Results 26,221-26,240 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is always the case that additional staff are taken on over the summer period so I imagine that this is happening or has happened. Some 770,000 passport applications have been processed to date. This gives an indication of the increase in demand because of people availing themselves of their right to Irish citizenship and because of more people being able to afford to travel abroad.

Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Eir is a private company that-----

Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----the party opposite sold off. Perhaps the Deputy may wish to contact the company directly. Certainly, as far as the national broadband plan and the associated contract are concerned, the contract will be signed this year.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Risk Assessment (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. The national risk assessment is an annual exercise which aims to ensure a broad-based and inclusive debate on the strategic risks facing the country. One of the lessons of the recent crisis is that Government did not pay enough attention to dissenting opinions and the national risk assessment provides an opportunity for an open and inclusive...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Risk Assessment (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I will deal first Deputy Heydon's question on the very risk of overheating of our economy. This is a very real risk but one which we should not over-exaggerate.. The enormous political challenge over the next couple of months, or perhaps the next year, is to break the cycle of boom and bust that we have had in Ireland for generations, the procyclical economic policies that slash taxes and...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Risk Assessment (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: That indicates rents are stabilising and that the policy of rent pressure zones is working. The 600,000 tenants who have not experienced a significant rent increase in the past year or so know that. The risk assessments on Brexit are real and serious. It all depends on the type of Brexit, whether it is a hard Brexit or one where the UK stays in the customs union and is aligned with the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Risk Assessment (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Ministers are more prominent at press conferences. We are also more prominent at the meetings. What has been different over the past year or two is that during a weather emergency Ministers have been involved by attending the meetings and the press conferences.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): National Risk Assessment (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: While one inevitably comes in for criticism for this let us not forget the alternative, which was provided by Fianna Fáil and the Green Party during the major snow event of 2010. The then Minister for Transport, former Deputy Noel Dempsey, was away in Malta and the then Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in the Custom House decided he was not responsible at all...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 7, inclusive, together. I was pleased to welcome the Belgian Prime Minister, Mr. Charles Michel, to Government Buildings on Thursday, 24 May, where we had a constructive and friendly meeting. Belgium and Ireland have excellent bilateral relations, including strong trade relations. We are also like-minded on many EU issues and we discussed how to...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Howlin asked whether it would be possible to extend the Article 50 deadline beyond 29 March 2019. I understand that is possible under the treaties, but could only be done by unanimity - it would require all 27 member states to agree to it. Currently the United Kingdom has not asked for it and I do not see any benefit in offering it at this stage. I believe the UK needs to make...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Legislative Programme (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 10, inclusive, together. My Department has responsibility for the National Economic and Social Council, NESC. The National Economic and Social Council statutory basis is as a body under the framework of the National Economic and Social Development Office Act 2006. This framework is no longer necessary and Government has agreed that it should be...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Legislative Programme (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: On the question raised earlier by Deputy Boyd Barrett in regard to multinational tax evasion, I did not discuss that issue at my meeting with Prime Minister Michel but we did discuss the issue of digital taxation and the EU Commission's proposal for a digital levy, of which Belgium is a supporter and Ireland is not because we take the view that corporation tax should be applied where value is...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Legislative Programme (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: If it was amended such that some of the nonsense was taken out of it, we would.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Legislative Programme (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: We will not use NAMA because that would require EU Commission clearance and that would set the process back a year or two. 2 o’clock That is why we will set up an agency de novo, which will take control of public landbanks to make them available for development and buy up private land if appropriate and do the same with that. That is perhaps something we should have done decades...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Legislative Programme (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It has been done in the past on a certain scale with Grangegorman and the docklands but this needs to be done in all our big cities if not nationwide. There is a lot of work done on contingency planning for Brexit. We should be in a position to publish some of that, probably in the next couple of weeks. As is always the case we would be happy to offer a briefing to party leaders on...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Legislative Programme (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----is gluing up the system. It is legislation which, to quote Senator Nash, could have been written "on the back of a receipt". Officials having to deal with that sort of stuff is causing problems and we should be honest about that. We should also be honest about the way we manage our time in the House in respect of the Dáil sitting for another week to get important legislation...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Strategies (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Department's new Statement of Strategy published earlier this year reflects the role of the Department to support the Taoiseach and the Government to develop a sustainable economy and a successful society, to pursue Ireland’s interests abroad, to implement the Government’s Programme, and to build a better future for Ireland and all her citizens. The Department will provide...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Commemorative Medals (13 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I can confirm that my Department has previously examined this case and decided to posthumously award an appropriate medal. Given the significance of the posthumous award of a medal, the question arises as to whom the medal should be given. The normal procedure is that the medal is given to the next of kin of the deceased person. My Department has been in correspondence regarding the...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. I had the opportunity to watch the programme last night. It was an excellent programme. What we saw last night on "RTÉ Investigates" was a disturbing picture that tells us that we have a long way to go when it comes to waste enforcement in Ireland, and that what is happening in some - perhaps many - parts of the country is seriously...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I hope Deputy Micheál Martin-----