Results 30,861-30,880 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Many have been completed, such as those in Bandon, on the River Tolka and in many other locations. Other schemes are under way or about to start. The Deputy is quite right that sea levels are rising as a consequence of climate change. Even with us reducing emissions dramatically over the next couple of decades, sea levels will continue to rise because of the cumulative effect of CO2 in our...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There are no proposals at the moment to amend the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill. More generally, if any company is invited to appear before an Oireachtas committee, it should accept that invitation and endeavour to do so at a mutually agreed time.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will acknowledge, more than half of the new jobs created in Ireland are now being created outside the Dublin area. More than half of IDA Ireland-supported jobs are outside the Dublin area. I do not have any specific information on the Fermoy site, but I will ask the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, to contact the Deputy with an update on efforts IDA Ireland is making to secure an...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The answer to Deputy Tóibín's question is "No". The answer to Deputy Michael Collins's question is "Yes". I will do that. I might ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he wishes to reply to the other question.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will endeavour to be helpful. Once again, I am very sorry to hear about Hannah's case. I hope it will be resolved in the near future. As Deputy Munster well knows, it is illegal for the Minister for Health to make any direction to the HSE to give any individual patient anything, be it a medical card-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: About 405 schools received funding under the summer works scheme but, as is always the case, it is not possible to fund every application. Perhaps the Deputy would like to raise the matter directly with the Minister for Education and Skills. I am sure he will be able to give her feedback. As the Leas-Cheann Comhairle rightly pointed out, he is very friendly and approachable.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I think it is slightly different from the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, measures, as it is a fee-setting process. My understanding is that fees paid to pharmacies approach €500 million per year so it is a very substantial amount of money. The HSE is seeking savings in that context. The number of pharmacies in Ireland has increased in recent years, which...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: My understanding is that all of these allowances are unvouched. It is a matter for the Revenue Commissioners and the latest update I have from the Minister for Finance is that more policy considerations need to be examined and that any changes would not come into effect until the new year. That was a week or two ago, so things may have changed again since then. I will ask the Minister for...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Both INTERREG and PEACE funding are of enormous value to Northern Ireland and the Border counties. The question the Deputy has asked is a very pertinent one. We have had initial discussions on the multi-annual financial framework, MFF, which is the next seven-year budget for the EU which will run from 2021 onwards. As part of that, it has been agreed in principle that there will be a new...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know if that report exists or whether it has been received. I will ask the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Sport to contact the Deputy directly.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Any decision on this is, of course, for the Irish Wheelchair Association to take. I am told that the Irish Wheelchair Association does not own the existing facility and the lease arrangement in place for it will expire in 2026. Capital investment to upgrade the facility is estimated at a cost of €2 million. The HSE further understands that is a minimum estimate of the costs...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Ireland has been one of the countries that has taken a very strong position on this and there was a debate on the issue in the UN only last week or the week before that. Ireland was a signatory to a letter of resolution on this and I will make sure a copy of that is passed on to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Electoral Process (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. The Government recently approved the progress report of the Interdepartmental Group, IDG, on the Security of Ireland's Electoral Process and Disinformation. The report was published on 5 November and laid before the Houses on 12 November. The safeguarding of the electoral process from disinformation and other security risks...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Electoral Process (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The drafting of the general scheme of an electoral commission Bill is under way in the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. Its completion is anticipated by the end of 2019. It is also anticipated that the electoral commission Bill will be published in mid-2020, with the enactment of the legislation and the establishment of the commission following thereafter.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Electoral Process (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: To my knowledge, no Opposition party has taken the initiative and put forward its own electoral commission Bill despite ample opportunity to do so. We are happy, however, to work with the Opposition-----

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Electoral Process (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is also true.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Electoral Process (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We are happy to work with the Opposition on this if it can present legislation that is up to standard and sound. The electoral commission's establishment is guided by several recent reports and public consultations. These include the 2016 report of the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and Gaeltacht on the consultation on the proposed electoral commission and the regulatory impact...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Electoral Process (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I certainly do want it, if it is possible in the timeframe.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Electoral Process (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: That is not what I said.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Electoral Process (27 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Conspiracy theories again.