Results 32,421-32,440 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: We all know it is a big part of what is in the article and what is online. I know what is being said and it is not true. This is somebody who is not a close friend but is a friend. He is in my wider social circle. I would say we have met twice in the past year - once at a Christmas drinks thing over a year ago and once when six people went out to dinner, and he and I were part of that...
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: That is not what I am saying at all. I am saying it is not illegal, full stop.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: I remember the Deputy raising a question about the primary medical cert and the Supreme Court judgment on that. I endeavoured to look into that and I have done so. I received a written briefing and I was not particularly satisfied by the answer I received. I wanted to know what was being done to solve the problem and that is why I have not yet reverted to the Deputy. The problem needs to...
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: Regarding the Deputy's remarks, it is important to emphasise again that the negotiations had concluded. Some minor changes were made prior to publication, but none that required a return to Cabinet. It is in the Cabinet memo of 9 April that engagement had concluded with the IMO at that stage. The figure the Deputy used, regarding the potentially sensitive piece of information in respect of...
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: It was not something that was at issue. We had moved on to dealing with other problems and other things Government has to deal with. This was a deal that was done and accepted. I consider it to have been a success for the Government, for Ministers Harris and Donohoe and even for me. We then moved on to the next problem, and in politics there is always a new problem. Ten problems come up...
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: That is not what I said.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: No, Deputy.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: No, Deputy, that is a misrepresentation.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: No.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: The deal was done, we had achieved it and we had got acceptance from the GPs. We then moved on to the next issues on the agenda.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: No, Deputy. If it had been at issue at the time and had I been asked about it, I would have put it on the record. I would of course have told the truth and given an honest answer to any question had it arisen at the time. I have heard the term "leak" being used, and I will not dispute anyone who wants to use that term in regard to this issue. Generally, however, a leak involves putting...
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: I am not.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: No, Deputy. When one is in government, a long list of people threaten to campaign against you. I guarantee the Deputy that. There is a very long list of people. If there is a live issue about which people feel passionate, national or local, one meets groups which will say that if they do not get their way and if what they want is not done, they will campaign against the Government....
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: I do not think anyone in this House seriously believes that Fine Gael got an extra MEP or 20 extra councillors because of anything to do with this.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: When local elections and European Parliament elections happen people make their judgment based on the candidate and probably the main reason we gained a seat in the European elections was the quality of our candidates with people like Mairead McGuinness, for example, getting a massive vote, and a new candidate like Maria Walsh getting elected. With regard to gaining an additional 20 council...
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: It is a fair question but I do not know. I know the right answer is-----
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: I cannot point to a date. I know the Deputy is trying to imply that I only decided this was an error of judgment when it entered the public domain but I do not think that would be fair. The truth is that I did not think about it for months and months. There are lots of things on one's plate as Taoiseach and as party leader.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: It did not contact me personally. It sent an email to my office in the week previously, asking if I had given a document to a different doctor.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: I did not reply.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: No I did not, not at that point. It was not until the article was published, which was the Friday night, or whatever.