Results 33,961-33,980 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: We anticipate that everyone who wants to be vaccinated will be fully vaccinated by the end of September.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: These are probably questions for Professor Nolan rather than me. Vaccinations will not be 100% effective. There will still be cases.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: It is a little strange for a spokesperson from a party that had been advocating very low Covid or zero Covid to then start lining up calls this week, last week and the week before for restrictions to be eased.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I may have misunderstood the Deputy's question. If I did, I apologise. I thought she was referring to unvaccinated visitors.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: We all want to see these restrictions eased. We all want people who are having a baby to have someone there to support them. We want fathers to be able to be there for appointments - of course we do. However, bringing unvaccinated people into a hospital is a risk and there have been miscarriages as a result of Covid.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I do not think this is about billionaires flying in on private jets. That is just a conspiracy theory. This is about hundreds of thousands of Irish citizens who live in the US and France and hundreds of thousands of EU citizens who live here but call places like Poland home. The situation is that consultations are now under way, as is required under the legislation, about extending...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The vast majority of people aged over 80 have already been vaccinated. We are moving on to those in their 70s at the moment. Indeed, that is well under way in some parts of the country. This can be complicated. Some people are housebound and others are in isolated areas where it is difficult to get to. Arrangements are being put in place using general practitioners and the National...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. As a consequence Covid-19 and the need to pare back non-Covid-19 health services in order to keep people out of hospitals where they might pick up the virus, we have seen a very significant increase in waiting lists for colonoscopies and oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy procedures. It is important to say that when somebody has the frank symptoms of cancer they are, of...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I will be happy to take a look at that matter. If the Deputy can pass me on the details later in the day, I will do so. A leisure centre closed by Government order should be in receipt of the weekly CRSS payment but perhaps because the centre mentioned by the Deputy is not a commercial entity in the normal sense, it does not. That would be unfair. We are trying to mop up some of these...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies. I make the point that Government Deputies make up more than half of the House and it is not unreasonable for them to be allowed to raise questions on promised legislation, just like everybody else.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: To answer the questions that have been asked, last night I signed the new code of practice giving people the right to disconnect. Essentially, it has three elements: the right not to be expected or required to reply to emails and phone calls out of hours; the right not to be victimised for refusing to do so; and the duty to respect the right of others to disconnect. It is a code of practice...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: It is a competition Bill but it also gives additional powers to ComReg. It is being drafted at the moment and is at an advanced stage. We anticipate having it enacted before the summer recess. I compliment the Minister for Community and Rural Development, Deputy Humphreys, on bringing forward the rural Ireland plan, building on the work done by her predecessor, Deputy Ring. The plan...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am acutely aware of the difficulties that the necessary ongoing Covid-19 restrictions are putting on businesses right across the country. With this in mind the Government has put in place a comprehensive package to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the COVID-19 Restrictions Support...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is administered by the local authorities who pay landlords directly. Pat 4 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 made legal provision for the Housing Assistance (HAP) Scheme. The provisions of the Act were commenced and extended on a phased basis by various regulations and in particular by SI No 404 of 2014 – Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is administered by the local authorities who pay landlords directly. Pat 4 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 made legal provision for the Housing Assistance (HAP) Scheme. The provisions of the Act were commenced and extended on a phased basis by various regulations and in particular by SI No 404 of 2014 – Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am keenly aware that businesses are continuing to make massive sacrifices to protect their communities and I am committed to ensuring that the Government will offer as much assistance and support as possible. My Department has worked to ensure that appropriate supports are in place, please see attached link for further details on the various schemes available: Government supports for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: IDA Ireland (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: IDA Ireland’s overseas teams and office network are vital to support the agency’s efforts in winning new Foreign Direct Investment across the world. From time-to-time IDA seeks to expand its global network of offices and teams. Many firms are looking to expand into new markets and Ireland is a proven location for global companies to grow and serve their customer base in the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has been engaged on the matter of the EU vaccination authorisation mechanism since the EU's initial Implementing Regulation (EU 2021/111) was adopted in late January, 2021. This Implementing Regulation sought to monitor vaccine exports from the EU to 3rd countries for an initial period of 6 weeks. It was succeeded by Implementing Regulation (EU 2021/442) which extended the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Redundancy Payments (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Government has always been clear that the emergency measure relating to redundancy entitlements following temporary periods of lay-off and short-time work introduced due to Covid-19 is a temporary measure. When the emergency measure ends eligible employees will be able to avail of their entitlement to make a claim for redundancy to their employer. Under the Redundancy Payments Act 1967,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (1 Apr 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am keenly aware of the critical role that the retail sector plays, as the largest private sector employer in Ireland, in contributing to the Irish economy. The past year has been a difficult year for all businesses, including retailers. The impact of both the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit have posed significant challenges for businesses and it is vital that businesses continue to develop...