Results 35,781-35,800 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Durkan for raising this issue. We all appreciate the extent to which prices are rising and the cost of living is going up. We see it at the pumps. We see it in our electricity bills and gas bills. We see it in the cost of buying groceries, and of course we see it in the correspondence we all receive from constituents. There are essentially two ways to deal with inflation....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. If we look back over the past 11 years, we see there has been unprecedented investment in education for children with special or additional needs. We now have more special needs assistants, SNAs, in the country than even gardaí - more than 14,000 or 15,000.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate there are issues and I am certainly engaging with the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, on them. I would be happy to take any details from the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: What happened in the House yesterday was wrong. Aside from the intemperate and bad behaviour, it was factually incorrect. What Deputy McAuliffe said was true: it was a democratic decision of the council in 2019; and it was negotiated between the council and the developer, Bartra, that the council would be given first refusal for 30% of the 50% of units that were earmarked for private sale...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid that I do not have any information to hand on that matter but it appears to be very serious so I will raise it with the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and ask them to revert to the Deputy directly.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: This is an issue that some of my constituents are suffering from as well. In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in the budget for home care. Money used to be the issue but it is not anymore. We have increased the budget by, I think, 40% in the past couple of years but we are struggling to find people who are willing to work in the sector. That requires action in two areas....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: That matter is currently being reviewed by the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, who is examining whether it will be possible within Transport Infrastructure Ireland's budget to reallocate some funds to allow the project to continue to progress through planning. As the Deputy pointed out, it is an important road project because it accesses a significant IDA site - the former Amgen site - and can...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I understand that the issue involving school secretaries and caretakers is before the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, today. I hope that it will be possible to come to an agreement to regularise their employment, which we would all support. I am aware of the issue regarding PhD candidates. I cannot make any commitment on it today but I will ensure that the Minister, Deputy Harris,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme which makes up to €2 billion in lending available to SMEs and small mid-caps has been operating since September 2020. Up to the end of January 2022, loans with a value of €640.8 million have been drawn or approved by 9,186 businesses. Loans up to €1 million are available for terms up to 5.5 years. Loans under €250,000 do not...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Meetings (24 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Officials from my Department met with a representative of the National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI) on 22nd July 2021 to discuss the work of the Balance for Better Business group. On the 13th January 2022, I and officials from my Department had a virtual meeting with the NWCI and discussed the issue of legislative quotas for gender balance on boards and the work of the all-island women's...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Data (1 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: While IDA Ireland won 246 investments in 2020 and 249 in 2021, projects are publicly announced in conjunction and co-operation with our clients. The table attached shows the number of publicly announced investments won in each of the years 2020 and 2021. It should be noted that not all companies agree to announce their investments and as a result, the table does not truly reflect the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Human Rights (1 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The IDA issued a request for tender for a part-time Israel based Business Development Consultant in April 2021. The process was concluded in January 2022 when the Business Development Consultant was appointed. This person will represent IDA to support its efforts to win new investment.  The newly appointed Business Development Consultant will be expected to identify...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Gender Equality (1 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department and its agencies are delivering on our gender equality objectives. Balance for Better Business was launched in 2018 as an independent business-led Review Group established by the Government to improve gender balance in senior leadership in Ireland. It was created to make recommendations on how more women can be involved in decision-making at the top level of businesses in...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (1 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The primary responsibility of the IDA is to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Ireland and to retain, transform and expand the existing base of FDI companies that have already invested and located here.  When it comes to foreign direct investment, site visits represent a valuable tool through which investors can be encouraged to invest in regional areas. However, site visit...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Correspondence (1 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has not brought any policy instructions or policy documents to the attention of an Bord Pleanála since I have taken office.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Schemes (1 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme (CCGS), launched on the 7 September 2020, allows for up to €2 billion in lending to Irish businesses and is the largest guarantee scheme in the history of the State.  The scheme was introduced to provide access to finance to viable but vulnerable businesses negatively impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Its function is to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Digital Ireland Framework (2 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: In February the Government launched the new National Digital Strategy called "Harnessing Digital - The Digital Ireland Framework". The Strategy sets out a high-level framework to support our ambition for Ireland to be a digital leader, at the heart of European and global digital developments. Ireland’s digital ambition is aligned with EU priorities, under the EU’s Digital...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Data Centres (2 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department is aiming to complete the review of the 'Government Statement on the Role of Data Centres in Ireland's Enterprise Strategy' in the first half of 2022, in line with the commitment made in Climate Action Plan  2021. The Statement was first published in 2018.  My Department has begun engagement with key stakeholders in this regard, and will continue to work closely with...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I welcome Deputy Conway-Walsh to the leader's seat. It is always a pleasure to have the opportunity to engage with another member of Sinn Féin, particularly one from Erris, a part of the country I know well. It is always a pleasure to have a disagreement or an agreement on occasion with people from that part of the world. The situation in Ukraine is, as people will appreciate,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: We believe that our energy supplies are secure, or as secure as they can be in the current context. We used Russian coal to run the power station at Moneypoint. That has now been switched over to Colombian coal. We are not dependent on Russia or Ukraine for gas. Approximately one quarter or one third of our gas comes from the Corrib - it is our own gas - and the rest comes from the UK....