Results 34,921-34,940 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy is right that many things need to be considered. While some countries have already paid a recognition bonus to staff, they have done it on a very narrow basis. For example, it has often been limited to healthcare workers only. The Deputy and I agree that we need to do something broader than that. That also must be borne in mind. I cannot give exact timelines. This does not...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Currently, e-scooters are not covered by the law here in Ireland. In order to deal with this, Government intends to legislate for e-scooters and e-bikes in accordance with the commitment in the programme for Government. Department of Transport officials have now drafted the necessary changes to primary legislation as part of the forthcoming road traffic (miscellaneous provisions) Bill 2021....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate the Deputy raising this issue. I agree with his sentiments entirely. There is a gap in the law. These new vehicles and new methods of personal transport have emerged in recent years. The law as it is now written is written for cars, vehicles, animals and bikes, not for these PPTs, as they will be described in the law. We need to close that gap in the law. The Minister for...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Taoiseach is in New York chairing the UN Security Council. I, as Tánaiste, am just the first substitute, in case anyone was not aware of that, but I am happy to be first sub here today. First, on the carbon budget, the plan is to stabilise the herd, not reduce it. However, that does mean we have to do a lot in other areas to reduce emissions from agriculture. We do not want to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: It is just making sure that middle Ireland is not left out and that is why I am sure the Deputy will be supporting that measure in the budget. Regarding school transport, to date over 100,000 tickets have been issued for children availing of transport on primary and post-primary school transport schemes, which is an increase of 7% on the tickets issued this time last year. Planning for...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I cannot answer that question today. The carbon budget and climate action plan are not agreed yet but they will be agreed in the next couple of weeks and hopefully that will give certainty not just to people in agriculture but to people across the economy and across our society. We as a Government want young people going into farming. We want them to know that this is a career, a...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: My understanding from the Minister for Finance is that the he is not proposing a new or additional levy. It is just a review of the existing levies.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is aware of several student accommodation developments in Dublin that have applied for and received planning permission for ancillary use of their properties for short-term visitor accommodation. This provision is temporary and will lapse in May 2022. However, for accommodation to be removed from student use at...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Government has introduced a rent freeze in real terms. That means rents cannot increase by more than the rate of inflation.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: It means that rents will rise at a similar rate to the cost of living and, most likely, at a lower rate than the rise in incomes and wages. As things stand, and we always keep things under review, we believe an absolute rent freeze, or a 0% increase for three years, would be counterproductive. It would mean a rent reduction in real terms and would drive more property owners out of the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: -----would be more likely to sell up. What happens if they sell up? The person living there gets a notice to quit and there is one fewer place for people to rent. We have to be careful not to do things that may be well intentioned but could be counterproductive.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As I mentioned, we have increased the student assistance fund, which will assist students who are in financial distress and need assistance. We have brought in affordability measures on student accommodation, including capping increases in rent pressure zones. Legislation has also been passed to restrict the upfront payments students used to have to make, payments of up to €3,500,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The figure of 100% is not off the table; it is very much on it. If the Deputy reads the comments I made the other day, I did not say anything contrary to that. Others chose to present it in a particular way and that happens sometimes, but 100% is very much under consideration. As things stand, we are working on an enhanced scheme. It is being led by the Minister for Housing, Local...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Government supports the establishment of a JLC to establish new minimum terms and conditions for people working in the childcare sector, to help us further professionalise that sector and to improve the terms and conditions in it. We also realise that will have an impact on childcare costs. We need to be honest with people about that, but it is worth it if means people working in the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The Bill is currently being drafted. It is a priority and the Attorney General in particular is taking an interest in it. One of the things under consideration is exactly what the Deputy has suggested, that is, that statutory timelines are set within which An Bord Pleanála must give its decisions. That is to avoid a situation where a development has been approved...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: All of us in the House value the work of secretarial assistants. That is true on a cross-party basis. I will certainly mention to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform that Deputy O'Reilly raised the matter and I will pass on the request she has made. I am not sure to what extent it is an issue for the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission more than the Department of Public...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I appreciate this is an important issue but it is probably more a matter for local government than for central government. I will certainly let the Minister with responsibility for local government know that the Deputy raised the matter.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am aware of a number of closures in urban areas, including in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown area. The Deputy has raised the issue before, as has Deputy Carroll MacNeill. It is not so much that An Post or the Government ever decides to close a post office, it is more the case that when the postmaster retires, it can often be difficult to find somebody who is willing to take on the role....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As part of the remote working strategy, the Government committed to legislating to give workers the right to request remote working. Responsibility for that legislation now falls to me and the Minister of State, Deputy English. We intend to have heads of the Bill - the general scheme - published in this parliamentary session and the legislation itself published in the first quarter of next...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I can certainly see how products behind held up in customs could be a real difficulty for businesses. That is a matter for Revenue rather than for me. If the Deputy wants to pass me on more details, I can get my office to make inquiries with the Revenue Commissioners and see can we get the Deputy a better response.