Results 28,121-28,140 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Everyone in the House will acknowledge that it takes less time to ask questions than it does to answer them, and I think I counted approximately 11 questions, but I will do my best to answer as many as I can. I acknowledge the recruitment and retention of nurses and midwives is a problem and an issue. We are struggling to recruit in large parts of the public and private sectors at the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: More people are joining the health service than leaving, with approximately 5% leaving the profession every year.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The turnover rate is 15% in Australia so people are three times more likely to leave the Australian health service than the Irish public health service. Those figures come from the Public Sector Pay Commission and are independent and can be accredited. As I understand it, a codicil is a legal amendment after the fact to a treaty or agreement. We have seen no proposals from London or...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Bilateral arrangements or agreements are something we have to be very cautious about. There has been enormous European unity across the 27 member states. Where states engage in bilateral agreements, it needs to be done with the knowledge of the European Commission. For example, when it comes to the common travel area, it is something provided for in the withdrawal agreement and the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I do not understand the Deputy's question.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I think the answer is "No", but I do not understand the question.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I assure the House that the fact that we have given the commission an extension of one year to finish its work will not impact on the timeline for the excavations at Tuam. They will happen on the basis of the timeline indicated previously. The Minister and I heard what was asked for by some of the elderly former residents of the mother and baby home in Tuam and will certainly give it...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I can absolutely give the Deputy a commitment that it is full steam ahead with the Atlantic economic corridor and improving our road infrastructure between Cork, Limerick, Shannon, Galway and on to Sligo. Much of the work has already been done, as the Deputy knows, including the Gort to Tuam section and south, beyond Limerick. This morning, the Cabinet approved the upgrade of the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am not sure if this relates to Questions on Promised Legislation. We had an opportunity on Leaders' Questions already to discuss the impending nurses' strike and I am sure we will have other opportunities to do so in the future. The Deputy is correct that appointments are cancelled for any number of reasons but 10,000 specialist appointments and 1,000 operations cancelled for tomorrow is...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister of State, Deputy English, is working on that particular issue. I will ask him to provide the Deputy with an update. The Deputy will be aware that we have organised a major jobs and employment fair for Tipperary town, which is happening on Friday. Nine hundred invitations have been issued and two Cabinet Ministers, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I understand the legislation to which Deputy Catherine Murphy referred is awaiting Second Stage. For reasons of which the House will be aware, we have only been able to prioritise six items of legislation for this session through to the end of March. The decision in the Department of Health, which I believe was the right one, was to prioritise the legislation on CervicalCheck and...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy McLoughlin for raising this important issue and recognise his advocacy down through the years in campaigning for this important road project to go ahead. The N4, from Castlebaldwin to Colooney, is one of the most dangerous roads in Ireland and a road on which many people have lost their lives. This is about road safety but also about economic development and bringing more...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In that case, the State is not the employer. The employers of these supervisors are charities, NGOs and private bodies. It is, unfortunately, one of those areas - there are quite a number across the public service - in which the Government is not the employer but instead funds, or is the major funder of, the body that employs the people.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I read that because I was Minister for Social Protection for a while. The State is not the employer in that case.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I understand, from the previous Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton, that the hours were increased but that it has not yet reached that threshold. I will ask the current Minister, Deputy McHugh, to provide a more detailed response.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: First, I cannot confirm the figure. Second, the Minister is before the Joint Committee on Health taking questions on the matter. That is where Deputies will find him if they are looking for him.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I do not have any evidence of a cartel. If Deputy Fitzpatrick is aware of any evidence which indicates-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----that a crime has occurred, it should be furnished to the National Consumer and Competition Authority.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I have not seen the report. Perhaps the Minister for Finance has seen it but I have not. Until he or I have seen it, I cannot comment on the contents.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Decisions on the VAT rate are made by Revenue, they are not the responsibility of Government. We need to make a distinction between food supplements in respect of which health claims that are backed up by science are made and those that are backed up by pseudoscience. This is an issue we will be discussing a great deal more.