Results 37,081-37,100 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I join with the Deputy in thanking Dr. Scally and his team for the work they have done in the past couple of years. We were very lucky as a country that we found him. He has done some really good work to help us improve the CervicalCheck programme. I am very grateful to him and his team for that. The Coombe lab is being developed at the moment. We are keen to have it up and running...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I had the chance to meet Aimee Foley myself yesterday very briefly when she was in the House. I really admire her courage in going public in the way that she did and seeking a tougher sentence. I am glad that the DPP did appeal that sentence and that a higher sentence was secured. I would like to see that happen a little more often than it does. I understand and see the case for legal...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The negotiations on the consultant contract are ongoing. They are at an advanced stage. Within the next couple of weeks we will know whether agreement is possible or not. They are being chaired independently and it would not be helpful for me to engage in running commentary on some of the outstanding issues. I think we are close to the point in the next couple of weeks as to whether we...

Misuse of Drugs (Cannabis Regulation) Bill 2022: First Stage (24 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: No.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Official Travel (22 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Neither I nor any officials from my Department, or from bodies under the aegis of my Department, travelled to the Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Change Conference.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (22 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department continues to support the work of IDA in attracting Foreign Direct Investment to Ireland. In the first half of 2022, 155 investments were won, with associated employment potential of over 18,000 jobs. Several investments approved and announced in the first half of the year involve large job numbers and significant capital investments. The current staffing levels at IDA Ireland in...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (29 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The proposed departure of Zurich Insurance Plc (ZIP) from Ireland comes following a review of the company structure in Europe, resulting in the commercial decision to re-locate ZIP’s European Headquarters to Germany, which is closer to its key markets. My first thoughts are with the staff affected by this announcement. I understand that a consultation period is underway, and I expect...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Staff (29 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department, and its Offices, which includes the Companies Registration Office, the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland, the Labour Court and the Workplace Relations Commission, currently has six staff whose roles include functional responsibilities as access officers as required by section 26 (2) of the Disability Act 2005. These are set out on the Department’s website at...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Contracts (29 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department and its Offices, which includes the Companies Registration Office (CRO), the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland (IPOI), the Labour Court and the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), are tenants in ten buildings across the country provided by the Office of Public Works who manage the public property portfolio on behalf of Departments. Currently the Department directly...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Ministerial Staff (29 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: In relation to my current corps of drivers, this information resides with the Department of An Taoiseach and An Garda Síochána. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is not responsible for employment records of my corps of drivers.

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

Leo Varadkar: My Department operates a devolved procurement function whereby each business unit and Office of the Department is responsible for the procurement of their own individual contracts. The Offices of the Department include the Companies Registration Office, the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland, the Labour Court and the Workplace Relations Commission. Under the terms of the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Losses (7 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Following the release of its third-quarter results in late October, Intel announced it would seek cost reductions in 2023 due to market decline. This included reducing operational expenditure and a right-sizing of its global workforce. I understand Intel is engaging with staff and offering voluntary unpaid leave options to its staff as part of this cost review process. My Department has not...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue and for sharing some of the stories and experiences he has put on the record of the House. To be very clear once again, absolutely everyone on this side of the House, including everyone in government, accepts that we have a deep crisis when it comes to housing. We have seen a big increase in our population and we have an economy that is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Pay increases for all public servants kicked in in October and have been backdated to February. They have been paid to the vast majority of public servants but I acknowledge that has not been the case in large parts of our health service. I met with the unions during the week. I met the head of the INMO, Ms Phil Ni Sheaghdha, and the head of ICTU and they raised this issue. We agree that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It will.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It is €1,000 per renter, €2,000 for a couple and up to €3,000 for three people renting because renters get it for this year and last year.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy once again for raising this important issue. I acknowledge that the public service and many private businesses are struggling to recruit and retain staff, especially in Dublin, but also all over the country. Of course, housing is a factor in that - the high cost of housing and rent and the sheer non-availability of anywhere to rent. However, it is also appropriate to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: If the Deputy examines the legislation on the HAP, she will see that it says that once people are in receipt of the payment, their housing needs are deemed to be met, they are taken off the housing list and can only be on the transfer list. That is legislation that we did together in government. I absolutely agree that HAP is not a long-term solution, and I am absolutely in favour of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I wan to put on the record of the House that the Government has been advised by EirGrid and the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, CRU, that the system outlook for energy supply for this winter is similar to last winter. There will be periods when the margin between supply and demand will be very tight. We think that is particularly going to be the case over the course of the next...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (8 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate that the figures the Deputy quoted come from an independent source, but I am not sure if they stack up, because 0.9% of GDP is roughly €3 billion. Everyone knows that the budget package was €11 billion and we did other things last year long before the budget, so I think those figures require further examination. The Deputy is right that Dáil is going into...