Results 35,261-35,280 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: It is not the case that nobody has private health insurance in the United Kingdom. People do. In fact, a lot of European countries have an insurance-based model and people are either required to have health insurance or there is a system of social health insurance which is run through the health system. The NHS is not the typical model across the European Union. Countries across the EU...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising the important issue of child protection. I realise that we will debate this in the House later and that we will continue to discuss it in the weeks and months ahead. I agree that we must do more to help every child to get the start in life to which the child is entitled. For many children that is very difficult because of the circumstances of their birth or...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy is right in one of the fundamental points he made, that if we can reduce poverty and inequality in our society the number of these difficult issues that arise will be less. He will acknowledge that Ireland is a country in which poverty has been falling in the last five or six years, if not the last ten years. It is a country in which inequality has been narrowing. Some people...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The objective here is to make home ownership a reality for more people, particularly young people. Over the next couple of years the Deputy will see many people who have been renting for far too long being able to get their feet on the housing ladder and to buy their first home through the shared equity scheme. For them, in many cases they will pay less on their mortgage than they are...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I have not seen the report. As the Deputy said, it has only come out in the past few minutes.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: It is because it means that many people will be able to become homeowners for the first time-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: -----and they will pay less for their mortgage than they are paying for rent.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Does the Deputy want to keep them renting for life?

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I cannot answer the Deputy's question on an individual basis, but I hope that gentleman gets his third dose of the vaccine as soon as possible. As of today, about 700,000 people have received their third dose of the Covid vaccine. We are now able to provide the third dose to between 160,000 and 200,000 people a week. Even at the peak of the vaccine programme, it was not...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I have not yet seen the Central Bank report. I believe it was only published in the last hour or so and therefore I am loath to comment on it. We support the shared equity scheme, as one element of our housing policy, because it will help people who are currently renting to become homeowners for the first time. In most cases the mortgages they will pay will be less than the rent they are...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I am not briefed on the matter but I will certainly make sure it is checked out because obviously we would not want people to lose that service.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I will need to ask the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to come back with a more comprehensive reply than I can give. The Government is very keen to proceed with the expansion of wind energy both onshore and offshore. It is what we need to help save our planet and to end our dependence on fossil fuels. It is also what we need to improve energy...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: It does.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I would not like us stop wind turbines that are louder than a bird. It would be hard to have any onshore wind-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Government appreciates and understands the enormous impact that rising energy prices are having on people, whether it is households and families struggling with the bills or businesses. I engage with business all the time and the same business people whose main concern would have been finding staff or insurance costs a few weeks ago are now talking to me about the impact of high energy...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: It is important to say these prices are driven by international factors. The Government only has so much control over these things.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: It is 2%; that is correct.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am not sure what the budget for home care is, but it has increased enormously in the last few years. I believe it has increased by 40% or 50% in the past few years and has increased under this Government. It would not make sense to take a purist ideological approach and say that it should only be provided by the State, which would mean we would actually have less home care available. We...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I will certainly follow that up with the Minister. Part of my constituency is under a special area amenity order as well and I understand the difficulties that arise. People are generally happy to have their area designated but there are real consequences and costs for people. When the State imposes an order like that, it must be taken into account. I must speak to the line Minister about...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Rural and Community Development is currently assessing applications submitted under category 2 of the rural regeneration and development fund. I know Deputy Griffin is very supportive of the application in respect of Killorglin's town centre. It is a project he raised with me and the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, before. I know the town centre well, having tried to cycle up...