Results 34,661-34,680 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is very aware that there are serious issues with the licensing of forestry operations that are having a negative impact on the sector. This is as a result of necessary changes to the appropriate assessment procedure due to the European Court of Justice and Irish rulings relating to the protection of Natura sites. We are dealing with these issues robustly and a number of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: We could all engage in cheap shots in this House.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As I say, we can all engage in cheap shots in this House and question each other's motivation. I could point out that this morning, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, were here for an hour and a half and took questions on any issue people raised such as agriculture, farming, fishing and forestry yet not a single Rural Independent Group...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The list of submitted questions is there.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: People had opportunities to intervene. As is often the case, I am being shouted down because the truth hurts.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The truth hurts.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I join the Leas-Cheann Comhairle in expressing my thanks on behalf of the Fine Gael Party and the Government to all the staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas and of the convention centre for their work over recent months in what have been unprecedented times, trying to operate across several different sites both virtually and in person. As the Leas-Cheann Comhairle said, the Dáil is...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: It is a pleasure to be here, in Dublin Central. The convention centre is not quite in Dublin Bay South; it is just north of the Liffey.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I know the feeling; it is hard to know where one is at times given the amount of changes we have had to make. I will check up on that issue. As the House will be aware, the legislation links future rent increases to the consumer price index, CPI, but it is not retrospective. Legislation of this nature cannot be. I understand the point of the Deputy is raising and I will get advice from...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Before we rise, I express my thanks to Deputy Cairns for facilitating the Minister, Deputy McEntee, through a pairing arrangement during her maternity leave. I know she is grateful for that, as we are too. Let us ensure in the next Dáil session we put in place some more permanent arrangements. In future I hope many more Cabinet Ministers will give birth while in office. I look...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I spoke to the Secretary General of the Department about that legislation last week and it is imminent. It will be commenced within a matter of weeks.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I know the issue of Clonmel Garda station has been raised several times in this House. Senator Ahearn has raised it in the other House. I do not have an up-to-date briefing on it at the moment unfortunately but I will make sure that I get it and will pass it on to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Greece is doing something similar to France. Two or three weeks ago, people were saying that Ireland was an outlier in not opening up indoor hospitality to everyone. As the weeks go by, we look like less of an outlier, as some countries reimpose restrictions and others are going down the route that we are going down with a health pass, because it will be the only way to stay open.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The matter regarding schools is under consideration. We accept that schools will need better ventilation in September and October. The issue of carbon dioxide monitors is part of that. We have asked the expert group on rapid testing to advise us on applying antigen testing both to indoor hospitality and to schools when they reopen in September.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I agree with the comments the Deputy has made. A new round of sports capital funding will open for applications later in the year. I am not sure of exactly when. It will probably be in September or October. That will provide grants to sports clubs and sporting organisations to improve their facilities. When we are working out the criteria for that, we should take account of what the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy's point is well made. I always say that in a pandemic, the easiest thing to do is to shut the country down or to fully reopen it and the hardest thing to do is everything in between because it always involves anomalies and inconsistencies. We will ask NPHET to review two things over the next two weeks. One is how we might safely provide for religious ceremonies over the summer,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: We expect heads of Bill to be published in the next session. The Minister for Justice is working very hard on that. This Bill could be particularly beneficial to sporting and community organisations in rebalancing the duty of care and in expecting a bit more personal responsibility from people not to put themselves at risk or injure themselves.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I agree wholeheartedly with what the Deputy said on the issue of bullying, both traditional bullying and the new form of it that is online and can follow you everywhere. It is definitely an issue we will pay more attention to in the next session when the House returns in September.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I do not have any information to hand on that matter. This is a major issue every year, particularly in constituency offices and for rural Deputies. I will let the Minister for Education, Deputy Norma Foley, know it was raised by the Deputy today and will ask her to talk to him directly.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I will certainly do that. I will be in touch with the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, next week about some other matters. I will raise this issue with him and let him know what the Deputy said in the Chamber.