Results 25,701-25,720 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Leaders' Questions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am still trying to figure out all the facts. I appreciate the Deputy's sentiment that decisions we make on this should be based on facts. We are really letting people down, particularly the women of Ireland, with regard to women's health if we make decisions that are not based on fact. We do not yet have all the facts. That is why we need to have the HIQA inquiry. That is why we need a...

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is still intended to do it. There are two reasons for the delay. First, the legislation, as I announced it in 2015, was to be the Health Information and Patient Safety Bill. To fast-track the mandatory open disclosure of serious reportable events, the Bill is to be split. The patient safety aspect is to be withdrawn in order that the Bill can be fast-tracked. The Minister will bring...

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: What was done, for example, was providing for voluntary open disclosure via the Civil Liability Act, as passed last year, and periodic payment. To move away from a system of awards of €15 million and €20 million, we now have periodic payment orders which allow payments to be made over a period of time and which can be reviewed as a patient's case changes. That legislation was...

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It has been enacted.

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I had hoped I had explained. I obviously did not but I will try again to explain the situation as I did earlier. A decision was taken in 2015 as part of a package of patient safety measures I announced, many of which have now happened. I have listed some of the measures that happened over the past two years. A lot has been done. At the time it was my intention to do mandatory open...

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There is no legislation promised.

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There is no legislation promised but I am happy to be associated with the Deputy's remarks.

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: On the programme for Government commitment, I am not sure if the Minister has announced this yet but that pilot has started or is about to start, using ten post offices around the country to provide enhanced services. With regard to the offer to the postmasters, that is a voluntary retirement scheme, allowing them to retire if they so wish. It is intended that where somebody retires as...

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There is no specific commitment in that regard. Chronic Lyme disease is a controversial diagnosis but I will ask the Minister for Health to provide a more detailed reply to the Deputy.

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am glad the Deputy has confirmed what Fianna Fáil Deputies do every week.

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am happy to report to Deputy McConalogue that USC has been reduced in the past two budgets and good progress is being made in that regard. Prior to that, in coalition with the Labour Party, Fine Gael took hundreds of thousands of people out of the USC net. We are making good progress in relieving people of the tax that Fianna Fáil imposed upon them during the crisis. As I indicated...

Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There is no specific commitment on that matter in the programme for Government but Deputy Eugene Murphy is correct that we have far too few consultant rheumatologists, of whom there are only two in the entire country, for a country of our size and young population. The HSE is working on a proposal to increase the number of consultant rheumatologist posts and for that to be backed up by...

Ceisteanna - Questions: General Data Protection Regulation (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. I am satisfied that the data protection measures in place in my Department are robust. There are secure policies and procedures in place for paper files and electronic data. All information and communication technology, ICT, systems operated within my Department are securely managed. Access to the systems is controlled...

Ceisteanna - Questions: General Data Protection Regulation (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Micheál Martin mentioned the unique role of Oireachtas Members in serving their constituents. I echo what he said. I know that it is a concern, certainly among members of my parliamentary party and the Cabinet, that we should not bring forward data protection laws that would restrict Deputies and Senators in doing the work they have been doing for years and decades in serving...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 6 together. The international, EU and Northern Ireland division of my Department covers work on all international, EU, British-Irish and Northern Ireland affairs within the Department, including Brexit issues. The division supports me in my international role including as a member of the European Council and in my other EU and international...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the leaders of the various parties for attending the all-island civic dialogue and staying to hear the contributions of other leaders. Many leaders stayed well into the day to speak to some of the young people who were in attendance. I thank leaders for that. This valuable dialogue has taken place on a number of occasions. It is not just about politicians talking to politicians -...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The deadline for finalising the withdrawal agreement has always been October. I am not sure if that has been understood by everyone.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The deadline for finalising the withdrawal agreement has always been October. We expect to see substantial and real progress on the text in June. If that does not happen, we will have to question at that point whether it is going to be possible to come to an agreement at all. We have been very clear on that, as has the EU. On Deputy Boyd Barrett's question, the Government is of course...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Project Ireland 2040 Administration (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 10, inclusive, together. Cabinet Committee D last met on 1 February 2018. The next meeting of the committee has been scheduled for 8 May next. The overall objective of Cabinet Committee D on infrastructure is to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the development and implementation of policy regarding housing, infrastructure investment and delivery,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Project Ireland 2040 Administration (1 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid that I do not have any information on the sale of Ardmore Studios. The Deputy may wish to raise the matter with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe.