Results 27,981-28,000 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is important to state that medicines - antidepressants, anxiolytics and anti-psychotics - have a role to play in the treatment of mental illness. I know the Deputy is not disputing that and does not disagree with it. When these medicines are prescribed, it is by general practitioners or psychiatrists. I am sure that in the vast majority of cases when these medicines are prescribed,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The CervicalCheck tribunal Bill is one of only six Bills on the priority list and our intention is to have it in the House and enacted before the summer recess. I am told that setting up a tribunal of this nature, which is different from previous tribunals in the sense that it will have to assess liability and not just the level of compensation paid, is novel and it will be difficult to do,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: An bhliain seo.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I recall that when the Deputy raised the issue previously, I made inquiries of the HSE and the Department of Health about it. I put across our very strong instruction from Government that a slide should be provided without undue delay. I understand there can be delays at different points before a slide can be sent to a laboratory, and the solicitor has to indicate which laboratory they want...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The children's hospital may be located in Dublin but it is a children's hospital for all of Ireland and sick children from Kerry who need specialist care will get that specialist care in that hospital. It will be one of the best in the world, with over 300 beds, individual rooms, rooms for parents to stay overnight, five MRI machines and 15 theatres. It is going to be a hospital of enormous...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. This is still a work in progress and no Government decision has been made yet. However, there are two things I can say. I appreciate that there is a feeling out there that because people's house values have increased to such an extent in the past couple of years, they will see a corresponding increase in their property tax rates. That will not happen. We will reform...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to speak with the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, or Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, to get an update on the matter. The Deputy's point is well made. We will achieve nothing if all we are do is encourage people to cross the Border to buy alcohol in Northern Ireland. That does nothing for their health and it damages retailers in counties south of the Border. That...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Perhaps the best comfort I can provide is twofold. First, we will work with the European Union to ensure we are part of any agreement with the UK on ongoing co-operation on health. Second, and perhaps most important, I note that our investment in the National Treatment Purchase Fund and in reducing waiting times for operations and procedures is working. At the end of July 2017, 10,000...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I do not think so.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy will be aware that the operations are being paid for by the Government, which is to say by the Irish taxpayer and not by Deputy Healy-Rae.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will take the first one and leave the second and third questions to the Ministers, Deputies Flanagan and Regina Doherty. The Government is very aware of the impact of increasing insurance costs on individuals, households and businesses, including marts. We have had a long-standing engagement with the industry, the Central Bank and the Courts Service on this issue. That was initially...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. Cabinet committee B last met on 22 October 2018. While the date of the next meeting of the committee has yet to be finalised, it will likely that it will take place in early 2019. Cabinet committee B covers social policy and public services, including education, children, social inclusion, the Irish language, arts and...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In the context of the arts, the House will be aware that the Government gave a commitment to double our spending on arts and culture over a seven-year period. That roughly equates to an increase of 10% or 10.5% every year. We exceeded that in the budget for 2019. There will be a 12% increase in funding for arts, culture and heritage. That is a combination of current and capital funding....

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 16, inclusive, together because almost all of them relate exclusively to my recent visit to Africa.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy is correct. I will raise that with my office when I get back. There are 12 questions here which could be broken into two groups, one about Africa, which is in the past, and the other about future meetings.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I take the Deputy's point. I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 16, inclusive, together. I travelled to Mali and Ethiopia from 6 to 11 January to see at first hand the work being done by our Defence Forces, by Irish Aid and by our diplomatic and other representatives. My visit also allowed me to get the perspective of African leaders on Ireland's contribution to the deepening partnership...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I acknowledge that all Deputies welcomed my visit to Africa. It was a real privilege to have the opportunity to visit Africa and represent the country there. It was the first official visit by a Taoiseach, I believe, in more than ten years and reflects our increasing and deepening engagement with Africa, through the European Union and the UN; bilaterally; through our Defence Forces, which...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Communications (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 23, inclusive, together. Prime Minister May and I are in regular contact, both directly and through our offices. Our last contact was just before I went to Africa. Our most recent meeting was in Brussels on the morning of the European Council meeting of 13 December. We discussed the state of play with Brexit and in particular what she hoped to...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Communications (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I do not remember the exact date of my last contact with Theresa May but it was by telephone about ten days ago. I think it was the day I was in Munich or the day after that when I was in Paris. We had pencilled in a call for the week gone by but given all the events in Westminster that did not happen. I do not anticipate I will speak to her today. The motion of no confidence is happening...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Communications (16 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: That was my reading of it.