Results 29,701-29,720 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar
- Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: If everyone lived in a densely populated village or a densely populated city, it might be possible, but given our settlement patterns it is not. We need to do a few things. When it comes to future planning, many new houses will be built in Ireland over the next ten or 20 years. We need to ensure the bulk of them are built in existing urban centres on brownfield sites to have the smart...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: I do not ever hear people saying which roads they want cancelled or which roads they want delayed, whether it is the M20, the Dunkettle interchange-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: -----the Ballyvourney to Macroom road, the Galway bypass, or the N4 because the roads programme comprises those projects and maintenance. Athy as well. If we are looking for a shift in Project Ireland 2040-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: -----away from roads and towards public transport, either some of those projects will have to be cancelled or maintenance will have to be slashed. That would be a big mistake, and I am alarmed to hear some Opposition parties suggest it. The climate change papers produced by NESC fed into the climate action plan and were very helpful. The transport papers are in line with the national...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: I was not at the UCC climate change meeting but I understand that everyone else was, from the IFA to the climate strikers so it seems there was a broad attendance.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 10, inclusive, together. Cabinet B last met on 21 February and is scheduled to meet again on 27 June. It covers social policy and public services, including education, children, social inclusion, the Irish language, arts and culture, and continued improvements and reform of public services. Although the committee covers a broad range of areas and...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: I am sorry Deputy Burton was not able to stay to hear the answers to any of the questions raised.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: I do and I appreciate her recognition that we had come to a good outcome and resolution of the issues around establishing a special school in Dublin 15. That will open in the autumn and it is a first for the Dublin 15 area. That was achieved without a need for a Cabinet sub-committee and there are many ways to get things done.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: I will get back to her on the school completion programme. The Government absolutely acknowledges the challenges we face in recruiting and retaining consultants in the public health service. They are particularly severe when it comes to psychiatry and small hospitals but they are not unique to those areas by any means. I have read some reports on this, including the Public Servicer Pay...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: As Deputy Micheál Martin said, there are more coming in than are going out.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: It is positive.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: He said something approaching it. It is a fact either way that there are now more doctors working in our public health service than ever before. There are also more on the medical register than ever before.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: I checkedpublicjobs.iejust the other day and there are currently only 20 consultant posts being advertised there. Others may be advertised through the voluntary bodies but on publicjobs.ieonly 20 posts are being advertised at present. It seems we will need a fresh approach as notwithstanding the issues around pay, there are also issues around the recruitment process. It has far too many...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: That would follow a 1.75% increase for all staff in September, an increase earlier this year and, of course, an increase for new entrants, as well as increments. The matter should be considered in the round. Deputy Pearse Doherty referred to a code of practice and I believe it is long defunct and it has not applied for quite some time.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: If a loan is sold on, the customer retains all the same legal and contractual rights, and that is as it should be. I am a little bemused to hear Sinn Féin throwing the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council's criticisms at the Government's fiscal policy. I know Sinn Féin's fiscal and budgetary policy, which is on record. It is that we should have spent and borrowed more and that we should...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: The Sinn Féin policy was to spend and borrow more, increasing the deficit every year.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: It might be useful for Opposition parties to consider whether they would be willing-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: -----to have their budget proposals submitted to IFAC to see if thinks much of them.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: I have not finished answering.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (25 Jun 2019)
Leo Varadkar: I shall continue to answer the questions. I do not agree with Deputy Pearse Doherty's assessment on corporation tax; it is quite the contrary. We have mitigated our exposure to risks from the very high levels of corporation tax we are receiving by setting up a rainy day fund. There is €1.5 billion in it already and an extra €500 million will be added.