Results 31,101-31,120 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: One of the other factors that the Deputy neglected to mention is that pretty much every country in Europe is increasing the retirement age.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: They are increasing it at different rates and at different times but every country is increasing their retirement age because every country knows that is how one must respond to the fact that life expectancy is rising. It is a reasonable response to the good thing that is rising life expectancy.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy has once again demonstrated the fact that he does not understand how the social market economy works. His solution to the emerging pension crisis is to tax employers more, tax jobs and increase employer's PRSI. Has it ever occurred to the Deputy why unemployment is down to one third of what it was when my party came into office? Has it ever occurred to him why we have the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is partly because we have kept taxes on businesses and employers low. The other countries the Deputy spoke about have unemployment rates of 10%, 15%, or 20%. Those countries tax their employers twice as much but did it ever occur to the Deputy that might be why they have high unemployment? The Deputy should join the dots.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I am concerned and worried that so many children and teenagers are getting involved in drug gangs. Our response must be one that is tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime. That means more resources for the Garda and tackling poverty and deprivation. We are doing both of those things, and will continue to do so. We discussed Deputy Curran's Bill at Cabinet...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy makes a valid point that the report shows that only about 1% of people in these communities are involved in gangland crime. That is why we, I include myself, should not use the term "gangland" because 1% of a community is a very small minority and the term potentially demonises and casts aspersions on entire communities of which 99% of the people are hard working and law abiding....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. This is a problem we have been working on for quite some time. We are struggling to come up with a solution, one that I am very familiar with from my time as Minister for Social Protection. There are many defined benefit pension schemes that currently have very large deficits. The solution, as I understand it from Deputy Penrose's Bill, is to make the employer liable...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We do not want to put them in a situation where they have to cancel their capital plans because their balance sheets have changed.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is not, but it is a complicated matter.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I am very sorry to hear about that case. I do not know the details but if the Deputy passes them on to my office or the office of the Minister of State, Deputy McGrath, we will have them looked into.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister of State is before a committee this morning so the Deputy may wish to take his question to him directly in the committee. If that is not possible, I will certainly let him know that the Deputy raised the issue and ask him to reply to him in writing.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as a ceist. Tá brón orm nach bhfuil an tAire Oideachais agus Scileanna anseo but I will inform him that the Deputy raised the issue of St. Brogan's college in Bandon and ask him to reply to her directly.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: An extra million home help hours are provided for in budget 2020. Given the massive unmet need, the Minister for Health is examining whether he can start allocating the hours now rather than waiting three weeks. The idea is to pull the money forward and start deploying it now. He should be able to know in the next day or two whether that is possible. Certainly it is desirable - I think we...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to have that checked out. It was my understanding that the final say on whether someone is self-employed was made by the scope section of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection rather than Revenue. If one is saying one thing and the other is saying another, then we have a problem. If the Deputy could give me some examples, we will get them checked out to see...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I think greater use of hospitals like those in Ennis, Nenagh, Mallow and Bantry as well as others, including the hospital in Loughlinstown in Dublin, makes good sense.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Yes. I have done so and I will do so again. It needs to be done safely though, because sometimes going to a smaller hospital for triage may delay treatment for someone who is seriously ill. It needs to be done safely.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There is lots of different legislation happening in this area. The Judicial Council Act 2019 has been enacted. The Personal Injuries Commission will report, hopefully, sooner rather than later. I will not prejudge the outcome of that, but it is obviously under way. There is some other legislation in train. I refer to Private Members' legislation, originally put through by the former...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda is under a lot of pressure, as many hospitals around the country are. However, it is a hospital that has improved extraordinarily in the past couple of years and in some ways demonstrates what can be done. If one takes the hospitals in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI, hospital group together, namely, Beaumont and Drogheda, that used...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: GPs across the country are working hard and they are under a great deal of pressure. Such demand for healthcare is a consequence of a rising population and also an ageing population. However, they are under pressure and they are working really hard, and in my view they are doing a great job. It is important to put on the record of the House that notwithstanding what one might think from...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Pre-legislative scrutiny took place in November and a report is being prepared. Once that is completed, it will go to the Attorney General's office for drafting.