Results 31,001-31,020 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----Private Members' Bills. I pay tribute to Deputy Micheál Martin's reforming zeal and self-congratulation in that regard. It is also worth saying there are 300 Private Members' Bills in the system. Most of them do not require a money message. Probably only about 50 of the 300-----

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----require money messages. In some cases, money messages have not even been requested. I have seen suggestions that there are 40 or 50 Bills awaiting money messages. However, a money message must be requested first and the matter is then processed by the Department before a decision is made. It is all covered under Article 17.2 of the Constitution, which states that a Bill which...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----would be substantial. The second ground relates to whether a Bill is unconstitutional. Some legislation put forward is unconstitutional. On the advice of the Attorney General, I cannot grant a money message for legislation I know to be unconstitutional.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The third ground relates to whether the legislation is contrary to European law or international treaties. Again, I cannot sign a money message for legislation that is contrary to European law or to international treaties to which this country is a signatory. The fourth ground relates to circumstances where the Government is introducing legislation that supersedes a Private Members' Bill....

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I have been there on the odd Sunday night in recent times not too far from here. I am happy to confirm once again there is no threat to bingo halls or bingo nights. The change in the law is to require operators to give 25% of the money to charities, as they are supposed to. There are some large, profitable and commercial bingo halls that have not been giving any money to charity at all or...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Public Consultation Process (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Details of the public consultations undertaken by my Department in 2018 and to date in 2019 are set out in the following table. These were national public consultations and not specific to any particular county. 2018 Details of Public Consultations Date Consultation on the National Reform Programme 2018 March Consultation on the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Legislative Process (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There are currently no Bills in my Department awaiting committee stage.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The information on photography costs for my Department for the period from March 2011 to date, is set out in tabular form in the link below. These tables include the cost, the name of the photographer and the occasions involved. Photographers are engaged for official purposes only. Local photographers are used on international visits, trade missions etc., to maximise cost efficiencies....

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Freedom of Information Data (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The details requested by the Deputy in relation to FOI requests received by my Department are set out in the tables beneath. Regarding records part granted or refused, material is redacted for a variety of reasons, as provided for in the FOI Act. Examples of grounds commonly used by FOI decision makers in my Department for withholding material include where it is necessary to withhold...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue, which all in this House know is a significant concern for the business sector, sports clubs, crèches and community halls, all of which are facing the cost of rising insurance premiums. We and everyone involved in the sector, including insurance companies, Judiciary and others, need to recognise that increasing insurance costs have a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Judicial Council Bill only recently became law. Legislation only becomes law after it is passed by the Oireachtas and signed by the President.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: While it only became law in the last few weeks, it is now possible for the Chief Justice to establish the aforementioned committee.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Chief Justice is now establishing that committee. As the Deputy knows, the Judiciary guards its independence fiercely, and is right to do so. It is not for this House to set a timeline for its work. However, I will ask for the work to be carried out as expeditiously as possible. Perhaps the chairman of the committee, or the Chief Justice himself, can inform us as to what timeline they...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----in the way the Garda Commissioner thinks best.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy has given me the courtesy of a very direct question. Unfortunately, I have not yet had the chance to read that report so I would have to look at it before I could tell him which recommendations we can and cannot implement. I acknowledge that many people in Ireland experience energy poverty, or fuel poverty, if one prefers to use that term. This is particularly relevant at this...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I have immense respect for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as an organisation and I will look at the report. The Government will issue a reasoned response when it has had a chance to consider the report. On the wider issue, everyone is entitled to their own opinions but they are not entitled to their own facts. If we had a two-tier economic recovery in Ireland, we would not see...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am not sure I can add much to the response I gave earlier but to reiterate, the fuel allowance, or the energy allowance, as it will be called, will increase in January and that will help people with their energy costs. The child dependant allowance also will increase, which will help the poorest families who have children with bills in general. We are retrofitting social housing. One of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We are using the proceeds of that carbon tax increase to pay for more retrofitting of social housing to increase the fuel allowance. We are also building more social housing. Approximately 11,000 houses will be added to the social housing stock next year; while 10,000 were added this year. Those houses, three quarters of which are new builds, are built to the highest standard and are warm...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The fact that the Deputy feels the need to put words in my mouth and attribute remarks to me that I never made says to me that she is not interested in the facts. The Deputy referred to council housing. As I mentioned, we have a retrofitting programme under way. That is in part being funded by the proceeds coming in from the carbon tax. We are building more social housing all the time....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Approximately 10,000 additional social homes will be provided this year. That is more than any year in the past 20 through the boom and the bust. It will be up to 11,000 next year and 12,000 the year after. Approximately 60,000 new homes will be added to the social housing stock over the coming five years. It is probably the biggest social housing programme that has happened in...