Results 26,861-26,880 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I recently met with Pope Francis during his visit to Dublin Castle on Saturday 25th August. The meeting provided an opportunity for both of us to discuss a number of issues, though regrettably not in any great depth because of the short duration of the meeting. On 22nd January 2018 I met with representatives of the Church of Ireland, Presbyterian and Methodist Churches in a formal...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Communications (2 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The LoCall 1890 Number was originally intended to offer reduced call costs to the caller through an arrangement where the cost of the call was shared between the caller and the service provider. This remains the case for many calls originating from landlines. A LoCall 1890 phone number is one element of a wider suite of contact channels, including a geographic phone number, email, social...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I know that the issue of housing is of huge concern to people across the country and that many will express that concern by attending the protest today. I know that many people are frustrated by the pace of delivery. I, too, am frustrated by it, as is everyone in government. We all understand and share those concerns and frustrations and the desire to get results much more quickly. The...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is an emergency. I am on record as having said that as far back as January or February of this year, if not long before that. Of course it is an emergency. If it was not an emergency, we would not be spending €60 million a year to put people up in emergency accommodation, we would not have brought in rent caps in urban areas and we would not have brought about fast-track...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I have acknowledged before that the country faces a housing crisis. I acknowledged many months ago that this is an emergency and because it is an emergency, we have taken emergency actions. Some €60 million is being spent this year on providing emergency accommodation for people who need it, so that they have a roof over their heads. Emergency powers have been brought in to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: A declaration of something does not build any houses or change any policies. It does not provide any resources. In many ways, that sums up the Sinn Féin policy on housing.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is to make declarations and speeches, and to play politics-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----but not to put forward solutions that are workable or, in many cases, affordable.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Sinn Féin has no credibility on housing. Let us not forget that, according to the Simon Community, 200,000 people are homeless in Northern Ireland. I appreciate there are different ways of counting homelessness but 200,000 is a lot of people. We see Sinn Féin councillors all over the country voting down social and affordable housing proposals, including on Dublin City Council and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: In Northern Ireland, where there is a housing crisis, Sinn Féin walked out of office over a renewable heat initiative and will not go back in.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: In councils all around the country, Sinn Féin votes down social and affordable housing-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----because the truth is that Sinn Féin does not want to solve this problem but wants it to get worse because it believes it can benefit from it politically.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: That is a real shame.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Taoiseach knows which amendment I am referring to. That is what the Government needs to do. If he is prepared to do that, he should say so and, if not, he should make that clear. Let us then go out to the gate and we will test who has the credibility problem.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: As is so evident, Sinn Féin's only interest when it comes to housing-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----is to exploit this issue for political gain and try to turn it into a party political issue. That is what it is seeking to do today in the Chamber and no doubt that is what it will seek to do outside the House today. We have heard the charge again that the Government or Fine Gael has some ideological objection to social housing-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----and that we believe the market provides all the solutions. That is a political charge. I expect to hear political charges from Sinn Féin but I am disappointed to hear it from others. That charge is absolute bunkum. This is a housing crisis and an emergency. In a crisis or an emergency, one tries to provide new homes as quickly as possible by any mechanism one can find. That...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----approved housing bodies or through private developers. It can be social, affordable, cost rental or for purchase. The real ideologues are the people who think there is only one way to provide housing and only one mechanism that is legitimate.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: This is a crisis. This is an emergency, and therefore we will try to provide new homes and apartments throughout the country by any and all mechanisms possible, as quickly as possible. That is our policy and that is why we will build 20,000 new homes and apartments this year in Ireland, more than in any other year this decade.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Protest is part of democracy. Provided the protest is lawful and peaceful then it is welcome. I have no objection to anyone taking part in protests to highlight important issues that affect society, because they highlight issues and spur us on to do more to deal with them. That is my view on that. Any protest that is peaceful and lawful should be welcomed in a democracy, and I do. ...