Results 27,861-27,880 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (18 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I concur with Deputy Micheál Martin's remarks about Atlas of the Irish Revolution. It is an excellent publication and the kind of book one would like to spend a lot of time with if one could find the time. Perhaps I will spend some time reading it over the Christmas recess. I also concur with him on what he said about the work of former President McAleese and her husband Martin. I...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Brexit Issues (18 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I spoke with Prime Minister May by phone on Sunday evening, 9thDecember. We discussed the situation on Brexit, including the vote in Westminster which, at that time, was scheduled for Tuesday 11thDecember but which was subsequently deferred by the Prime Minister. I restated the Government's position that the backstop is an essential part of the Withdrawal Agreement and expressed my hope that...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: European Council Meetings (18 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I spoke by phone with President Tusk in advance of the European Council on 13 and 14 December. We discussed his plans for the handling of discussions on Brexit as well as other items on the European Council agenda. President Tusk reiterated his strong solidarity for Ireland's position, and his view that the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, which was approved by the UK Government on 14 November...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I join the Ceann Comhairle and the Leader of the Opposition and take this opportunity to wish all Members of the Dáil and Seanad a very happy and peaceful Christmas. In particular I thank those who work here, including all the staff in the Oireachtas and members of the press corps, without whom we could not do our work. Their professionalism makes it a pleasure to come here every week.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I would like to spare a moment to think of those who are no longer with us, including those who passed away in the year gone by and those who have retired. We are thinking of them today. I hope that everybody over the break will have the opportunity to spend time with families, friends and those who are dear to them. Perhaps Members will rediscover their constituencies, and I look forward...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: This is about sequencing. It is not about secrecy. The European Commission will produce its papers today and we will have a paper this evening. It is a paper I have not seen yet because it is not yet finished precisely because we must have the European Commission paper first. I hope or expect to get it between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. today. Once I have read it and shared it with Cabinet, I...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is not ready yet.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Never mind roll-over Leo, I am starting to wonder where Mary Lou is these days.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: That clearly indicates the priorities of Sinn Féin during the busiest and most important week of a Dáil session. To answer the question, the special liquidators of IBRC announced yesterday that they will shortly commence the payment of the final dividend of 50% to admitted unsecured creditors of IBRC. This payment represents the final instalment of amounts owed to this class of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is important to recall what happened. Anglo Irish Bank was a bad bank that went bust and caused enormous damage to the country. It was bailed out by a previous Government of Fianna Fáil and the Green Party to the tune of €30 billion and we will not see very much of that money ever again. The Fine Gael-Labour Party Government that replaced that Government adopted a different...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Our Brexit contingency planning for both the central case scenario of a deal and the no-deal scenario requires upgrading works to be carried out at Dublin Airport, Dublin Port and Rosslare Europort in recognition of the fact that Rosslare Europort is a major national asset as a port that can be used as an alternative to Dublin Port and one through which there is a lot of trade between Ireland...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The N11 has been improved and the new Enniscorthy-New Ross bypass will be completed in 2019. The Oilgate to Rosslare Harbour project has not yet been done, but it is going to plan and the Government is continuing the work which the Deputy helped to initiate in improving road access to Rosslare and County Wexford more generally. Irish Ferries' decision to consider moving the WB Yeatsto the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I absolutely agree that we need diversity in port access. We have a very successful and well performing port in Dublin, but there are others too and they are expanding. For example, the Port of Cork has major expansion plans under way, as do Shannon Foynes deep water port and Rosslare Europort. It is important and factual to point out that the investment happening in Dublin Port, Shannon...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: That is how it works. It is not the case that taxpayer's or Government money is being given to Dublin, Cork and Shannon Foynes ports and not to Rosslare Europort. It is that Dublin Port, the Port of Cork and Shannon Foynes Port are so commercially successful that they can fund infrastructural developments from the fees they charge port users. The same applies to Dublin Airport, for...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----the name of which I forget, but it would require primary legislation here and at Westminster to change it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Anglo Irish Bank was not bailed out by a Fine Gael-led Government but by a Fianna Fáil-led Government. We did not give it any extra money; we did not give it a red cent. In fact, we liquidated it, or the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, as it was called at the time. At the end of the liquidation there was, unexpectedly, money left over, which now goes to the creditors, including the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----but it is well deserved and they work very hard for it. They are very professional. It is, however, less than the figure for gardaí, for whom the average salary is about €70,000. We have a real difficulty with the current pay claim and need to be honest and upfront with the country about it. The claim is for a 12% increase in pay, parity with physiotherapists,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: We would have to borrow it. When we start to borrow money to fund pay increases, we go back to where we were before. We do not want to make those mistakes again.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy is offering a false and bogus solution, and that is wrong. It is disrespectful to nurses and midwives to offer a false and bogus solution.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: A pay rise is not just one-off. A pay rise is recurring and has to happen every year. The Deputy is suggesting is to settle it this year but then take the money back off them next year. That would be wrong.