Results 37,541-37,560 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We need to be fair and even-handed and not apply double standards.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I agree with the Deputies in that regard. In response to Deputy Haughey's question, the focus of the summit-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----was Ukraine for the first part and then migration for the second part. A particular focus was placed on external borders, and how we can strengthen the external borders of the European Union, and also on returns, and how we can increase the number of returns of people who have been deemed ineligible for international protection in the European Union after an appropriate legal process....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----and they were supported by governments that include green parties in various parts of Europe. Those include the socialist government in Malta and the social democratic government in Denmark, for example. The mainstream centre left in Europe supported these conclusions-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----and to try to present them as something hard right followed by the centre right-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----really misunderstands where the mainstream of European opinion now lands. These conclusions were supported by centre-left Governments, the Party of European Socialists and the European Green Party in government. For my part, I supported the conclusions on behalf of the Irish Government. I also made the case for legal pathways, which is something we in Ireland do better than other...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----but we also need controls as well. I do not agree with the view that we should have no controls at all or have no nations or borders. Those who have that view should be honest about it and not try to cover up that they do not believe in any returns or any borders. They should be honest about that if that is their view. As the Deputy rightly pointed out, my reference to being hard...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----why somebody may have false papers if they are coming from a country where they cannot get papers. What I do not understand is the destruction of papers.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Trade is an EU competence so it is the same position as we had before.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Urban Development (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 12, inclusive, together. The Mulvey report, Dublin's North East Inner City: Creating a Brighter Future, which was published in February 2017, contains recommendations for the social and economic regeneration of Dublin's north-east inner city. The report has been further supplemented by the north-east inner city strategic plan 2020-2023....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Urban Development (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputies for their questions. Regarding the programme implementation board and the appointment of a new chair, no decision has yet been made on the appointment of a chair but I would very much welcome any suggestions or nominations that Members may have, perhaps on a confidential basis. It can be difficult to approach people for these roles. The enthusiasm for taking on this kind...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 to 25, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on housing met on 30 January. The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for 9 March. The committee works to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the implementation of Housing for All. The quarter 4 2022 progress report was discussed at the most recent meeting of the committee, and was subsequently...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: What was the Deputy referring to?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I apologise if I did not catch everything. The Deputies spoke much more quickly than I can write, but I will try to cover as many questions as I managed to jot down. In respect of Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan's question about the tenant in situ scheme, that is a scheme the Government supports and I know the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage supports it very strongly. We...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know. I will have to check with the Minister on that.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: In regard to Deputy McAuliffe's question, I am not familiar with the site-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We might have a chat afterwards and he can let me know where it is. We can certainly ask the LDA to take a look at it. On the rent tax credit, it does cover students who are paying rent and where parents pay on their behalf, but it does not cover unregistered landlords. The difficulty with unregistered landlords is they should be registered. They are either not registered with the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Family breakdown is one and another, of course, is people being evicted from private rented accommodation. We are seeing a change in the profile of people who are homeless. It is quite different from what it would have been five, six or seven years ago and that is a factor too, but we will assess that over the next couple of weeks. It will remain the case that if somebody is not paying...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to check with the Minister for Finance but I would have thought there would be a charge this year.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will take a moment to pay tribute to Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, MSP, who announced her resignation today. I met her many times in Dublin and also in the context of the British-Irish Council. I always found her to be an impressive, competent, articulate and thoughtful politician, a true European and a friend of Ireland. Certainly, she will always be welcome at our table....