Results 33,361-33,380 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As I explained previously, I requested it verbally. It is not uncommon to ask for something and not to do it by letter or email. I often ask for documents. I did not request the document I have here, by the way, but I do have it because it is provided to me every Thursday; it is my folder for each Thursday. My adviser got the copy from the Department of Health and she had it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020 is before the Seanad and that may be the legislative means by which we can deal with this.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I remember well that at the time the ECDC, the World Health Organization, WHO, the Chief Medical Officer, CMO, and NPHET all advised against stopping flights from Italy because that sort of action was at the time seen as being ineffective. Much has changed since then and a lot of advice has changed since then. The Deputy can go back and check over that from the press conferences etc. What...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I saw that opinion poll. If we exclude those undecided, the opinion poll indicates that a majority of people in Northern Ireland are in favour of holding a Border poll. It also shows that a majority of people in Northern Ireland, excluding those undecided, would vote to stay in the Union. People are therefore in favour of a Border poll for different reasons, some because they want a united...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate that student nurses are going to want to know what the plan is quite soon. We will get that information out as soon as possible. The placement of student nurses was suspended because, as the Deputy knows, student nurses have to be supervised and tutored. Suspending those placements freed up hundreds of fully-qualified nurses to look after patients and that was the priority. A...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate that the Deputy has raised this matter before. Unfortunately, I do not have any up-to-date information on it. I will make sure that the Minister is aware of the Deputy's suggestion.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I believe the review was published just before Christmas. Much to the disappointment of a lot of people it did not recommend a change. Many people had expected a change to a two-year rule rather than a one-year rule, but for various reasons it was not recommended. I will definitely check up on it to see if I can get more information to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am very sorry to hear about that case and what that lady is experiencing. I recall that under the last Government we did change the law to give victims of domestic violence much stronger legal rights in situations like this so it is the perpetrator and abuser who has to leave the home, not the victim of the abuse or violence. Perhaps there is a legal remedy in this case that she may be...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: There is a greater role for antigen testing in our response to Covid. We do need to be very much guided by the advice of our scientists and our public health doctors in this regard. They have concerns about the accuracy of antigen testing. It has been introduced at Dublin Airport and in Gorey for hauliers going to France. It is a requirement of the French Government, which accepts antigen...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Restart Grant Plus Scheme, which closed to new application on 31st October, was only one part of the wider range of schemes available to firms of all sizes, which includes the wage subsidy scheme, low-cost loans, write-off of commercial rates and deferred tax liabilities, all of which will help to improve cashflow amongst SMEs. The Revenue Commissioners’ Covid Restrictions...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, commonly known as CETA, is one of the EU’s new generation of progressive free trade agreements. CETA is designed to benefit EU and Canadian companies through improved trade flows in support of increased employment for our citizens. The elimination of tariffs, reduced trade barriers and simplified customs procedures that flow...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: S.I. No. 701 of 2020 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 10) Regulations 2020 and S.I. No. 4 of 2021 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 10) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 () clearly sets out the temporary restrictions under Level 5. A list of essential services can be found at and the list of essential retail outlets at...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Brexit Issues (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together. Now that the UK has formally left the EU single market on 1 January 2021, Irish consumers who are considering making online purchases are advised to exercise additional care. A website with a .ie domain name, does not necessarily mean that the entity which owns and operates the website is based in Ireland. My Department has no function in...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Consumer Protection (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 10 together. Now that the UK has formally left the EU single market on 1 January 2021, Irish consumers who are considering making online purchases are advised to exercise additional care. A website with a .ie domain name, does not necessarily mean that the entity which owns and operates the website is based in Ireland. ComReg appointed We Are Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: We know the serious effects on business of the current Level 5 restrictions. Budget 2021 provides a significant package of tax and expenditure measures to build the resilience of the economy and to help vulnerable but viable businesses across all sectors. My Department and its agencies have been focused on coming up with solutions to help businesses overcome the difficulties caused by...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Enterprise Support Grant, introduced by my colleague the Minister for Social Protection was a one-off grant introduced to reimburse certain non-rate paying businesses who had closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for re-opening costs up to a maximum of €1,000. My understanding is that the grant was not intended to replace lost revenues for such businesses, but instead to help those...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: S.I. No. 701 of 2020 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 10) Regulations 2020 and S.I. No. 4 of 2021 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 10) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 () clearly sets out the temporary restrictions under Level 5. A list of essential services can be found at and the list of essential retail outlets at...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2018 (Resumed): Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (29 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Chairman and committee members for the invitation to discuss the general scheme of the companies (corporate enforcement authority) Bill 2018. I am joined by my officials, Nina Brennan, principal officer, who is on the line and will help me out with any hard questions, and Orla O’Brien, assistant principal, from the office as well. By way of background, this legislation...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2018 (Resumed): Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (29 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I think that is Radio 1 or Newstalk joining us.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2018 (Resumed): Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (29 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As for the ODCE now, the authority will have the power to issue a range of warnings, directions or notices, the power to enter and search premises and take documents or other material, and also the power to bring summary criminal prosecutions. I will now turn to the other elements of the general scheme. The Companies Act 2014 is kept under active review in the light of changing...