Results 25,921-25,940 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: However, I welcome that it was done. It is part of a genuine effort by the Garda to reform and modernise, both as an organisation and as a workplace. The job now is to make changes, put those changes in place and then repeat the audit, perhaps in a couple of years' time to see whether it has made a difference. That is how the audit cycle works - one finds out what is the issue, one makes...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: We will review that legislation.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: That is correct. This is the first time there was-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----an overarching one. It was initiated by the then Minister, former Deputy Pat Rabbitte, and after that by Deputy Howlin when he was Minister. It was an important step in the right direction as were the sectoral ones prior to that. We may need to build on it further. On the gentleman that Deputy Boyd Barrett mentioned, I wrote back to him after the Deputy raised it with me. I do...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----and I am not in a position to organise employment for people in the public service, as much as I would like to. People need to apply for jobs that are available and that is how people get employment in general.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: With regard to refugees, particularly those who have been invited to this country such as Syrians, which Deputy Burton mentioned, I will make sure we get a detailed reply for the Deputy on access to English language education and training. I do not have an answer on that in front of me. I believe some is available but perhaps not to the extent it should be. The point Deputy Burton makes is...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Policy Functions (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 9, inclusive, together. The role of the social policy and public service reform division is to support me, as Taoiseach, and the Government in delivering on the programme for Government objective of public policies and services that support a socially inclusive and fair society. The division supports the work of Cabinet committee B and the associated...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Policy Functions (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: On the programme for Government, the progress report for year two was cleared by the Cabinet this morning and we will publish it at the most opportune moment in the next couple of days or weeks. It sets out all that has been achieved by the Government since it took office two years ago and signals what it wants to achieve in the next two or three years, should it survive that long. I...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Policy Functions (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: On the structures below it, the recommendations made in the Sláintecare report are for community health organisations and hospital groups to be realigned. There are community health organisations which are geographical and usually cover two or three counties, or bits of counties, and there are hospital groups which do not align with them. The Sláintecare reports recommends...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Policy Functions (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Ireland East does not align with the CHO but extends from Navan through the Mater Hospital all the way down to Wexford, which made sense from the point of view of putting hospitals together to make them part of an academic group but which did not make sense geographically when it did not align with community health organisations. Putting hospital groups and CHOs together is going back to the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 15, inclusive, together. The Government approved the establishment of Cabinet committee C on 5 July 2017. This Cabinet committee covers issues relating to the European Union and assists the Government in its ongoing consideration of Brexit. It also supports my participation as a member of the European Council. Cabinet committee C first met on...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I will attend the informal Council at the EU-western Balkan summit in Sofia in the next two days. I will have two objectives. First, I will take the opportunity to engage with other Heads of State and Government on EU issues, from Brexit to initial conversations on the next EU budget. I will also be expressing the Government's support for further enlargement into the western Balkans. We...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Functions (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: As you would expect, there is close cooperation between my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which has primary responsibility for matters relating to Northern Ireland, North South cooperation and British Irish relations. Officials from the two Departments work very closely together across the range of issues relating to Northern Ireland and British Irish affairs....

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Functions (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: My Department, as outlined in the Strategy Statement, provides support services for the Taoiseach and the Government, including the Independent Members of Government, through the Government Secretariat, the Parliamentary Liaison Unit, the Programme for Government Office and the Cabinet Committee structure to ensure Government business is managed to the highest standards. The Chief Strategist...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I chaired two Cabinet Committee meetings in April - Cabinet Committee E (Health) and Cabinet Committee G (Justice and Equality).

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Budgets (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: No amount is set aside on an annual basis by my Department for contingent liabilities. If a contingent liability arises, a note is included in the "Miscellaneous" section of my Department's Appropriation Account. My Department's (audited) Appropriation Account is published on an annual basis by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Contracts Data (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has had no contracts with the companies in question during the period in question.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Government approved the establishment of Cabinet Committee C on 5 July 2017. This Cabinet Committee covers issues relating to the European Union, and assists the Government in its ongoing consideration of Brexit. It also supports my participation as a member of the European Council. Cabinet Committee C first met on 11 September 2017 and again on the 13 February this year. The next...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Legal Cases (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Settlements entered into by the State with third parties, do from time to time, contain confidentiality clauses because, for example, of the sensitive or commercial nature of the case. It is sometimes the position that the plaintiff or victim seeks confidentiality, and sometimes part of a settlement only might be subject to a confidentiality clause. The State takes the public interest into...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff Data (15 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Britain and Northern Ireland Section forms part of the International, EU and Northern Ireland Division of my Department which is headed by a Second Secretary General. Within my Department, the Britain and Northern Ireland Section supports me, in my role as Taoiseach, on Northern Ireland matters. The Section also supports me in my contacts with the British Prime Minister more broadly...