Results 30,821-30,840 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Citizens Assembly (26 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 6, inclusive, together. On Friday, 1 November an open letter was received in my office signed by citizens North and South as an initiative of the Ireland’s Future group. I became aware of the letter when it was published in the media the following Monday. The letter raises extremely important matters which naturally require very careful...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Citizens Assembly (26 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Micheál Martin and I disagree on a lot and clash a lot but I very much agree with his analysis and comments on this matter. We should not forget what the Good Friday Agreement settlement is all about. It is about acknowledging that Northern Ireland has a unique history and geography and, therefore, has special arrangements - power sharing in Northern Ireland, North-South...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Garda Reform (26 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 10, inclusive, together. In December of last year, the Government published A Policing Service for the Future. This is a four-year plan running from 2019 to 2022 to implement the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. The plan was developed in co-operation with stakeholders, in particular the Department of Justice and Equality and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Garda Reform (26 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In respect of Garda numbers, An Garda Síochána is once again a growing organisation. There are more than 14,200 gardaí now, aided by 2,900 Garda staff nationwide. These numbers continue to increase. The Government's aim is to reach a total workforce of 21,000 by 2020, and we are confident that target will be met. An additional 200 new gardaí will be sworn on Friday in...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (26 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127 to 130, inclusive, together. I was pleased to welcome the Administration Heads from Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey and the British Government to Dublin for the 33rd British Irish Council on 15th November. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the inaugural meeting of the British-Irish Council and it was agreed that the Council...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: First, I welcome the publication yesterday of the EMCDDA - the European drugs agency - and Europol Drug Markets Report of 2019. As the Deputy knows, the report relates to all of Europe, including Ireland. The continued disruption of the supply of all illicit drugs is part of the mission of An Garda Síochána and other State agencies tasked with responsibilities in this regard....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy will be aware that the Kinahan gang no longer operates from Ireland but from the United Arab Emirates. That is one example of the success the Garda has had in getting some of these gangs out of the country altogether. To answer the Deputy's question, I do not think anyone needed a Europol report to understand the scale of the problem of drug-related organised crime we face across...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Yes, I do.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Ó Broin mentioned a number of reports published by NGOs in recent weeks. Quite a few NGOs working in the housing and homelessness sector have published their annual reports in recent weeks. These reports are very useful and help add to our understanding of homelessness and the impact it has on those who experience it. The Deputy mentioned the Respond report, for example. One...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Respond's report says the average is six months. It also points out that 16% of people, with a little support, are able to return to the family homes from which they came, and that should be seen as a positive. Deputy Ó Broin asked about the results of Rebuilding Ireland, the Government's housing plan. I draw his attention to the extent to which things have changed since Rebuilding...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I know the Deputy is a fan of statistics and I guess I am too, and I imagine we could exchange statistics until the night is long. The Respond report to which he referred, however, does not state what he said. It shows more than half of people spend less than one year in homelessness and those in family hubs, on average, six months. That is why we want to make sure we have more family hubs...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It was never going to be the case that a five-year plan would show all results in two years. As I said, in the year before Rebuilding Building Ireland was launched, family homelessness increased by 60%, and in the year gone by, it has increased by 0.17%. We are seeing family homelessness level off. We will see improvements in the years to come. We are seeing housing supply increase...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We can see from indicators such as planning permissions and commencement notices that supply will continue to increase.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We are seeing house prices levelling off and falling in Dublin, which is no small thing. Some 15,000 young people, individuals and couples were assisted by the help-to-buy scheme to buy their first home. Some 2,500 people have got low-interest mortgage through the Rebuilding Ireland Home loan plan. Those are the types of results we have seen in the past two years. We need to build on them...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I agree with the Deputy in his assertion and comment that we should not use the term "gangland" to refer to any part of our country or any part of our capital city. There are places where crimes occur and those crimes may involve gangs, but it is pejorative to suggest that entire area is therefore gangland. I know large parts of my constituency, including Blanchardstown, where I grew up, is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: As I mentioned earlier, we are securing unprecedented resources for the Garda. Next year it will have a budget of €1.8 billion-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----which will be invested in more gardaí, better ICT and more vehicles.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am coming to the answer to the Deputy's question. There are now 14,200 gardaí in An Garda Síochána, which is more than it has had for a very long time, as well as 2,900 Garda staff. I am confident that we will meet our target of 21,000 by 2021. A decision has been made in consultation with the Garda Commissioner, and taking into account the recommendations of the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I have not personally been lobbied on this matter but I cannot answer for every Minister in the entire Civil Service. I do not think the Deputy expects me to do so; his question is more of a rhetorical one. I wish to state very clearly that lobbying is not a crime. It is part of what happens in a democracy. Politicians, Ministers, and those in Opposition are constantly lobbied by all...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am aware of the project in Cork, though I do not know much about it. While it is not a Government project, as Deputy Barry rightly pointed out, the Port of Cork is a State-owned enterprise. We will continue to use gas for the next few decades. It is part of the transition to net-zero emissions in 2050 and the vast majority of climate scientists accept that we will need to continue to use...