Results 29,561-29,580 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: This is a matter for the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh, who is currently out of the country. As Deputy O'Loughlin and I discussed, the EPSEN Act has been commenced in part but not in full. Many of the areas that have not been commenced are now a little out of date, given that the legislation is more than 15 years old. As I understand it, it is the intention of the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The budget for the National Ambulance Service is being increased year on year. I think the increase this year is in the region of €5 million. This has allowed for additional staff and ambulances and improved bases in Tuam and Mulranny, among other places around the country. The decision as to how best to allocate ambulances around the country is best made by the experts in this...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Operations (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. The International, EU and Northern Ireland division of my Department covers work on all international, EU and British-Irish and Northern Ireland affairs within the Department, including Brexit. The division assists me in my international role, including as a member of the European Council, and in my other EU and...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Operations (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. As the House will be aware, talks concerning Northern Ireland are under way in Belfast. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is leading the Government's presence in those talks and we are in regular contact. It is fair to say he is more optimistic than before about the prospects of an agreement and he sees it is very...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Operations (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I apologise as I did not have the chance to hear the Deputy's speech. Perhaps we agree on the matter. I will take a look when I get the chance. Deputy Martin asked about the preparedness of business and the Government for Brexit. The Government is, and will be, prepared. Most businesses will be prepared as well but, inevitably, some businesses will not be prepared. I repeat my call...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Programmes (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The role of the social policy and public service reform division is to assist me in Government in delivering on the programme for Government objective of public policies and services which drive a socially inclusive and fair society and to assist in renewing and transforming the public service. The division assists the work of Cabinet committees B, E and G and the associated senior...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Programmes (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies. On the Freedom of Information Act, I am not familiar with the particular court decisions. If my reading of it was correct, some of them may even be on appeal so it might not be resolved as yet. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, as the line Minister, has responsibility for the Freedom of Information Act rather than me. If the Deputy wishes to expand on...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Programmes (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It recommended that we index tax bands and credits and that we index social welfare payments. That would cost more than what I proposed in my policy. The ESRI recommends what I proposed and IFAC did not criticise my proposals on tax. IFAC criticised the Government on spending, which increased by approximately 6% last year, when we should have kept it down to 4% or 5%. This is where the...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 6 together. The economic division in my Department assists me, and the Government, in developing and implementing policy to deliver sustainable and regionally balanced economic growth and quality jobs, promote effective planning and delivery of infrastructure, including housing, and to ensure a whole-of-Government approach to data protection and...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I think I picked up Deputy Howlin as saying that I criticised the Opposition without discernment, but if he looks back over the record, he will find that I actually was discerning. I specifically mentioned Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin but not the Labour Party, which I acknowledge has a good record in Government in terms of managing the public finances. This was the case not only...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is actually, so Deputy Martin should check it.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: More and more people end up paying the higher rate of tax and that is not fair or right. It is costed at approximately €500 million per year to do that for the tax bands.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am coming to that. It is the norm in other countries. It is the policy default position in many countries. Those countries index tax bands and tax credits. This is something that has been recommended by the ESRI. The ESRI has a report out on the issue today.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: How is it done? According to the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, the fiscal space this year is in the region of €3 billion. In future years it could be higher or lower depending on what happens with Brexit. A total of €500 million out of €3 billion fiscal space is approximately 20%. I was asked whether I would prioritise public services and infrastructure over tax...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I should say again that what I suggested and proposed as policy was to be done over the period of a five-year Government and not in this budget or necessarily in any one budget. I stand over the Government's record when it comes to reducing income tax and USC. We have done both in the past three budgets and I make no apologies for that whatsoever. We have reduced the USC to take more...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: That is something I want to change.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will outline what we have done in the past three years, if we add it all up. Income tax and USC reductions have been worth approximately €1,500 per year to the average household. That was a good thing to do. It might not be a vast amount of money, but for a large number of people it is the equivalent of a monthly mortgage repayment, a month's childcare or a month's rent. That...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: As I mentioned before when referring to housing, approximately 18,000 new homes were built in Ireland last year, including houses and apartments. We expect 22,000 or more to be built this year, and many of those new homes and apartments are affordable. They are not designated as such under an affordable scheme, but they are affordable. There are counties in Ireland, particularly outside of...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is very much on the way. The Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme is continuing to accept applicants. People are drawing down the money, and it is not all drawn down yet.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Commissions of Investigation (12 Jun 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In the Commission’s Sixth Interim Report, Judge Brian Cregan requested an extension of its deadline for reporting until the end of March 2020. He also responded to several issues that I had raised with him in November last year regarding the estimated final cost of the investigation, the timescale for completion of the Commission's work and whether it would be possible for the...