Results 33,221-33,240 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: First, with regard to memorialisation, the Government has taken a decision to develop a national repository for all archives relating to institutions, and I know the Deputy welcomes that. There are different suggestions as to where it should be located but we intend to press ahead with it, not just so people can have access to records but also in order that the records can be studied. We...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I obviously cannot make any commitments on behalf of KPMG. It is a court-sponsored liquidation process and the Deputy will appreciate why I cannot intervene. There will be workers' rights legislation, including legislation on sick pay. We might not have it in this session, but I anticipate we will have it in the first half of the year. I hope I will have the co-operation of the House...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy is absolutely right to raise the issue of nursing homes. In the first and second waves of the infection the majority of deaths that occurred in Ireland as a consequence of Covid-19 involved people who were residents of nursing homes. There has been a similar pattern across the developed world. It is mainly due to fact that the people who are living in nursing homes tend to be...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: A lot of them were already working in other parts of the health service, including in nursing homes, and wanted to move to hospitals. I will get the Deputy a better update on it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is engaging with the banks all the time. Sometimes the engagement is very robust. I can tell the Deputy that for certain, having been present at some of the meetings. In circumstances where people cannot pay a business loan or a mortgage because of the effect of Covid on their income, mortgage breaks and loan breaks will be available. Other solutions such as interest-only...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The higher charge results in a lower interest rate. The second difference is the fact that we in Ireland, for very good reason, make it very hard for a bank to repossess a house and that has an impact on mortgage rates.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Even the European banks that provide mortgages here add on a premium for that reason.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: On the first point, yes, the heads of the Bill have been brought to Cabinet. That will be provided for in legislation that the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, and I will bring through to increase the powers of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC. We are going to include in that Bill giving ComReg the power to levy administrative sanctions. We expect the Bill to be...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I do not want to be in that space for giving advice on what medicines people should take.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: In response to Deputy O'Donnell, the commitment I can give is that community healthcare workers, GPs, dentists and pharmacists will be included in group 2. I will take it up with the task force next week to make sure that happens. I appreciate that there are going to be differences from one part of the country to the other and from one community healthcare organisation, CHO, to another, but...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The cross-border scheme derived from European law, the cross-border directive. Northern Ireland is no longer in the European Union, unfortunately; that was beyond our control. Therefore, the cross-border directive no longer applies. People may still travel to other EU countries under the cross-border directive. The Minister for Health has approval from the Cabinet...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am no more obsessed with Sinn Féin than the Deputy is obsessed with berating the Government at every opportunity rather than being constructive. I will certainly take up the matter she raises with the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly. Medical cards need to be reviewed from time to time to confirm that people are still eligible. Special arrangements were brought in during the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I can confirm that in level 5 social housing construction can continue because it is necessary. It is among the exceptions made for construction. On the question of Sinn Féin's housing policy, one could probably say Sinn Féin is in favour of housing in theory but not in practice. It consistently votes against it when it has the opportunity. This Government and the previous...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Under the protocol for prioritising people for the vaccine, the first group comprises nursing home residents and staff, as the Deputy knows. The second group comprises healthcare workers who have patient-facing roles and who either work with Covid-19 patients or other patients, such as in emergency departments. They are most at risk and they are supposed to be prioritised over healthcare...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and I know he has raised it many times in the past. It is on the priority list of the legislative programme published the other day.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am aware of the concerns about Castlerea fire station and Senator Aisling Dolan has raised the matter as well. I do not personally know the details but I will certainly speak to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and let him know this was raised by the Deputy in the Chamber and ask him to engage with her directly on it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to double-check but my understanding is we plan to establish that commission this year. One of the matters we will ask the commission to consider is the possibility of a referendum enshrining the right to housing in our Constitution.

Insurance (Restriction on Differential Pricing and Profiling) Bill 2021: First Stage (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: No.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: On 6 January the Government announced new measures to help control the spread of Covid-19 including the decision to close most construction with effect from 6pm on Friday 8 January. Government agreed to a limited number of exemptions to this new restriction, including for certain large projects in the Exporting/FDI sector. To implement the new measures S.I. No. 4 of 2021 Health Act...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The €2 billion COVID Credit Guarantee Scheme (CCGS) is the largest such scheme in the history of the state. Its purpose is to facilitate additional liquidity to SMEs, primary producers and Small Mid-Caps. The Scheme operates in accordance with the European Commission’s Temporary Framework for State Aid. This Framework has relaxed the levels of state aid permissible to Irish...