Results 29,141-29,160 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Brexit Preparations (16 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I last saw Prime Minister May on the margins of the Special European Council meeting on 10 April. I had spoken to Prime Minister May by phone on the evening of 8 April, when we discussed her letter to Donald Tusk seeking an extension of the Article 50 deadline, and preparations for the European Council Summit on Wednesday 10 April. I repeated to PM May my openness to an extension of the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: National Digital Strategy (16 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is currently at an advanced stage in the development of a new National Digital Strategy, to help Ireland maximise the economic and societal benefits from digitalisation and its transformative effects. The Strategy is being led as a shared effort by the Department of the Taoiseach; the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment; the Department of Business,...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committee Meetings (16 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Committee last met on 1st April 2019 and was attended by Ministers and Senior Officials from the Departments of Finance; 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; Defence; An Garda Siochána and Defence Forces. The...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue again. Back in 2012 when the national broadband plan was announced, only about 20% of homes, businesses and farms in Ireland had access to high-speed broadband. By the time this Fine Gael-Independent Government came to office that was at 50%. It is now up to 75%.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The national broadband plan as a policy driven by private investment has brought about a situation where the number of-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will start again.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I would like to start again.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I again thank the Deputy for raising this important issue which is of huge interest to people in rural Ireland and all parts of Ireland. Back in 2012 when the national broadband plan was announced, only about 20% of homes, businesses and farms in Ireland had access to high-speed broadband. By the time this Fine Gael-Independent Government came to office that was at 50%. It is now up around...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Many people are opposed to private investment in communications but it has delivered 75% coverage already at no cost to the taxpayer. Now is the point when the Government needs to intervene to ensure that the next 25%, 540,000 homes, farms and businesses across Ireland, over 1 million people, are connected to high-speed broadband. I am happy to confirm and clarify one or two things that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Not to my knowledge, but the decision has yet to be made by Cabinet. The decision that will be made by Cabinet in the next couple of weeks is whether to accept the bid and to designate this bidder as the preferred bidder, at which point contracts will have to be drawn up and signed, and that will take a few more months after that. The contract is not only to build this network; the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In terms of investment in infrastructure, we should bear the following in mind: in the past 20 years in Ireland, we have invested €40 billion in our roads connecting our cities by motorways, bypasses, local, regional and national roads all over the country; in the past 20 years in Ireland, we have invested €10 billion in our sewerage and water network - perhaps we should have...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: First, I said it was my objective to have this decision made by Easter.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I did not give an assurance that it would be made by Easter.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: At the time, I stated bluntly and explicitly that one of the reasons we were not in a position to make a decision is because we did not know whether there would be a crash-out Brexit last week and the Government could not make major financial decisions with the risk of that hanging over us in the past couple of weeks.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is exactly what I said at the time.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Second, Deputy McDonald did not hear the answer that I gave Deputy Micheál Martin and I will give it again. I have looked at the memorandums. I have confirmed that the memorandum that was brought to Cabinet by the then Minister, Mr. Rabbitte, in 2014 gave an estimate of this project costing up to €512 million, specifically. That was for extending high-speed broadband to 1,100...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----not from there onwards-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----to every home and business in Ireland.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is not the case that there was ever a €500 million cap on the subsidy and it is not the case that there was only one indicative bid put in. I want to put those facts out on the table-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----because we constantly heard otherwise. We should not forget what is involved. This programme is about extending high-speed broadband to over 500,000 homes, farms and businesses. It is a major project, possibly the biggest investment ever made in rural Ireland and possibly as important as rural electrification. It is not going to be done cheaply and quickly. As already stated, we need...