Results 30,221-30,240 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

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

Leo Varadkar: They never get answered.

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

Leo Varadkar: The question the Deputy asked was whether the LNG terminal was discussed at the Cabinet committee. It was not. My understanding is that the LNG terminal could be used to receive fracked gas, but not necessarily or exclusively. It could receive any liquefied natural gas so it could be used to receive gas transported by sea that is not fracked.

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

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 12 together. As I reported to the House on 19 June, I met with the leader of the British Labour Party, Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, MP, in Government Buildings on Thursday, 30 May 2019. Mr. Corbyn was accompanied by Tony Lloyd, MP, shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and several advisers. We discussed Northern Ireland, Brexit and the current...

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

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Micheál Martin asked me whether I asked Jeremy Corbyn why he did not support the withdrawal agreement. I did do so, and he essentially explained that the Labour Party wanted a different and closer relationship with the EU than that envisaged in the withdrawal agreement and the joint political declaration. Specifically, the Labour Party wants the UK to be part of some kind of...

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

Leo Varadkar: What we are hearing is certainly not encouraging and, in my view, would not be the basis for an agreement, sadly. We want there to be a deal and an agreement and we will work until the last moment to secure an agreement, but not at any cost. We are ready for no-deal if that is what the British decide. However, I ask everybody in the British Government and the British political...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (8 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together. I last met Mrs. Arlene Foster, leader of the DUP in Government Buildings on the evening of 18 September when we discussed Brexit developments at that time and also discussed the political situation in Northern Ireland and ongoing efforts to restore the power-sharing institutions. I emphasised the Government’s full commitment to all...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (8 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Services covers issues relating to health and Sláintecare, education, children, equality, social inclusion; Irish language, arts and culture; and continued improvements and reform of public services. The issues of Direct Provision and the Irish Refugee Protection Programme are also covered.

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

Leo Varadkar: We can all agree that consuming tobacco is seriously injurious to one's health. It causes many forms of cancer, as well as severe illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, which leads to disability and other effects. I acknowledge Deputy Micheál Martin's work as Minister for Health and Children over a decade ago in banning smoking in the workplace, which saved...

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

Leo Varadkar: I absolutely agree that the fact that the tobacco industry is involved in producing, marketing and selling this equipment is a cause for concern. It does appear to me as well that young people are being targeted through advertising, through flavoured devices and products and through colours. It has all the hallmarks of what we saw before with flavoured cigarettes, the type of advertising...

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

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid the Deputy is just wrong on this. She is out of touch with the facts and the science. She is out of touch when it comes to the enormous demand from people across Ireland, particularly younger people, that we should take action when it comes to climate change. I do not think for a second that increasing any tax is ever going to be popular or welcomed but sometimes it is the...

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

Leo Varadkar: This is what the ESRI research says. If the Deputy does not want to believe me, he should listen to the facts, the experts and the scientists. The ESRI research indicates that an increase in carbon tax will cost the poorest households about €44 a year. The increase in the fuel allowance is €56 a year so in fact the poorest one fifth of households in Ireland are actually...

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

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy and her party are not serious about climate action, and the same applies to the far left. She proposes solutions that make no difference because they are not unpopular, yet she will not support climate action that might be unpopular because it works. It is an entirely cynical and hypocritical approach to climate action to only support actions that do not make a difference because...

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

Leo Varadkar: -----and see how left-wing and populist politics is actually anti-environment and how Sinn Féin is trying to hijack their movement to promote a philosophy that is profoundly anti-environment. What we are doing by increasing the carbon tax and setting a trajectory to reach €80 per tonne is saying that while the tax will rise, we will ring-fence it. We have ring-fenced it to...

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

Leo Varadkar: We have no plans for a supplementary budget or an emergency budget. The budget was framed on there being a no-deal Brexit, with the economy growing by only 0.7% next year as opposed to 5.5%, which was the rate this year. Since this is the budget that protects Ireland from the worst consequences of no deal, there will be no need for a supplementary budget or an emergency budget next year. ...

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

Leo Varadkar: Let me say a final word. Deputy Howlin mentioned the term "austerity" and seemed to suggest that, in some way, the budget produced yesterday was an austerity budget. He and I know what austerity budgets are like. He and I had to bring in austerity budgets.

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

Leo Varadkar: He and I had to talk about how much we were going to take out of the health budget when he was Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and I was the Minister for Health. This is not an austerity budget.

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

Leo Varadkar: We are increasing expenditure on services and public infrastructure by €3.3 billion next year. This is more than an extra €1 billion for health services alone. This is not an austerity budget; it really is not.

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

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy should start by withdrawing the nonsense in his question.

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

Leo Varadkar: We introduced a measure in relation to the bank levy only last night, and I know the Deputy is supportive of it. He mad a point that is worth answering, on the fact that there being no increase in weekly welfare payments and pensions in the budget means they will not keep up with inflation. That is a fair point and that is true but I have two points to make to the Deputy with respect to it....

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

Leo Varadkar: However, a second point that is valid is what the Deputy did not acknowledge is that for the poorest in our society, we have increased welfare payments. There is a €5 a week increase for those living alone - 250,000 people will get that increase. They are protected from inflation. That increase will be double the rate of inflation next year. For the poorest families, we have...