Results 32,281-32,300 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (21 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Government has decided that, as of midnight on Wednesday 21st October, all of the country will be placed on Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID with a small number of exceptions. This action is based on current public health advice, the deteriorating situation with the disease across the country and the Government’s objectives to support families by keeping schools and...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Employment Rights (21 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The National Framework for Living with Covid-19 plan sets out how businesses should operate at each level of the Restrictive Measures Framework.  The current advice under level 5 is that only essential workers should attend the workplace and individuals should restrict travel to 5 kms apart for reasons of essential work, education and other essential purposes. What is deemed to be...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (21 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 employers have specific duties to ensure the safety, health and welfare at work of all employees. These duties include the managing and conducting of all work activities to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety of those employees. Employees themselves also have duties and responsibilities under the 2005 Act and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy O'Reilly for raising this very important issue. The CervicalCheck tribunal is being established in good faith by Government, honouring a commitment made by Government after the Meenan report of 2018. It is being established as an alternative to court for those who want it where cases cannot be settled by mediation or negotiation, which is of course the preferred solution and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, said this morning that he is happy to meet again, listen to and engage with the 221+ group. It is his judgment then as to whether the Government would make a decision on Tuesday to defer the establishment of the tribunal. Obviously, I will be guided by him in that regard. Bear in mind that it is being established as an alternative to court...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this sensitive issue. It is an ongoing issue and many people have taken an interest in it in recent weeks, including Senator Currie, members of the Labour Party and others. I recognise the constructive and measured approach the Labour Party has taken in recent weeks with regard to the country trying to deal with this Covid crisis. The Deputy has taken the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I will certainly check that out or ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, to do so. The person concerned will be applying for both maternity benefit and child benefit. In most cases, that is when people get their PSC if they do not have one already. I am not sure what arrangements exist at the moment to facilitate people who do...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: It is very hard to be sure of things at this time. One thing I am sure of is that Christmas will not be cancelled, it will still be a public holiday. It will still be a religious festival. Christmas mass will still be said. Santa will still arrive and put presents under the tree. I am sure that families will still be able to meet up. It just might not be the Christmas that we are used...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Christmas mass will of course be said. Deputy Lowry asked if we are always rethinking and varying our strategy. We are. Anyone who speaks with absolute certainty about the coronavirus is probably bluffing. We have learned a lot about this virus, and we have a lot yet to learn about it. We have learned a lot about how to handle a pandemic, and we have a lot yet to learn about it. We...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Government's priority is to protect and support the education of all students, including student nurses and midwives. Student nurses are paid in their fourth, or pre-registration year, but not in earlier years. The process of student nurses and midwives training to meet educational standards and requirements involves a supernumerary clinical placement and this places them on the front...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I do not have any information about the nursing home he raised or the current situation there. The Deputy will forgive me if it is not possible for me to comment on or answer his questions without knowing any of the facts. I will certainly make inquiries about it. Without knowing anything about the nursing home or anything about what is happening there, it would be...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I do not doubt the Deputy's sincerity or veracity for a moment but this is not an issue that I know about I do not know even the name of the nursing home. If the Deputy wants to provide me with more information, I will certainly make contact with the CEO of the HSE about it and follow up on it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Fitzmaurice raised this issue only moments ago. I do not have any information about the particular nursing home but I will certainly look into it. I will contact the HSE personally and see what can be done.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: As I understand it, since the start of the year, the number of people working in our public health service has increased by 5,000, a pretty big increase in any given year. This comprises approximately 800 extra nurses and midwives, as well as 800 extra doctors. We now have more doctors and more consultants working in our public health service than ever before. Up to 1,600 therapists and...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I am not familiar with that particular research. Legislation approved by the Cabinet last night and to be brought forward will ban evictions during this level 5 period. There are, of course, some exceptions such as anti-social behaviour or where criminal acts are involved. The research that I have seen shows that evictions in Ireland are relatively uncommon compared to other...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy knows, the incubation period for this virus is 14 days so any cases that arose in the past five to 14 days would likely have arisen in any case, regardless of whether the Government had gone to level 3, 4 or 5. To answer the Deputy's question, the main focus has been on serial testing and carrying out regular testing in nursing homes to identify staff and residents who may...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter and I will absolutely look into it once I am finished in the Chamber today. I am reassured to hear Deputy Naughten say the Minister for Health is already on the case, which is important. Much has been done and more is being done than was the case in spring in the protection of nursing homes. This includes serial testing, personal protective...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I fully endorse Deputy Durkan's remarks. He is absolutely right and what happens in the next couple of weeks is very much in our hands as a nation and society. We can push back this virus with our actions over the next couple of weeks, thereby protecting ourselves, each other and particularly those most at risk in our society. I am aware the hare coursing issue has been raised in the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I have been in many marts but the Deputy is correct in that such visits served electoral purposes. I have yet to have the opportunity to buy or sell a beast in a mart. Perhaps that time will come. We will look into this for the Deputy. At the start of the spring lockdown, marts were pretty much closed but we made arrangements to allow them to operate precisely for the reasons the Deputy...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies. Travel agents are required to close under level 4 or level 5 restrictions, so they were covered by the Covid restrictions support scheme from midnight last night. Whether they are covered under level 3 is a matter for debate, but that no longer matters as we are now under level 5. As such, travel agents are covered. They will now receive the weekly Covid restrictions...