Results 29,961-29,980 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am happy to resume.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Other questions related to Ursula van der Leyen. It is important to say that she has not yet been ratified by the European Parliament - that procedure is yet to happen - nor has Commissioner Hogan for a second term. I hope the MEPs from Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil will vote in favour of her election as President and for the re-nomination of Commissioner Hogan. I have not spoken...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Four out of 11 is a minority. Eleven countries did not want to support his nomination as President of the Commission, only four of which were V4 countries. His defence of the rule of the law was not an issue for me or for Ireland. I said that to him at our meeting. I am sure that when he continues in his role as First Vice-President, he will continue to pursue those issues. After a...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, to 17, inclusive, together. The Climate Action Plan 2019: To Tackle Climate Breakdown, was published on 17 June 2019. The plan contains more than 180 actions that Ireland needs to implement to meet our EU 2030 targets and achieve our longer-term low carbon emission objective. Delivering such an integrated set of actions and policies will require...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: On Deputy Haughey's question about reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, Ireland and I supported it at the EU summit but a number of countries - the V4 countries - could not sign up to that. They worked together on that, largely because they wanted to see a roadmap as to how it could be achieved, and they were not willing to accept the view that carbon sequestration and carbon storage...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Yes, other Departments and other bodies. The model we will use is the same model that was used in the Action Plan for Jobs, with which the Deputy will be familiar. It is almost exactly the same model, which worked well, being used again for climate action with a dedicated unit in my Department to monitor the implementation. The membership of the delivery board includes the Secretaries...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Yes. As well as that, a Cabinet sub-committee deals with climate action and the delivery board will report to us. There are some robust structures in that regard. I anticipate that the sub-committee will meet at least quarterly. On climate justice, Deputy Howlin referred to the ESRI report on carbon tax and how, if it is done properly, it can be progressive. It is a very good report...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: No, either here or globally, next year, the year after, or even any year.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We know from the science, however, that a carbon tax will reduce greenhouse gas emissions-----

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----next year, the year after and the year after that. If this is a climate emergency, which I believe it is, surely the sensible action to take is to support those actions that will produce a result next year and the year after. The Deputy is opposed to actions that will produce a result in the short term, locally and nationally, and proposes instead solutions that will not produce a...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The same applies to water metering, for example, which is the best way to conserve water. It was vigorously opposed by the far left. They are very much anti-environment parties in my view.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I listened to the Deputy's comments on Mercosur and his position sounds like a general objection to all free trade agreements. By their very nature, free trade between one part of the world and another, one country and another or between different continents requires transport costs.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am not sure if I am right but listening to the Deputy's comments, I imagine he was probably against the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and the Japan and Mexico deals.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Let us not pretend that the objection is to Mercosur, as the far left in Ireland is fundamentally opposed to free international trade. If that policy were to be pursued in this country, hundreds of thousands of workers would lose their jobs and all the others would be much worse off. That is the truth of those policies.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: People need to know that socialism is bad for workers and the environment. The Deputy's comments prove this when we listen to them carefully.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I answered that in reply to Deputy Eamon Ryan. I can give an answer again.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am happy to keep going on the air quality question. This was discussed earlier in response to Deputy Eamon Ryan's question.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am delighted to answer but it is hard to get the answers across if I am interrupted constantly.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I know and appreciate that.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Climate Action Plan (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: As I mentioned earlier with respect to nitrous oxide, the requirement to introduce action plans falls to local authorities and it is important that they do so, although they will be supported by central government. The actions taken are the promotion of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles-----