Results 37,501-37,520 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (8 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I accept Deputy McDonald's point in relation to domestic violence leave in Northern Ireland but I do not think we can view things in isolation. If one take's sick pay for example, what we offer people in terms of sick pay is more per day than people get per week in Northern Ireland. One has to look at things in the round. The same also applies to the minimum wage, for example.

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (8 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: To be honest, I have read a bit about that matter but I am not fully across it. Decisions on ticketing are ultimately a matter for the organisations concerned but there should be some provision for cash. One of the issues that came out of the report on the retail banking sector, led by the former Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, was that while we do want to have electronic payments and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (8 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am sorry but I will have to ask the Minister for Transport to respond to the Deputy on the air connectivity issue. I will have a chat with Deputy Brendan Smith afterwards about the matter he raised because I did not fully catch what he said while I was trying to jot down the other questions.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Programme for Government (8 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Government has been working to implement the commitments in the Programme for Government, which are advanced through the co-ordinating mechanisms of the cabinet committee structure. The ten Cabinet Committees recently established by Government reflect the core policy areas set out in the Programme for Government that it will continue to focus on. Cabinet Committees will meet regularly to...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: State Bodies (8 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Government remains fully committed to the important work that has been underway in Dublin’s North East Inner City (NEIC) to oversee the long-term social and economic regeneration of the area. The NEIC Programme Implementation Board, which was established following publication of the Mulvey Report, and comprises government departments and agencies, alongside community...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Social Media (8 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the Department of the Taoiseach and the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) - which incorporates the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) - is set out in the tables below. Department of the Taoiseach Platform Total no. of videos No. of videos with subtitles % of videos with...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Housing Policy (8 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Housing for All Sub-Group on State Lands and Property reports to the Public Service Delivery Working Group chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which in turn reports to the Housing for All Delivery Group. The Group oversees relevant actions and targets in the Plan and the potential of State Land & Property to contribute to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as a ceist. Is é Tithíocht do Chách an plean atá againn chun úinéireacht tí a chur i bhfeidhm, a chinntiú go bhfuil rochtain ag gach duine tithíocht ar ard-chaighdeán chun cobhsaíocht a thabhairt do chíosóirí, agus chun daoine atá i mbaol a bheith gan dídean a chosaint. Is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We are acting on this. Just in the past few weeks, we have introduced rent tax credits at €500 per renter, €1,000 for a couple, three people sharing getting €1,500 and four people sharing getting €2,000. That is going to help people in a meaningful way with their rent costs. That is something I believe we can build on in future budgets if the public finances...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----or include too many one-beds or might accommodate, to use a term Sinn Féin likes to use, "transient" tenants.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I want to acknowledge the enormous pressure a lot of people, families and businesses are under because of the rise in energy costs. We have seen a dramatic rise in energy costs over the past two years, almost entirely driven by international factors, and exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and other factors related to it. In fairness, a lot has been done by the Government...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: A windfall tax on energy companies is weeks away. I do not think we are late in the day because companies pay tax now on profits they made last year and last year only ended six or eight weeks ago. We will have that tax in place in the near future. It will be retrospective in the sense that the companies will pay it on the profits they made last year and will pay it again on the profits...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Let me say at the outset that I do not believe there is any excuse for racism of any form, whether it is directed towards people who are new arrivals to this country, people who have been here for a long time or people who were born here. People should be judged by the content of their character and not the colour of their skin, full stop, and I do not think any of us, coming from any...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is absolutely right that people should stand up against racism. We are working on a new national anti-racism strategy and will have that quite soon. We will implement it and fund it. However, I do not think that anyone should use an anti-racism campaign to promote a particular political party or particular ideology and I do not think that should be done. I will keep on saying that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: What we want to achieve in healthcare, guided by the Sláintecare plan is essentially three things. We want healthcare to be affordable, that is, free at the point of use for a lot of people and affordable for everyone; access where people are getting healthcare in a timely manner; and we also want good patient outcomes. I am not satisfied with where we are with that as a country and I...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know exactly why surgery was cancelled in Ennis during that period. The Minister for Health is beside me and has said he will check that out. It could be that the hospital was simply full of medical patients. That happens, particularly during winter when the surgical wards have to be given over to medical patients because so many people come in with pneumonia, respiratory...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am advised by the Minister for Health that he is still engaging on the issue of the Patient Safety (Notifiable Patient Safety Incidents) Bill 2019. He is engaging with the 221+ group and the Attorney General around its legal implications. The Minister still hopes to get the Bill done this week but there is a possibility that we will put it off for a week if that makes sense. He is still...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is a research document produced by the EPA and it should not be dismissed. It is a useful scientific contribution to an important debate on land use but it is not Government policy.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will ask the Minister to answer.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: An Garda Síochána is made up of sworn gardaí and Garda staff. We anticipate that both will increase in number this year. We have provided funding for more than 1,000 gardaí to be recruited this year. This will be enough to cover retirements and resignations, and will result in an increase in the total number of gardaí. While training was disrupted as a consequence...