Results 30,401-30,420 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Not exactly because-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----the withdrawal agreement that we had with former Prime Minister May provided for a temporary backstop as a bridge to a future relationship, but it did not provide for a future relationship.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: No. Only in the backstop, which was to be temporary, never to be used and to be an insurance policy. There was a single customs territory. It is not the case that the UK Government argued for, sought or had in the Theresa Mary agreement a customs union. That is not correct.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: She actively opposed a customs union, in fact. However, we do have a new joint political declaration on the future relationship. That was agreed last week. Hopefully, it will be agreed by the House of Commons when it is ready to do so. In that new revised political declaration, we talk about having tariff-free and quota-free trade between the EU, including Ireland, and the UK. We also...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----between Britain and Ireland and between the UK and the EU. I think that, if we can get past this current phase, which is the withdrawal agreement phase, the future relationship in trading terms and economic terms between the EU, including Ireland, and the UK is all to play for. One of the things that, if I have the privilege to continue to hold this office, I want to negotiate in the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----between the UK and the EU and, therefore, between Ireland and the UK. It will never end. This is just a phase. This phase is the withdrawal agreement phase, in which we want to protect citizens' rights, ensure a financial settlement that is fair and make sure that we do not have a hard border between North and South. I believe that we will have achieved that if the House of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Citizens Assembly (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions No. 4 to 7, inclusive, together. At its meeting on 11 June, the Government agreed to the establishment of a Citizens' Assembly on gender equality and noted that a further Citizens' Assembly would subsequently be established to consider the best model of local government for Dublin and, in particular but not exclusively, the issue of a directly elected mayor and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Citizens Assembly (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We have made much progress on gender equality as a country in the past few decades. We should not be embarrassed to acknowledge that, whether it is the repeal of the eighth amendment, new laws related to domestic violence, the ratification at long last of the Istanbul Convention, the reform of our divorce laws, gender quotas for election to this Dáil, or subsidised childcare for the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Citizens Assembly (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I know that cannot be the case in all cases but it should be more common that the person who is perpetrating the abuse leaves the home and not the person who is the victim of the abuse.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Citizens Assembly (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: With regard to areas where I think we will all agree there needs to be progress, one area is pensions. It is worth reading the facts and research about the State pension. The difference in the average State pension paid to a man versus a woman is approximately 2%. Pensioner poverty in Ireland is higher among men than women. When it comes to the State pension, there is not significant...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 14, inclusive, together. I travelled to the United States on 22 September for a five-day programme in New York and Los Angeles. My programme in New York centred around the 74th annual session of the UN General Assembly, where I joined Heads of State and Government from around the world for a series of engagements. On Monday, 23 September, I...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I feel very sad for Deputy Martin.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Capital Expenditure Programme (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 91 together. There has been no capital expenditure by my Department or any agency under the remit of my Department in the past 5 years. There is no capital expenditure anticipated by my Department in the next five years.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Websites (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The website www.merrionstreet.ieis the Irish Government news service which is updated with the latest press releases, speeches and news. The following table lists costs for maintenance and support of a number of websites, including . The contract figure in 2019 for “Managed Hosted Services” by Ptools comprises 7 different websites, of which is one. The...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Functions (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Cork Event Centre is included as a commitment under Project Ireland 2040, and it underlines the Government’s objectives around urban regeneration, enhanced amenity and heritage, associated quality of life standards, balanced regional development, and the regeneration and development of Cork City Centre. Cork City Council is responsible for delivery of the project on behalf of the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Commission on the Future of Policing Membership (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 96 together. The Future of Policing in Ireland – the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) which was published in September 2018 – recommended (in Chapter 26) the establishment of an Implementation Group on Policing Reform to ensure delivery of the reform programme set out in the CoFPI Report. The...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Value for Money Reviews (22 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 98 together. As published in my Department's Appropriation Account 2018, there was no expenditure incurred by my Department on consultancy services, and value for money and policy reviews in 2018.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Reports have come in this morning that 39 people who include at least one minor have been found dead in a container in Essex. The information we have so far this is very sketchy, but there are some reports that the truck may have passed through Ireland at some point. Obviously, we will need to obtain more information and carry out any necessary investigation that may be required....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: That is correct. The fault was found on Monday evening. The Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, has asked the EPA to provide him with a full report on the incident, its causes and the responses of Irish Water and Fingal County Council which operates the plant on its behalf. The way it works is that before a boil water notice can be lifted, there must be three rounds of clear samples, which can...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I absolutely appreciate that people want clarity and clear information about when the boil notice can be lifted. As I mentioned earlier, this affects my own constituency and may even affect part of Deputy McDonald's.