Results 30,101-30,120 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): British-Irish Council (18 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together. These questions both relate to my attendance at the British-Irish Council. I attended the 32nd British-Irish Council summit, which was hosted in Manchester by the then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Mr. David Lidington, MP, on Friday, 28 June. I was accompanied by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment,...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): British-Irish Council (18 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In the context of Rockall, First Minister Sturgeon and I and our respective Governments are very keen to de-escalate the issue. Neither Scotland nor Ireland have an interest in coming into conflict over fishing rights around Rockall, particularly given that Ireland and Scotland are currently so aligned on some bigger-picture questions. However, it is the case that in the event of no deal,...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (18 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 7, inclusive, together. The Tánaiste and I met the leader of Sinn Féin, Deputy McDonald, and Ms Michelle O'Neill in Dublin on 18 June. We discussed Brexit developments, the political situation in Northern Ireland at the time and what could be done to get the institutions in Northern Ireland up and running again. I emphasised the...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (18 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies. In respect of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Julian Smith, I had the opportunity to meet him with the Tánaiste on Monday evening, and I am very much aware of the content of his Cambridge speech. Work is ongoing on restoring the Assembly and the Executive. There is deep engagement between the Tánaiste and the Secretary of State at the moment....

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Civil Service Staff Data (24 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 40 together. The Regulation of Lobbying Act was enacted in 2015. Section 22 of the Act provides that specific categories of Designated Public Officials (“DPOs”) are subject to a one-year “cooling-off” period, during which they cannot engage in lobbying activities in specific circumstances, or be employed by, or provide...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Living Wage (24 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The suggested wage at €12.30 per hour based on the Civil Service 37 hour standard net working week equates to an annual salary of €23,747. Public servants currently on an annual salary of less than €23,747 may be receiving remuneration in excess of the suggested living wage through additional premium payments in respect of shift or atypical working hours or are on salary...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: British-Irish Council (24 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will host the next British Irish Council summit meeting in Dublin in November. The date for the Summit has not yet been announced but will be issued in due course.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (24 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 44 together. I met with Ms Arlene Foster MLA, Leader of the DUP, in Government Buildings on Wednesday, 18 September. We discussed issues relating to Brexit and ongoing efforts between the two Governments to restore the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive. We agreed to stay in touch on these important issues.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In answering the Deputy's question, I am conscious that I will be talking about non-papers that I have not seen. I do not mean that as a double negative. I have not seen them. I was aware of their existence, which was public knowledge and was commented on in the newspapers in the past week or two. Essentially, the UK provided non-papers to the EU task force on the basis that they would be...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy's assessment is correct that it is his view that the United Kingdom should leave the European Union whole and entire, to use his own language. That means the UK, including Northern Ireland, leaving the customs union. However, as I explained to him when we met in New York, there is a reason we came up with the deal we did after two years of negotiations with Prime Minister May and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I acknowledge that overcrowding in our hospitals was indeed very severe this morning. I apologise to the patients and staff affected and also their loved ones, who deserve much better than to have to wait for a hospital bed. It is worth pointing out, however, that the vast majority of people on a hospital trolley this morning will be in a proper hospital bed before the evening is out. ...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I outlined the actions taken. They are not claims; they are real. The Deputy can check them for herself. More money is being invested and spent in our health services than ever before. Per capita, the level is one of the highest in the world. More beds have been added to our hospital system every year since 2012. In recent weeks, there has been extra investment in the fair deal and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----and beds too. If this was down to more beds, more staff and more money, we would have solved it a long time ago. We have never spent more money in our health service. We have been adding extra beds for seven years. We have never had more staff. It takes a lot more than additional resources. That is a simple solution. If simple solutions worked, they would have worked by now. The...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am very much aware of the issues with fire safety in Hartstown and Huntstown community centres, which are in the constituency shared by the Deputy and me. Some community centres, particularly many of the new ones, are owned and controlled by local authorities, whereas many of the older ones are privately owned. One of them belongs to the Archdiocese of Dublin. In other cases, they are...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I understand the amount for Hartstown has been settled, but I will check up on that. As the Deputy said, Huntstown is at an early stage and still needs to be worked on. Funds are available. There is a €1 billion fund for rural development and a €2 billion fund for urban regeneration. Local authorities have community funds, funded through the local property tax, rates and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy is aware, I am a very strong supporter of Shannon Airport which has a special place in my heart because I was Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when we decided-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----to make it independent and debt free.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We established Shannon Airport as a debt-free independent airport with its own board and governance. I am very proud of being part of that. As the Deputy is aware, the industrial zone around the airport is doing very well, with a significant number of jobs having been created there in recent years. Indeed, the first aircraft maintenance hangar to be built for many years is under...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: On the contrary, the Government takes one third of its profits in dividends to pay for services across the country. We need to see if there is something we can do, particularly for Shannon Airport. Although it has very strong routes to the UK, including Heathrow in particular, and North America, it lacks a route to a significant continental hub such as Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam or...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The existing policy is to not support Dublin Airport. It receives no Government support. In contrast, the Government takes one third of its profits to invest in services all over the country.