Results 30,201-30,220 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy is correct, a no-deal Brexit next month could have a very profound impact on our fishing industry. As she pointed out, about 35% of the Irish catch is taken from UK waters and that would be lost to us in the event of a no deal and perhaps vessels from other countries that currently fish in UK waters may be displaced into our waters, so this is a matter of real concern for...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There was a considerable increase in funding for sport in last year's budget. It was around 12% or 13%. I am not sure we will be able to do as well as that for next year but I am confident there will be a further increase. However, the decision on how that is allocated to individual national governing bodies is made by Sport Ireland and not by Government.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I agree with the Deputy's sentiments. Education is the great leveller and opportunity giver. Therefore, it is right we invest in it. The budget for education this year is €11 billion, the biggest ever budget for education since the foundation of the State. I am confident that the budget for next year will be bigger again. However, whether it gets allocated to the particular...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive, together. On Tuesday, 3 September, I met the Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence, at Farmleigh House. He was on an official visit to Ireland, marking the latest in a series of high-level visits this year by the most senior figures in US politics, including President Trump and the Speaker of the United States House of...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. As I stated in Wexford a few weeks ago, I felt the US Vice President's comments on Brexit, made while in Ireland, were unbalanced. He specifically called on the EU and Ireland to negotiate in good faith with the British Prime Minister, Mr. Johnson. That should have been qualified by recognising that we had negotiated in good faith with the former...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Within that, it is anticipated that there is one significant high-profile visit every year, whether it be President Trump this year, Pope Francis last year, etc.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: What is different is that there were two high-profile visits this year and that was not anticipated. That has given rise to a request for a Supplementary Estimate, which we are not ruling out at this stage. That is a matter for later in the year. As Deputy will be aware, we are often criticised by others, such as the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, IFAC, and often such criticism is...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: That is something we now need to work out between now and----

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: A year has not passed in Irish financial history that the Government did not have Supplementary Estimates. If one did, I would like to know.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: What we are doing this year is we are listening to the advice and criticism of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and trying to minimise the number of Supplementary Estimates so that if there are Supplementary Estimates this year across different Departments, they will be a fraction of what they were last year. That is us listening to and taking the advice of IFAC, which I think we should.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The issue of Israel and Palestine was not discussed in our meeting. However, the Government will oppose and object to any attempts by Israel to annex the Jordan Valley or any other part of the West Bank which we would consider to be both wrong and contrary to international law. On the issue of Brexit and the Good Friday Agreement, picking up on Deputy McDonald's remarks, we have been...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 10, inclusive, together. In June, I chaired a meeting of Cabinet Committee G, justice and equality issues, and in July, I chaired a meeting of Cabinet Committee B, social policy and public services. On 25 July, the Government decided to reorganise the Cabinet committee structures and established the following committees: economy; social policy and public...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: To pick up on the Deputy's last question, the Department of Rural and Community Development actually has a very substantial capital budget. I think barely a week or a fortnight goes by that the Minister, Deputy Ring, does not announce capital grants all over the country.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There is, for example, a €1 billion rural development fund and he also has other capital schemes, like the town and village scheme, CLÁR and LEADER. He has made an allocation to Hartstown community centre to assist with the fire safety works. He would be happy to consider a request from Huntstown community centre for the same.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: On the rural roads, the budget for roads has increased considerably in recent years. I do not have the exact figures in front of me but it is a very considerable increase in funding for local and regional roads. I think this falls under the remit of the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Ring, rather than that of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross....

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: On the issue of Cabinet committees in general, I believe the Cabinet committee structure is working well. It has been amended slightly in recent months but, for the record, we had five Cabinet sub-committee meetings last month alone. These meetings are attended by officials, advisers and Ministers. They can work well provided there is a tight enough agenda and they are properly prepared...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will look up which Department the Labour Party wishes to abolish or downgrade.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Even more recently, the response by Fianna Fáil to the appalling attack on Kevin Lunney was to set up a new agency. I do not think that is much of a policy, quite frankly.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is a serious issue and it requires a better response. What it requires is the response we are getting from Government, which is more gardaí and an armed support unit in the Border region, and much more co-operation between the PSNI and the Garda Síochána. The solution is not setting up another agency, it really is not.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (2 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In regard to the Cabinet committee on social policy and public services, the last meeting of that committee was held only last month and it reviewed progress being made in regard to the implementation of Sláintecare. That goes to the Cabinet committee first and then the quarterly report goes to Cabinet. That indicates the good progress that is being made and it will be published quite...