Results 28,881-28,900 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is impossible to answer questions, a Cheann Comhairle.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am not precious about these things but I listen-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I listen quietly to everyone's question, I write it down and I try to answer it but I am constantly interrupted.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Ceann Comhairle. Out of respect to the students and young people who came here to hear my answer, I am going to give them an answer. As I said earlier, all of us in this House were very inspired and encouraged by the protests that students engaged in all around the world. They put it up to us, the adults, the politicians, to get more done, not just to talk about climate...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy referred to legislation. The Government has already accepted during the term of this Dáil three Private Members' Bills to improve our environment: Deputy McLoughlin's Bill to ban fracking, which has now been banned in Ireland; Deputy Pringle's legislation to prevent the State investing in fossil fuels, that has been passed and we worked with the Deputy on that, and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We do know that we will continue to need to use natural gas as a transitional fuel. Renewable energy at the moment cannot provide 100% of our energy needs. We will continue to need natural gas for the foreseeable future, certainly the next few decades.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: If we have to use natural gas surely it is better to use our own natural gas than to import dirty natural gas from North America-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----or natural gas or oil from the Middle East or Venezuela because that means helping to fund regimes that have a very bad human rights record-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----and Russia and China and it also means we would have to import fuel, which is a loss to the Exchequer. That is our principled objection on that. We supported three Bills that make our environment a better place for good reasons. We have a difficulty with this particular Bill because it will not reduce emissions at all. It will have zero impact on emissions.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Second, it may be worse in the longer term-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----because we would have to import gas from other parts of the world. Third, it is bad in terms of energy security because we would have to rely on Russia, China-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----the Middle East and Venezuela. Finally, it is a bad idea economically. It is bad for Cork, Killybegs, Foynes and all of the places where there are jobs to come from exploration, particularly when it comes to Bord Gáis-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----but because I am speaking facts I am being shouted down again so I will sit down.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is very committed to continuing to improve, expand and develop our National Ambulance Service. We have increased the budget for the National Ambulance Service every year for four years running. That money goes towards several objectives. It goes towards pay restoration, pay increases, extra staff, new ambulances, improving our existing ambulance bases and introducing new...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Any worker, employee or member of staff is free to join any union they wish to join. There is no argument or dispute about that matter. I understand that part of this dispute relates to the fact that the HSE is not willing to deduct union dues at source from the salaries of staff-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----and that is a different matter entirely. Any employer, whether it is a public sector employer or private sector employer, should not be forced by law or required to deduct union dues from people's pay-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is up to people if they want to pay those dues-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----and that should be a matter for them. As I say, this is an industrial relations dispute-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----and will be resolved in the normal way. It will not involve an intervention from the Minister.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am sorry, I may not have all the information to hand and will have to ask the Minister for Health to provide a more detailed answer. Only one of those matters relates to promised legislation, and that is the legislation to establish the tribunal recommended by Mr. Justice Meenan. Work on that is advanced. It is one of only six Bills that we have prioritised for this session and we intend...