Results 25,681-25,700 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Easter Rising Commemorations (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: ------that they are ones all parties can go into so as not to cause anyone to become upset or petulant, which of course I would not like to do.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Easter Rising Commemorations (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: In respect of the all-party Oireachtas advisory committee in the lead up to the State’s commemoration of the centenary of events in 1916, an all-party consultative group on commemorations proved to be very constructive. In the years to 2023, with the various historical events falling to be remembered, such input will again be beneficial in informing the State commemorative programme...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Projects (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 10, inclusive, together. The actions contained in the Mulvey report for the social and economic regeneration of the north east inner city are being overseen and implemented by the programme implementation board, which meets on a monthly basis. It is chaired by Michael Stone and comprises representatives from the community and business sectors and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Projects (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: In respect of community-based development more generally, I think it is worth noting that a lot of that is very much in place. The local drugs task forces, for example, are funded by Government. We also have the reform of the area partnerships. I was very pleased last week to be able to officiate at the relaunch of the Blanchardstown area partnership, the community development partnership...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Projects (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I do not have those figures in front of me. If, however, we believe in evidence-based policy, probably the best thing for us to do would be to examine those figures. In terms of student accommodation, I believe that the growth of student accommodation across this city and other cities is very welcome. It brings young people into the area and brings greater diversity into different parts...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Projects (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: We have very much seen a change in that regard.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Projects (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: All Deputies need do is look at the facts and figures regarding the numbers taking part, the number of people who actually are apprentices and the different types of apprenticeships and then compare the position today with that which obtained two or three years ago.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There has been no expenditure by my Department on social media training or consultancy in the years 2011 - 2016.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff Training (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: No training in social media has been delivered in the Department of the Taoiseach.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Strategic Communications Unit (25 Apr 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 to 72, inclusive, together. The Research referred to has not yet commenced. It is intended to run a Citizen survey to assess public awareness and understanding of Government services. The opposition parties will be given an opportunity to review the proposed material for the survey prior to it being issued. Once the survey has been run and results...

Leaders' Questions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I say once again how saddened I was to hear about the case of Vicky Phelan and emphasise the extent to which I feel for her and her family. I am full of sorrow that she was not diagnosed sooner and wish her and her family the very best on the difficult road ahead. I pay tribute to her for her bravery, particularly in calling on women and men to go for cancer screening which we know saves...

Leaders' Questions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: As I said, I am personally very angry that the women were not informed. They should have been. It was their health, their lives and their families and they had a right to know. We need to do everything we can to make sure this will never happen again. Patients should always be informed of clinical information pertinent to their case. I come from the medical profession. I am the...

Leaders' Questions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I first became aware of this issue on Thursday or Friday of last week. Obviously, I tried to spend as much of the weekend as I had free reading up on it and trying to understand it. Even now, I do not think it is the case that anyone or everyone in this House knows all the facts. That is why it is necessary to have the statutory inquiry that has been initiated by the Minister, Deputy...

Leaders' Questions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate that. The basis on which the Deputy has called for the dismissal of Mr. Tony O'Brien is an assertion that the decision to outsource these tests to the US in 2008 somehow cost lives. I explained why that is not yet supported by the facts. Everyone, even Mr. Tony O'Brien, deserves a fair hearing before being condemned. We need to assess whether that decision was wrong. It may...

Leaders' Questions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: These are not optional and one may be struck off for not following them. Open disclosure has been policy for all HSE staff since 2013. The Deputy is incorrect in that we commit to two actions in the programme for Government. The first is to legislate for voluntary open disclosure in all cases and the second is to legislate for mandatory open disclosure in cases of a serious reportable...

Leaders' Questions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know if this was the only audit carried out. A clinical audit is a normal part of medical practice. Any doctor who wants to stay on the medical register has to be involved in a clinical audit; therefore, on any given day there are hundreds or perhaps even thousands of audits being carried out across the health service. There may well have been other audits carried out of cervical...

Leaders' Questions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I do not, but my assumption is that other audits have been carried out. It is part of normal healthcare practice that clinical audits are carried out. Practice is checked and rechecked each cycle to see what can be learned. There are different audits that can be carried out. For those women who are concerned, the helpline is open to any of them who wants to make a call and seek...

Leaders' Questions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: On the first matter, the independent clinical panel that the Minister has established will offer an individual appointment with each of the 200 women affected and offer them the best advice in respect of their individual cases.

Leaders' Questions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I was asked about audits. Since 2008, 3 million smear tests have been carried out by CervicalCheck. I do not believe it would be practical to repeat 3 million tests or recheck them and that may well not be warranted. The HSE has advised, however, that between 2008 and early 2018, 1,482 cervical cancer cases had been notified to CervicalCheck by the national cancer registry. The majority of...

Leaders' Questions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: To clarify, in all 1,400 cases the original smears have been rechecked. The way the audit worked is that if a woman was diagnosed with cervical cancer between 2008 and 2014, they went back and checked all of the smear tests to see if there were false negatives or false positives. To reassure people, in all 1,400 cases those smear tests were rechecked already. That is the way this audit...