Results 28,141-28,160 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

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

Leo Varadkar: Pregnant women require folic acid. I am not sure that will be affected by the increase.

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

Leo Varadkar: Never, a Cheann Comhairle. They are not interested in the answers. The Ceann Comhairle knows that as well as I do. I will check out the situation with folic acid but I repeat that the decision is made by Revenue, not the Government. On cataracts-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. The Government legislation programme was published on 15 January and sets out our legislative priorities until March 2019. There are six Bills on the priority list for publication this session. Three are Brexit-related; the miscellaneous provisions (withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019)...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will do my best. I was asked about the legislation at the start and we will have the legislation done on time. Some countries have no legislation done and I am not sure the British will have the legislation done on time but we will. The heads have been published and the Bill will be published on 22 February. If we can publish it any sooner than that, we certainly will do so. It is...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----and because we kept borrowing at a minimal level, we now have the capacity to borrow. This is exactly what I mean when I talk about breaking out of the boom and bust cycle. What we saw in the past was that-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We raised some taxes as well, as the Deputy knows.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Quite a lot of money will come in from the VAT increases, as the Deputy knows.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: What we saw in the past, during times of economic growth and times of boom, was that Governments fuelled that and cut taxes and increased spending at unsustainable levels and when we ended up in a financial crisis, there was no headroom and no money and austerity was imposed on people. We will make sure that does not happen no matter what happens with Brexit and because we have managed the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I can.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There are seven more specific questions. I am happy to answer them.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 12, inclusive, together. Cabinet committee D works to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the delivery and ongoing development of policy on infrastructure investment and delivery, housing and climate action. The committee last met on 1 February last and the next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 31 January. Although issues relevant to climate...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: With regard to Deputy Burton's contribution, it is important that we bear in mind Cabinet collective responsibility.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Cabinet decision relating to the site of the national children's hospital was made with the full knowledge of the then Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----who is now the leader of Deputy Burton's party.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In fairness, there is a bit of that going around on all sides. To answer Deputy Boyd Barrett's question, the income thresholds relating to social housing are under review. I do not have a timeline for a decision from the Minister but they are under review and we acknowledge that as incomes rise, more people become ineligible for social housing, which is happening at a time when house...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I do not. The work is under way. A significant part of it is supply. I am sure everyone would agree that our objective is not to get more people on to the social housing list but to provide individuals with social housing so that they come off that list. Approximately 20% of our total housing stock should be public or social housing. It is currently only 10% or thereabouts. From here...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The houses would be owned by people too. Some 600,000 people own their houses. Another 300,000 have mortgages. This means that 900,000 homes are either owned outright or mortgaged. At least 20% of new homes need to be social or public housing units. We do not have the exact figures yet but we think between 18,000 and 20,000 new homes were built in Ireland last year. That is more than in...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We will finish the Enniscorthy to New Ross road this year.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am pleased to see that the price for the N4 project was reasonable and in line with expectations. There are not overruns across the board. Many projects are costing approximately what we anticipated they would. Works will start on the new runway for Dublin Airport in the next couple of weeks. While that is not funded by the Exchequer, it is funded under Project Ireland 2040.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: These projects are happening. When it comes to any capital project, one really only knows what it will cost when the final tender comes in. It is a bit like putting a house on the market. One can estimate what it might cost to buy but it is only when it goes on the market and a final tender is made that one knows what it will really cost. I am not aware of any new public private...