, it is fair to say that all of us in this House want to avoid it and I think we can and will avoid it. The terms of the transition are now agreed. Even though nothing is finally agreed until everything is agreed, at least the terms of it are agreed and are now highlighted in green, which means we have until 2021 to prepare for any permanent changes that may occur. In terms...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (28 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is still the case that nothing is agree until everything is agreed.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Correspondence (28 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: My Department receives significant volumes of correspondence. All correspondence received is acknowledged and most correspondence receives a further substantive reply. Depending on the nature of a particular item of correspondence, it may be brought to my attention or to the attention of staff within my Department. Oftentimes, correspondence which is initially received by my Department...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Correspondence (28 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: On the last matter, I certainly will reflect on it. I am aware of the office and I know it has to prove much new software and ICT programmes for the Government, but I am not as knowledgeable as I ought to be. I will certainly accept Deputy Howlin's suggestion in that regard. He was involved in much of that work when he was Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. As regards the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Correspondence (28 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I never give a reference to somebody I do not know. It is my general practice not to give references to people I do not know and that is not always well received in my constituency clinic. With regard to email, I have a number of email accounts. I have had an Oireachtas email account for ten or 11 years, which is used mainly for constituency correspondence. I have a Department email...

European Council Meeting: Statements (28 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Tá áthas orm labhairt os comhair an Dáil inniu faoi chruinniú Chomhairle an Aontais Eorpaigh a bhí ar siúl sa Bhruiséal Déardaoin agus Dé hAoine. The European Council met in four different formats over the course of the two days - in regular format to discuss jobs, growth and competitiveness and a number of foreign policy items; in leaders’...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff Data (28 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: As at 31 December 2017, 4.6% of the staff of my Department (or 4.8% when expressed in whole time equivalent terms) voluntarily and confidentially disclosed a disability. This exceeds the minimum requirement of 3% for public sector organisations set down in the Disability Act, 2005.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I welcome the opportunity to appear before the select committee as it considers the 2018 Estimates for Votes 1 to 6, inclusive. The committee has been supplied with a detailed briefing document on the various Votes. I will briefly outline the work of my Department and its proposed 2018 Estimate, as well as outlining the proposed 2018 Estimate allocations for the President’s...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (29 Mar 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Are you taking the questions in groups, Chairman?