Results 29,841-29,860 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am in the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's hands.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It takes less time to ask a question than it does to answer it, as everyone can appreciate. On Deputy Boyd Barrett's question, he will appreciate that at this stage I cannot comment on individual cases. We have a system for deciding which medicines are licensed and which are approved for reimbursement in the State. This is not done by private health insurers or the private sector but by...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Howlin asked about healthcare assistants. I am not familiar with the report he mentioned so I will have to check into that. I have not yet had a chance to read the newspapers today but I am aware there is an editorial from Professor David McConnell in The Irish Timestoday, which I will endeavour to look at. I must read the article before responding. On Sligo hospital, I understand...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 10, inclusive, together. Cabinet committee D works to ensure a co-ordinated approach in the areas of infrastructure investment and delivery, including housing and climate action. The Cabinet committee last met on 27 May. The next meeting of the committee has yet to be scheduled. There is significant work under way across each of the areas covered...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am always amused and bemused that Deputy Martin likes to accuse me of being partisan and personal yet, as evidenced by his name-calling today, he is very capable of being partisan and personal himself. The Deputy reminds me of one of those parish priests who preaches from the altar telling us to avoid sin while secretly going behind the altar and engaging in any amount of sin himself. ...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I believe sexual abuse is the most heinous of all crimes, especially when the victims are children. It stays with them forever; trust is betrayed; lives are destroyed forever and families broken. On behalf of the State, I apologise to the people who were sexually abused when they were children in day schools before 1992 and for the State's delay thereafter in acknowledging that it had a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I can indicate that that is the Government's intention. When I say we "may" need to reopen the scheme, I expect that we will do so. We will have to remove the prior complaint condition, which will mean amending the scheme, as well as reopening it, but we are also conscious that while some people appealed, others did not. There are also people who might not have applied in the first place...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Government, including the Minister of State, has acknowledged for quite some time that the Naval Service is short-staffed. It has a complement of 1,094 personnel but it currently has just 934 personnel. The numbers often do not tell the full story as it is particularly short-staffed when it comes to certain specialists and technical staff. There has been no denial at all from the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will not be doing that. The Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, got his information from a Naval Service briefing on Friday at Naval Service headquarters in Haulbowline. The flag officer was also present at that briefing and the Defence Forces press office confirmed only last night that two vessels - LÉ Eithneand LÉ Orla- are going into planned maintenance. Maintenance is not the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I know I am perhaps not always the most civil person in this House myself but I hope we get to the point at some stage where it is possible for people to disagree with each other without accusing each other of being dishonest or lying. To answer some of the Deputy's questions-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: To answer the Deputy's questions, the decision on whether a money message is required is one for the Ceann Comhairle, who can listen to the case made by the sponsor and by the Government. I respect the Ceann Comhairle's ability to listen to both sides of the argument and to make a decision.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Ceann Comhairle has made that decision.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In relation to the financial transaction to which the Deputy referred, I am not familiar with it. The Government is not party to it. I really cannot comment on it. What the Government wants is sensible climate action that actually reduces greenhouse gas emissions and gives us cleaner air, warmer homes and creates the businesses and jobs of the future. What we do not want is climate action...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Therefore, it makes sense to use our own natural gas if we have it. This is why a ban on exploration is not part of the Paris Agreement and why it is not recommended by our climate action council. Perhaps there is a third way and this is something to which I am giving some thought. With regard to the question on lobbying, it is important to put on the record of the House that lobbying...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----trade unions, the IFA, IBEC or business organisations.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The reason we have a lobbying Act is so they are registered. I checked on this today. There is no record of the meeting because there was no meeting in the Department of the Taoiseach between the two people mentioned by the Deputy. What happened-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: What happened is that the lobbyist in question asked my adviser to meet him for coffee. He did not tell him the reason for the meeting. Over coffee he raised this issue and he declared it in the lobbying register.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: That is the answer to the Deputy's question.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The date was 2 May 2019. I do not know how long it happened, how much the coffee cost or, quite frankly who paid for it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: However, if the Deputy wishes to read the lobbying Act, she will know it states the obligation to declare whether lobbying occurred is on the lobbyist.