Results 28,061-28,080 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I guarantee that the level of scaremongering about what will not be done or what might be cancelled will go well beyond anything remotely connected to reality in terms of what we have to do to find that additional funding for the children's hospital. It is the case that the cost of capital projects across the board are escalating and not just Government projects but also in the private...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: No, it did not.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: That was not for the final complete project.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It was a tender.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It was not the tender for the final cost of the project. That only came in more recently.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Department does not have a communications plan for this year. I am sure there will be many things happening which will may require the involvement of the Department in communications, not least around Brexit. It can be done by my Department or by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The affordable childcare scheme will come in later in the year. We need to make sure the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Most of that will be done, however, by the line Departments. Where something crosses more than one Department, my Department may have an involvement in it.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: As I said, there is no communications plan. Deputy Micheál Martin asked who decides which publications get which advertising contracts. I do not know who decides that but I do know it is not me. I have never made a decision of that kind.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy’s understanding of this and the way he is spinning it is not in line with the facts.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The referendum is still planned for May but we have to get the legislation through.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: My Department had no capital budget for the years in question and therefore had no expenditure with accountancy or consultancy firms in relation to such projects.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committee Meetings (22 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Cabinet Committee F last met on 8 February last year. The meeting was attended by Ministers and Senior Officials from the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform; Foreign Affairs and Trade; Justice and Equality; Health; Communications, Climate Action and Environment; Transport, Tourism and Sport; Housing, Planning and Local Government; and Defence. Arrangements are being...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Commissions of Investigation (22 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Following receipt of the IBRC Commission’s Fifth Interim Report in November 2018, I consulted with opposition representatives regarding the Commission’s request for a further extension of its reporting deadline. There was a strong shared concern about the level of progress achieved by the Commission to date, the timeframe now proposed for concluding the first module of the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The total amount spent on air travel by my Department for 2018 was €193,560.03. This includes the cost of commercial flights taken by myself, Ministers of State, officials and advisers travelling on official business, particularly in the context of managing EU, British-Irish and international relations. A breakdown of spend between specific airlines is not available. Detailed...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: My Department's expenditure on newspapers and online newspaper subscriptions for 2018 was as follows: 2018 Amount Newspapers €57,970.43 Online newspaper subscriptions €13,575.47 TOTAL €71,545.90 My Department liaises closely with the Office of Government Procurement on all matters related to public procurement and monitors all areas of expenditure, including on...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Before I reply, I want to recognise, on my behalf and on behalf of the Government and my party, the Ceann Comhairle and his staff for organising what was a really appropriate and successful commemoration on Monday.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I also join Deputy Micheál Martin in expressing my condolences to the family and friends of Orla Church. I was filled with sorrow over the weekend when I heard of her untimely passing. I also pay tribute to her and thank her for her contribution to helping the health service to update its guidelines for GPs and others in relation to cervical screening. I recognise that it was a very...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The rationale behind the decision by the Minister, Deputy Harris, to offer a free out-of-cycle smear test back in May or June was to respond to the anxiety of many women that their smear tests may have been misread. It was done in good faith and for good reasons. It was never intended to be a permanent offering - it was only ever intended to last for a few months....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will answer the Deputy's question if he allows me to. I was made aware by the Minister, Deputy Harris, a few weeks ago that there was a backlog, that this was creating problems and, as a result of that, some tests had expired and would have to be repeated.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister, for that reason, is working with the HSE to deal with that and to make sure that additional capacity is found in order to catch up on the backlog.