Results 25,641-25,660 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: This year the Government will invest €10 billion in education, the highest ever spending on education in the history of the State. In fact, €1 billion more is being spent on education this year than when the current Government of Fine Gael, the Independent Alliance and Independent Members came to office. That is money well spent. It is taxpayers' money invested in our...

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The confidence and supply agreement was not resisted; it was agreed. It was a negotiation. As is the case with any negotiation, one tries to agree what is possible and cuts one cloth to suit one's measure. What is wholly dishonest in politics is when people go around the country promising every interest group they will do everything they ask this year. That is not possible.

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: That is what Deputy Micheál Martin's party is doing.

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: As is always the case, the truth hurts. That is what Deputy Micheál Martin's party is doing and I am keeping a record of all the promises his spokespersons are making as the weeks go by. Hundreds of millions in extra spending are being promised every week for every interest group and it is all being promised now. That is exactly the kind of philosophy that landed this country in the...

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: We have delivered. We delivered on the pupil-teacher ratio, guidance counsellors, extra teachers, pay restoration and additional schools. I welcome Deputy Micheál Martin's clarity that capitation is Fianna Fáil's priority in education spending, not the other promises Deputy Thomas Byrne has been making to other groups in education.

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There is one issue on which I disagree with Deputy Micheál Martin. It is important that we plan for new schools in four or five years' time and the Department of Education and Skills, under this Government, is much better at planning for schools than it used to be because we now look at demographics and child benefit.

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I remember very well when I was in opposition that we had to set up an emergency school in prefabricated buildings one September - Scoil Choilm - precisely because the then Government did not plan three or four years ahead.

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: We need to plan three and four years ahead. It is disturbing that-----

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----we are planning three or four years ahead for children who are born and are aged two.

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy McDonald for raising this important issue. I had an opportunity to watch the "Prime Time" programme last night. Sexual crimes perpetrated against children are the worst form of crimes - they are abhorrent, unspeakable and unforgivable. It is particularly distressing and shocking that the young women in question were in State care. I noted some similarities with the Grace...

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The national review panel was asked to investigate this case in April 2016, which is when the matter was referred. The panel is an independent body consisting of independent professionals from a range of disciplines engaged for their professional expertise. Tusla staff and some former children in care and their families have been interviewed by the panel. Tusla awaits the outcome of the...

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am not in a position to respond to allegations the Deputy has made against individual members of staff in NAMA. This is not the place for us to make allegations, nor can I respond to them not knowing whether they are true or untrue. The DPP acts independently of the Government and does not receive direction from it. The DPP's office does not account to the Government for its decisions....

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: In fairness, some of those points sound like allegations to me. I have no idea whether they are true or not. I have no doubt the Deputy believes them. However, it would not be the first time in this House that Deputies put allegations on the record of the House in good faith, perhaps believing them, and we subsequently found out they were untrue. That is why we all need to be cautious in...

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The provision made for capital investment in our national, local and regional roads is close to €4.3 billion. That includes €1.8 billion on regional and local roads. I cannot make a commitment here and now about specific road projects in the Deputy’s constituency or in any other constituency. However, because the economy is doing well, more people are back at work and...

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I have no doubt whatever that the Minister of State, Deputy Griffin, is bringing the goods to County Kerry-----

Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----whether through investment in tourism, and Kerry is very much a tourism county and has being doing very well in this in recent years, through sports capital projects - the Minister of State has been touring Ireland to visit many of the projects that have received Government investment in sport - or roads. Deputy Griffin is very much doing his job as a Minister of State at a national...

Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I did not say that I did not think it could happen now nor was that what I meant. I was merely pointing out the enormous changes and improvements that have happened in child protection in the last seven or eight years. That does not mean that there is not more to be done, that children are not at risk or that we do not have further obligations to protect those who are vulnerable or in...

Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There has been a lot of fake news on the front pages this week. Decisions made on appointments such as this are made collectively by the Government. The decision on that particular appointment was made collectively and unanimously by the Government, so there is no need to correct the Cabinet handbook. This is the third time in the past three or four weeks that I have read a story in a...

Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There is a draft memo on this matter, which I saw myself only a week or two ago. It is intended that the memo to allow the legislation to be prepared will be brought to Cabinet next week or the following week jointly by the Minister, Deputy Harris, and the Minister of State, Deputy McGrath. Obviously, we then need to pass the legislation through these Houses. However, the intention is to...

Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: If the Deputy looks at the unemployment statistics for Cavan, she will see that unemployment has decreased considerably and employment has increased considerably in the county. The Government will provide, through the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, the necessary social supports and, through other bodies, retraining for the staff affected to ensure they can be...