Results 38,221-38,240 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (18 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 12 go 20, go huile, le chéile. Cabinet committees meet as appropriate according to their work schedules. The Cabinet committee on health has met twice so far this year. The Cabinet committee on housing has met three times, most recently yesterday. The first meeting on the Cabinet committee on children and education will take place shortly....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (18 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. Starting with Deputy Durkan's question on school transport, I agree with him regarding how important this issue is, especially in rural areas, for children accessing school. We have done a lot in the last couple of years to improve the situation. Fees have been reduced significantly for school transport, which has been a big benefit for families...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Public Sector Reform Review (18 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 to 25, inclusive, together. The main responsibility for the public service modernisation, development and reform functions is vested in the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. An ongoing joint project between the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Public Sector Reform Review (18 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies. On Deputy Bacik's question, I join with her in commending the work of An Garda Síochána, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the courts. As the Deputy said, it is five years since there has been a murder in Ireland linked to a feud involving serious organised crime gangs. Please God, this will continue. I am aware the gardaí have done phenomenal...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (18 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I attended a meeting of the European Council on 23 and 24 March in Brussels. The agenda covered Ukraine; competitiveness; the Single Market and the economy; energy; and external relations. In his contribution to today’s debate, the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, will provide further detail on some of the external relations issues discussed, including Serbia-Kosovo relations,...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: National Security (18 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Our national security is always a primary concern for the Government, and we are carrying out substantial work in building and sustaining our security and capabilities across several sectors, including justice, defence, the economy, energy and cyber. The threat from republican paramilitaries is an ongoing priority and our authorities continue to work closely with their counterparts in...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (18 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Cabinet Committee on the Economy and Investment is due to meet on 25 May.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Referendum Campaigns (18 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: As I announced on 8 March, the Government intends to hold a Referendum in November this year on gender equality as recommended by the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality and the Special Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality. The decision to hold one or more referendums on this issue is in line with commitments in the Programme for Government to respond to the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff (18 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Taoiseach does not have any roles based in the European Union in Brussels. However, staff of the Department regularly avail of the opportunity to work in the European Commission under the National Experts in Professional Training (NEPT) and the Seconded National Experts (SNE) programmes. At present two officers of the Department are working in Brussels, both on the SNE...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Funding (18 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: No funding or grant aid has been awarded by the Department to the organisations in question nor is it anticipated any funding will be made to them in 2023.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff (18 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The details requested by the Deputy in respect of the period 2018 to date are set out in the table below. Year Number of staff who took sick leave 2018 90 2019 108 2020 64 2021 38 2022 80 2023 (to date) 33

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff (18 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: No bullying allegations have been made by staff of the Department in the past five years.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff (18 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: No employees of the Department were dismissed in the past ten years. However, during the period in question, four employees were not retained following completion of their probationary contracts.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Projects (18 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: An ongoing joint project between the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform is ‘Strengthening Policy Development and Strategic Foresight’which was initiated to enhance overall policy development and strategic foresight capabilities across the Civil and Public Service. A range of meetings between different groups have taken...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Functions (18 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The main responsibility for the public service modernisation, development and reform functions is vested in the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. The Public Service Reform Plan aims to make the work of the public service more transparent, decision-making more accountable and service delivery more effective. From its inception in 2011 two reform plans have been...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Housing for All, which is the Government's housing plan, has had a really good start. At the moment, 300 to 400 people are buying their first homes every week. That is the highest number since the Celtic tiger period. It gives me a lot of hope and confidence that we are going to be able to turn the tide on home ownership into the future. Some 30,000 new homes were built last year, and we...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Because only a few weeks ago we provided funding to local authorities to purchase 1,500 homes where landlords are selling up. That money has not yet all been drawn down. If they draw it down, there will be more. Only a few weeks ago, we announced an increase in the amount of social homes we will provide this year through long-term leasing. The announcement today is not the totality of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Sinn Féin is not doing that, however. It does not have a housing plan. Its only housing plan is a change of Government and that is totally vacuous and empty.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I fundamentally disagree with the Deputy on this. We have a very deep housing crisis that is affecting individuals and families in so many different ways. It is not about public versus private or people who want to buy their home against people who are in social housing.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: If we are going to solve the housing crisis, we need to maximise the amount of public housing we build and we also need to maximise the amount of private housing we build. It is not an either-or situation. Only in the past few weeks, we announced increased investment for local authorities to provide more social housing and to purchase houses off landlords who are selling up, therefore...