Results 36,921-36,940 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: To be honest, I am not sure exactly how pricing works for district heating in Ireland. I know it is commonly used in other European countries but it is not that common in Ireland. As the Deputy has said, tens of thousands of people have district heating systems. I will meet the Minister with responsibility for energy this afternoon. I will make sure he knows Deputy Boyd Barrett has raised...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is determined to dramatically increase the amount of offshore wind generated in Ireland between now and 2030, and beyond. We can use the ports in Belfast and in England but that is not ideal. Therefore, major investment, well in excess of €100 million, is now going into Rosslare to enable it to service the wind farms we are going to build off the east and south-east coasts.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It is a very important issue and one in which I am taking an interest. All of us find it hard to explain to patients or constituents why a medicine is available on the NHS or in Germany or France but is not yet available in Ireland. Cancer survival rates have improved a lot in Ireland in recent decades. Rates are ahead of those in the UK but are still behind the EU average. The impact...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I have not seen the review and I do not know if it is even complete at this stage, but I will make inquiries with the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and ask him to get back to the Deputy directly.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy will see a lot happening in the next couple of years, particularly with the developments in Rosslare, the establishment of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA, and the auctions for offshore wind. I do not have the answers to the Deputy’s precise and very reasonable questions, but there is a meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee on the environment and climate this...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: This issue is currently under consideration in the context of the all-island rail review. The case for extending the western rail corridor is stronger than it was in the past given that public finances are in a much better state and we are able to increase capital spending, the need to meet our climate plans, the high cost of fuel and the desire to get more freight off the roads and onto the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I have read about it in the news but I am not familiar with the detail of the rosters.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I cannot say whether I am in favour of it. It is a matter for the Garda Commissioner, of course, and he will negotiate with the representative bodies on that. The most important thing is that gardaí are rostered for when we need them. They are there to serve the public. They must be rostered for when we need them most. That is my position but I also acknowledge that we must make...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: We have seen a significant increase in overcrowding in recent weeks, not just in Cork but around the country, which is extremely worrying. There are lots of reasons for this. As the Deputy knows, giving the fact that the pandemic restrictions are now gone - although Covid is not gone - there is pent-up demand stemming from the pandemic period. We also have an increasingly aging population....

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I struggle to answer the Deputy's question. I am obviously conscious of the separation of powers, which I am sure the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will remind me of. It is my understanding that the rule of law applies in our courts. That is the point of our courts. Perhaps there is a more detailed question behind the Deputy's question, which we can perhaps talk about with the Minister of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Data (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I congratulate Rishi Sunak on becoming Conservative Party Leader and Prime Minister. I look forward to working with him. The UK is our nearest and closest neighbour and we need to have a good relationship with it both in terms of our economy but also in terms of making progress in Northern Ireland. These are challenging times of war, inflation and global uncertainty and so it makes sense...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Putin’s war on Ukraine has highlighted the vulnerability of becoming too reliant on finite resources controlled by other states. While weaning ourselves off coal, oil and gas is a global challenge, it also presents incredible opportunities for Ireland, specifically electricity generated by offshore wind, backed up by battery storage and interconnection, and of course, green hydrogen. ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Cybersecurity Policy (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It's important that businesses, no matter their size, put cybersecurity at the heart of their approach to the digital transition. We would advise that individual SMEs always engage with trusted software and cloud providers and promote awareness of cybersecurity issues among staff on an ongoing basis. The need for robust cybersecurity is highlighted in the cross-government National...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Renewable Energy Generation (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Putin’s war on Ukraine has highlighted the vulnerability of becoming too reliant on finite resources controlled by other states. While weaning ourselves off coal, oil and gas is a global challenge, it also presents incredible opportunities for Ireland, specifically electricity generated by offshore wind, backed up by battery storage and interconnection, and of course, green...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: We’ve worked hard to create a welcoming environment for FDI in all parts of the country and the strong regional spread of jobs and investment in the latest IDA results demonstrates government policy. Over half of investments in 2021 went to regional locations. With inflation, Putin’s war on Ukraine, increased international competition for FDI and climate change and digital...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Agreements (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, the EU reached political agreement in their trade negotiations with the Mercosur region in June 2019. The Agreement is designed to cement the close political and economic relations between the EU and Mercosur countries and represents a commitment from both regions to rules-based international trade. The independent impact assessment commissioned by my...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: WRB03700 type: 7 --> The IDA’s property investment in the regions is aimed at supporting economic development and job creation across IDA’s, Enterprise Ireland and local LEO’s respective client base. It is crucial that the South-West region has a competitive, sustainable property offering to enable the attraction and retention of investment and jobs. IDA Ireland is...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Strategies (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department, in conjunction with other Departments and state bodies, monitors sectors to anticipate needs and realise emerging opportunities. The latest series of sectoral reports, "Focus on Sectors 2020", was published in August 2020, which presented concise overviews of 16 key sectors of the economy, encompassing both exporting and locally trading activities, and outlined some initial...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The IDA Ireland has frequent engagement with client companies and stakeholders in County Mayo, with regular interaction, including in person when beneficial. IDA Ireland continues to market Mayo as part of the West Region for investment from both the existing base of client companies and potential new name investments. In 2021 the West Region was home to 120 IDA supported companies, employing...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Transport Policy (27 Oct 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Sustainable growth is at the centre of IDA Ireland's current strategy “Driving Recovery & Sustainable Growth 2021-2024”, in line with Government policy, international consensus, the vision of IDA client companies, and the demands of citizens. This strategy is framed through five interlinked pillars of Growth, Transformation, Regions, Sustainability, and Impact. To...