Results 33,501-33,520 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I agree with the Deputy on his essential point. Antigen testing has a greater role to play in Ireland's battle against Covid, but it is one of those areas where we are very much led by medical and scientific advice. The Deputy will be aware that HIQA carried out a health technology assessment on this and NPHET has given advice on it quite recently which reaffirms the use of antigen testing...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: It is certainly not a Government priority but it is an option, one that I think is worthy of consideration. It is the norm, or at least commonplace, across advanced European welfare systems to have pay-related benefits such that if a person who has been paying PRSI into the system for many years loses his or her job, that person gets a higher payment, at least in the initial weeks and months...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As I stated earlier, I am not aware of the details in that regard but I will let the Minister, Deputy Ryan, know that the Deputy has raised the issue here today. We need to be frank with the public and each other on this issue. No matter how quickly we develop renewable energy and renewable sources, we will still need to burn gas for the foreseeable future. If we were to turn off the gas...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I think we are making some really significant progress when it comes to establishing a technological university for the south east. The previous Government passed legislation making technological universities possible. We have two already, one in Dublin and the other in Munster. I am confident in and strongly supportive of the possibility that the next one will be in the south east. It...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: There is no promised legislation on that issue but I will certainly mention to the Minister that the Deputy has raised the issue and I will ask that a reply be forwarded to him.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for pointing out that anomaly. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, is leading a review of the SUSI grant system at the moment. I appreciate that it may not be completed in time for these students, so I will make sure that he is aware of the issue that has been raised.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies. This is obviously a matter of grave concern to people in the region. I do not have any details to hand but I will inform the Minister for Health that the matter was raised in the Chamber. I will ask him to look into the matter and get back to the Deputies directly.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The position is that the PUP, like most social welfare payments, is subject to income tax and the universal social charge, USC, in the same way, for example, as the State pension. Child benefit is exempt, but most social welfare payments are subject to tax if one earns enough money to pay income tax and the USC. Someone who, for example, earned €36,000 last year from work pays the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am the Tánaiste so the Deputy will have to allow me take the matter up with the ambassador, rather than the Prime Minister of Israel who is no longer my counterpart. The point that the Deputy makes is exactly right. Israel is the occupying, controlling power in Palestinian territories and, therefore, has a duty and responsibility to provide basic healthcare, including vaccination...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: We are seeing increased waiting lists for procedures and for outpatient appointments across the country, not just in Waterford. That is not solely or exclusively down to reduced staff or funding because the reverse is the case. There has been a big increase in the number of staff in the health service and a massive increase in spending in recent years but because of the need to shut down...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am not aware of this particular situation. It certainly sounds like it is far from ideal. However, if somebody tests positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating and staying in his or her room, other people should not be at risk, provided that those infected are self-isolating and staying in their rooms. I will certainly let the Minister for Health know that the Deputy raised these...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: There is no legislation promised on that matter and I do not think I have any particular powers of intervention when it comes to such issues. I will let the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, who has responsibility for fisheries, know that the issue was raised and I will ask him to get back to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Government policy and rules around this are very clear. There are only three groups of people who can receive the vaccine at present, namely, care home residents over 65 years and care home staff and healthcare workers who interact with patients. It is important to bear in mind that some administrative and reception staff engage with patients. The third group is people who are over 85...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: That work is very much under way. The Company Law Review Group has done some work on the company law aspects of it. As the Deputy knows, the Duffy Cahill report does not recommend changes to company law and points out that so-called tactical insolvencies are already illegal and that there may be some need to change employment law on redundancy. Unfortunately, in my assessment, none of...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I would be happy to look at any cases or real-world examples the Deputy may have in that regard. My parliamentary party raised the issue with me as well last night. This is not the last scheme the Government will introduce to support business. I am open to the introduction of further schemes. However, I wish to be very clear; the purpose of the EWSS is to help with payroll costs. The...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: We are not in a position to compensate people for lost income, other than the PUP, or lost profits. If we are thinking of adjusting the scheme or bringing in a new scheme, it has to be about fixed costs. Somebody who stores stock in their own home does not have a fixed cost.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Hopefully, air pollution has reduced as a consequence of Covid and the lockdown given the significant decrease in transport-related emissions. I do not have a date for the clean air strategy. I do not know the date for its publication, but I will check it and make sure the Deputy's office is informed.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Murnane O'Connor raised the issue of click and collect and whether we can restore it for retail businesses. We can certainly give that some consideration, but I cannot make any promises today. One of the difficulties that arose with click and collect is that it did cause people to leave the house to make journeys and interact with other people and there is a public health risk in...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Credit Guarantee Scheme (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme (CCGS) has €2 billion in lending available for Irish businesses and is the largest guarantee scheme in the history of the State. Its function is to add certainty to businesses that funding is available for working capital and investment purposes. Loans of up to €1 million are available for up to five and a half years at reduced interest...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (11 Feb 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I would like to highlight some of the help currently being offered by my Department to businesses which includes those within the hospitality sector, including those businesses offering take-away food activities and registered under the Stay & Spend scheme. These are in addition to other schemes offered by different Departments such as Pandemic Unemployment Payment, Employee Wage...