Results 36,441-36,460 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: -----to fund the future costs of pensions.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I have to ask the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, to come back to the Deputy later in relation to the finance side. In terms of my own Department’s consultation on the new enterprise White Paper, the deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, 29 July. The consultation documents ask that submissions be no longer than 1,500 words, but they do not have to be so if somebody wants to make a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I want to say at the outset that I, as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and the Government understand that businesses have endured some really difficult years with Brexit, the restrictions related to the pandemic and now, of course, inflation particularly when it comes to energy costs. I think it is fair to say that this Government has not been found wanting when it has come to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It may well be that the Deputy is right. It is often the case that we experience things on the ground and hear about them anecdotally, yet it is weeks or months before the official statistics prove what we know already. That is what we are seeing now with the statistics on inflation. According to the Central Statistics Office, CSO, prices are rising at 9.6% a year. I think everyone knew...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: At the outset, I want to be associated with and thank the Ceann Comhairle for his words and his good advice. We are all heading off on what is a nine-week recess. It is true of all of us that we will still be working in our Departments, Cabinet will still be meeting and constituency offices will still be open. Most Members of the House will take two or three weeks' annual leave and will...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I am pretty sure that that is an all-time record but I know that does not happen just because of what we do here. It involves everybody else as well: the ushers, the Bills Office, and everyone working in this precinct. I express my appreciation on behalf of the Government for that.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: On the matter raised by Deputy Doherty, I spoke on Newstalk yesterday and I am happy to repeat what I said then. It is not often the Deputy and I agree 100% but on this occasion I do agree 100% with him. What we saw happen in Northern Ireland with effigies and posters of politicians, including Michelle O'Neill, Naomi Long and others, mainly female politicians but not always, being burned...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I do not have a date for a decision on that but a decision has been made on new tenancies. It is right and proper that we should increase the HAP limits but we do not want to increase them and cause rents to rise further. A distinction is being made where it is a new tenancy. A higher limit is now allowed for that.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It is a hospital I know well and have visited several times. As Taoiseach and Minister for Health previously, I did my best to ensure it got a new state-of-the-art emergency department and additional beds. There are probably 100 or so more beds than a few years ago with more on the way. I helped secure the opening of the Leben Building, for example. A huge amount of investment has gone...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and bring it to my attention. I will have to make inquiries with the Minister for Health about it. We have a large number of public health nurses in the State. They generally provide a very good service so I am not sure why those cancellations have happened but I will make sure the Minister replies to the Deputy directly on it.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: At present, there are no plans by Government to introduce a ride-sharing system in Ireland, whether it is Uber, Lyft or any of the many companies that offer that service. However, I have used it in other countries. I think approximately 10,000 cities in the world have ride-sharing in some form. I say to people travelling over the summer to try it out in the city they visit, talk to the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The European patent court has now been established and is a reality. We have signed the treaty but have not yet ratified it and therefore cannot take part. We want to take part but a referendum will be required. We have not yet set a date for that. It will either be next year or concurrent with the local and European elections the year after that. A unit has been established in my...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I am sorry; which Bill is this?

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I am advised that the amendments are being examined by the Attorney General. I will try to get a more detailed answer for the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My understanding is that there have been negotiations with the Irish Dental Association about this. Additional funding for public dental services was provided in the budget. I am not sure where we are in the deployment of that funding but I will certainly let the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, know that the Deputy raised this issue today and ask him to come back to him with a...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: A review of this issue is under way. The Deputy will know as well as I do that it is not as simple as providing extra judges. We need to make sure there is court space and the court staff required to enable judges to do their job. We need to make sure that, if there are going to be additional judges and Courts Service staff, we see an improvement in the length of time it takes people to...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My understanding is that more than 70,000 healthcare workers have already received the pandemic bonus payment of €1,000. It is quite straightforward in the case of direct employees of the HSE who work in a clinical setting. It is more complicated in other cases. I do not know the exact circumstances with regard to Ennis Hospital but if the Deputy wants to pass the details on to my...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I am familiar with the issue and have been lobbied on it by some childcare providers in my constituency. While I know the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, is examining the matter, I do not have an update on it at the moment.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy is aware, the timely provision of appropriate and cost-effective property and infrastructure solutions to meet the needs of multinational companies is essential to winning Foreign Direct Investment. Over the past 5 years, the IDA’s Regional Property Programme has enabled the winning of capital-intensive projects of significant scale to regional locations. There are now...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Undefined (14 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: From next year the Government is introducing a new permanent public holiday in celebration of Imbolc/St. Brigid’s day. This will be the first Monday in every February, except where St. Brigid’s day, the 1st day of February, happens to fall on a Friday, in which case that Friday 1st February will be a public holiday. The Government wants to ensure that the public holiday provides...