Results 37,701-37,720 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am informed that drafting is ongoing. I am afraid I do not have a definitive timeline for legislation yet but we hope to make meaningful progress on it in this calendar year.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (22 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 8 together. The Cabinet committee on the economy and investment was established in January 2023. The first meeting was scheduled for 16 February, but was subsequently postponed. The meeting has not yet been rescheduled. Membership of the committee is comprised of the Taoiseach; the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence; the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (22 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. I was asked by Deputy Gould about the IBEC report on the housing crisis. As I have said before, the housing crisis is holding us back as a country in many different ways. Yes, it is about people having to pay very high rents, first-time buyers not being able to become homeowners and rising homelessness, but it is also holding us back economically....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Nursing Homes (22 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 16, inclusive, together. Deputies will be aware that, as provided in Article 30 of the Constitution and in the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, the Attorney General’s role is to advise the Government in matters of law and legal opinion. The Attorney General also attends meetings of Government. I maintain regular contact with the Attorney...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Nursing Homes (22 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. The Attorney General's report was his own but, as Deputy Jim O'Callaghan pointed out, we asked him to prepare it. It was commissioned by the Government in that sense and we published it because I made a commitment in the House that we would. It was a very solid and comprehensive report. Above all, it pointed out that at least in the view of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Risk Assessment (22 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 22, inclusive, together. The national risk assessment has been prepared since 2014 and provides an opportunity to identify and discuss significant risks which may arise for Ireland. A draft list of strategic risks for consideration as part of the 2023 national risk assessment was published for consultation on 7 December 2022. This provides an...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Risk Assessment (22 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: On that final point on drug debt intimidation, I agree it is something the citizens’ assembly needs to examine as part of its work. On the issue raised in regard to air PSOs by Deputy Cathal Crowe, we have had a few air PSOs in the past, for example, there was Dublin-Kerry, which we no longer need because it is a commercial service; Dublin-Donegal, which is still there; and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Risk Assessment (22 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The mandate of Coillte should be all of those things: to produce timber for housing and building, for leisure and tourism and for climate and biodiversity. It should be a multiple mandate, not a single mandate, and that is the mandate, in my view. I very much agree with what Deputy Gould said about us not seeing a wage-price spiral. That is not happening in Ireland. Inflation here is...

Anniversary of Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Motion (22 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I move: That Dáil Éireann: — strongly condemns without reservation the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation which commenced on 24th February, 2022; — expresses its unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders; — firmly believes that the actions of the Russian...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 36 together. The Cabinet Committee on the Economy and Investment was established in January 2023. The first meeting was scheduled for the 16 February, but was subsequently postponed. The meeting has not yet been re-scheduled.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Semi-State Bodies (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Taoiseach has no non-commercial or semi-State commercial companies under its aegis.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Properties (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Department is in regular contact with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth as part of its role in co-ordinating the humanitarian response to the war in Ukraine to ensure a joined-up approach to accommodation and services. All accommodation used by my Department and by the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO), which is the only body...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Citizens' Assembly (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Government agreed on 14 February to establish a Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use. Motions are before the Dáil and Seanad this week to formally establish the Assembly which will likely commence in April and conclude its work by the end of the year.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Irish Sign Language (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Irish Sign Language Act 2017 provides that all public bodies should provide Irish Sign Language users with free interpretation when accessing or availing of statutory services. While the Department of the Taoiseach nor the body under its aegis, the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO), provides any such statutory services to members of the public, both have...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Advertising (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Taoiseach incurred expenditure of €1,784,926 on advertising in 2022. This figure is provisional until the 2022 accounts are finalised. The vast majority of that spend, amounting to €1,765,805, related to COVID-19 public information campaigns undertaken in the first half of 2022 as part of the Government’s coordinated approach to COVID-19 public...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: While there are elements of communications to most policy roles in my Department, the Unit in my Department whose function relates to communications is the Government Information Service (GIS). GIS includes the Government Press Office and the MerrionStreet.ie content team and works on a cross-functional and collaborative basis to: - provide the Taoiseach, the Government and the Department...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Office of the Attorney General (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The role of the Attorney General, as provided for in the Constitution, is to advise the Government in matters of law and legal opinion. The Attorney General’s Office provides a range of legal services to the Government and to Government Departments and Offices. There are no plans at present for significant or fundamental reform of the Attorney General’s Office. The Attorney...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Ukraine War (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Taoiseach is ensuring effective co-ordination of our humanitarian response across all Government departments through the work of the Senior Officials Group. This is assisting the work of the Cabinet Committee on the Humanitarian Response to Ukraine, which I chair. I also have regular engagements with Ministers at Cabinet and individually to discuss matters of concern for...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Legal Cases (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: No discrimination cases have been taken and won against the Department over the past ten years.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Appointments to State Boards (22 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: There is one retired civil servant currently serving on the National Statistics Board and one retired public servant serving on the National Economic and Social Council.