Results 25,981-26,000 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (22 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: That will all be graphed and mapped out in the Sláintecare implementation plan, which, I anticipate, will be published certainly before the summer recess.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (22 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I would need another seven or eight minutes to answer all the questions.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (22 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I have not read that story.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (22 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I answered that in Monday's newspapers.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (22 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy would expect, there is close co-operation between my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which has primary responsibility for matters relating to Northern Ireland, North-South co-operation 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...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (22 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: First, I strongly and warmly welcome the statement by the four parties in Northern Ireland - the Alliance Party, the SDLP, Sinn Féin and the Green Party - expressing their view that they want Northern Ireland to stay within the structures of the Single Market and the customs union, and presumably to remain part of the European Economic Area. I am conscious of the fact that, when we add...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Estimates Process (22 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 5, inclusive, together. At the end of April, a further Revised Estimate for my Department was voted through the House. This further Revised Estimate reduced my Department's 2018 net budget allocation by €2.5 million, from €35.89 million to €33.39 million. My Department's original Revised Estimate showed a net reduction of 2% on...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Estimates Process (22 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There is probably only a few hundred thousand left of the original allocation to the SCU apart from what has been allocated or committed already. Deputy Howlin is right to identify that point. The budget was originally to be €5 million but it has been cut in half because the unit is being wound down and will cease to exist in approximately two months' time. Behaviour and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Estimates Process (22 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is now intended to consult the other party leaders on those questions in the next few weeks.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Estimates Process (22 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is a survey that is designed to assess citizens' awareness of Departments and agencies, and what they do, their satisfaction with them and what improvements they would like to see. I look forward to the input of party leaders in suggesting additional questions or amending some of the questions. The outcome will be published for everyone to see. It will be repeated over time to see if...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Strategic Communications Unit (22 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The report from this review was accepted by Government on 27 March last and published on the same date. This is now being implemented. In accordance with the report, there will be a managed reversion to the more traditional GIS model, with a transition period until July 2018. At the time of the review and its accompanying reports, some information from a specific company was still...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (22 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Since I was appointed Taoiseach on 14 June 2017, I met with Google and Facebook on the following occasions. On 12 September 2017 I met with the Vice President of Google where our discussions included Google’s plans for their operations in Ireland, and ongoing technological trends and the resultant regulatory challenges. I had a three day visit to Seattle, Silicon Valley and...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: National Digital Strategy Implementation (22 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Action Plan for Jobs 2018 commits to the development of a framework for a high level National Digital Strategy. The purpose of the Strategy is to provide a coherent vision across sectoral policies, which relate to digital matters. The Strategy will enable Ireland to maximise the economic and societal benefits that arise from ongoing digitalisation. A Digital Strategy...

Leaders' Questions (23 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I echo the comments of Deputy Martin. When this debate around the referendum started some months ago, I expressed my hope that the debate would be respectful and would never be personalised. With a few exceptions the debate has been broadly respectful of opinions on both sides. In almost all cases, it has not been personalised and that has been welcome. It is very different from the...

Leaders' Questions (23 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I also thank them for showing leadership within their own parties on this issue, which is not always the easiest thing to do. I have often heard people describe this as the Government's proposal in debates on television and radio. It is a proposal being put forward by the Government, but it is much more than that. It has wide cross-party support and arose from recommendations from an...

Leaders' Questions (23 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----and Deputy Lisa Chambers, people from my party such as Senator Catherine Noone and Deputy Kate O'Connell, people from the Labour Party and from Sinn Féin, and others. Therefore, while it is a Government proposal it has cross-party support, if not universal support. It had its origins in the Citizens' Assembly-----

Leaders' Questions (23 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----which was established almost two years ago by my forebear, the former Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny. The assembly took into account the views of 100 citizens who sat through all of the evidence for weeks on end and did not come to their recommendations lightly.

Leaders' Questions (23 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: This is a good example of new politics working.

Leaders' Questions (23 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: We listened to citizens, co-operated on an all-party basis and then put a proposal to the people. I confirm what Deputy Martin said. Head 4 in the general scheme refers specifically to viability. It says that terminations will not occur on the grounds of health or risk to the life of the mother if the child can survive outside of the womb. In such cases, doctors will perform an early...

Leaders' Questions (23 May 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Micheál Martin made a very good suggestion in appealing to employers to facilitate staff who want to participate in the referendum. I hope there will be a big turnout. In the referendum in 1983, only 55% of people voted. I hope more people will take part in the upcoming referendum, an important exercise in democracy. I very much appeal to employers to allow their staff to make...