Results 30,481-30,500 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. The word "challenge" was not the correct term for me to use with respect to the national broadband plan. Imagine sought an extension and this caused a delay at that point. It wanted to use the extension to submit additional maps and so on. To the best of my knowledge, there has been no revision to the State intervention area. The national...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: Other Governments failed to do so. There was an abortive attempt to build a national children's hospital at the Mater Hospital that failed. Other Governments failed to deliver this project.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: This Government is delivering it. I appreciate that sometimes when Governments fail, it is not necessarily their fault, but I am unsure whether Deputy Martin acknowledges that too often. The target for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles is ambitious. It is no secret that many people at official level thought it too ambitious, but often we are criticised for not...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together. The Cabinet committee on the environment was established in July when the Government reorganised the Cabinet committee structures. It covers issues relating to the environment, including climate action and the implementation of the Government's climate action plan. The need for an all-of-government approach to climate action is obvious....
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: I state at the outset, in case anyone has any doubt about it, that climate change is real, is happening right now and is man-made, unprecedented and detrimental to human life and well-being both in Ireland and globally. Any benefits that may arise from it are far outweighed, many times over, by the damage it is doing and will do. I said that last Thursday as well. That is why we are taking...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: The Luas capacity expansion is under way and a new national train control centre has been approved. We have decided to take coal and peat out of the energy system in favour of wind and solar power. We are promoting electric vehicles and changing our bus fleet to hybrid vehicles. We have introduced new building regulations to make sure that new buildings are zero or near zero energy rated....
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: -----in the last couple of months to bring about climate action, something about which we are very serious. On what I said on Thursday, I am happy to clarify that it was, as The Sunday Business Poststated, an observation, not a policy statement. I can see how it was open to misinterpretation by those who may be pursuing a climate sceptic agenda. However, I would like to provide a little bit...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: Sorry, on the electric vehicles-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: I will have to get that for the Deputy.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: If there is one, I will get it for the Deputy.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: It is fair to say that there-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: -----are plenty of targets that do not necessarily have an evidence base behind them.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: They are ambitions.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: No, there is not always one. Switching to electric vehicles is an important part of the low-carbon transition. The Government will continue to help individual motorists who want to make the switch to an electric vehicle. We have allocated €8 million in the budget to maintain grants at their current levels for individuals purchasing electric cars. This is in addition to the planned...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: When one goes to towns such as Enniscorthy and smells the air-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: Air quality in such areas is hugely related to the burning of peat and briquettes. In Dublin, it is largely due to diesel cars.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: I will send it on if there is one. There may not be.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Reform (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 7 together. The role of my Department is to assist my work as Taoiseach and to co-ordinate the work of the Government and Cabinet. While there are currently no plans to change the structure of my Department, its staffing needs and structure are reviewed on an ongoing basis. My Department is currently structured around five main divisions: the...
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Reform (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: This Government, made up of Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance, has established a Minister of State for disability who sits at the Cabinet table. This is the first time we have had a dedicated Minister with responsibility for disability sitting at the Cabinet table.
- Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Reform (5 Nov 2019)
Leo Varadkar: When was the last time?