Results 38,321-38,340 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Child Poverty (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. We have seen a huge increase in the budget for mental health services for children and young people and an increase in staff. There is of course also an increase in demand. We have challenges getting staff and some deficiencies in the system regarding how the services are deployed and best used. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 14 together. The National Economic and Social Council advises me on strategic policy issues relating to sustainable economic, social and environmental development in Ireland. NESC is currently working in six main areas. The council published a report on the Irish economy in April, Understanding the Irish Economy in a Time of Turbulence. It outlines...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will take those questions in reverse. I am not familiar with that dispute and it would not be appropriate for me to join or not join any call without knowing all the facts. There are procedures to deal with industrial relations disputes of that nature. I agree we need to continue to review the income thresholds for both social housing and cost rental. We have already increased them...

Ceisteanna - Questions: North-East Inner City Initiative (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Mulvey report, Dublin 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 for the period 2020 to 2022. Implementation of the Mulvey report and the strategic plan is...

Ceisteanna - Questions: North-East Inner City Initiative (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. The Deputies opposite make a valid point as regards the need to review what has been done to date. It is important that we measure progress. It is not always straightforward to measure progress in such areas, but it is important that we try to do so because what we do not measure we cannot really improve. By doing so, we can try to figure out...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Government has been working to implement commitments in the programme for Government. These are advanced through the co-ordinating mechanism of the Cabinet committee structure. The ten Cabinet committees established by Government reflect the core policy areas set out in the programme for Government. Cabinet committees meet regularly to accomplish their work. Strategy statements...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Moynihan's colleague, Deputy Creed, has raised this issue of a Garda station Macroom with me many times. We are working on the issue. I met the Minister for Justice, the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and the Office of Public Works recently about it. A new station is needed in Macroom quite urgently, as well as one in Clonmel. The...

Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement: Statements (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: This month marks 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement was concluded. Life on this island has been transformed over the past 25 years as a result of the agreement and the leadership, vision and capacity for compromise shown by those who made it possible at the time. On this anniversary, we recognise how far we have come in the quarter of a century since 10 April 1998, followed by the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Consultations (25 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Following a public procurement process on the e-tenders and OJEU websites in early 2022, the Department of the Taoiseach, with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, awarded a contract for data strategy services to support the implementation of the Housing for All plan to Ernst & Young Chartered Accountants. Expenditure under the contract is a matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Official Engagements (25 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The official dinner held in Dublin Castle in honour of the President of the United States, the Honourable Joseph R. Biden Jr., on 13 April, included a diverse range of attendees. Invited guests, across the Irish and US side, included current and retired senior political representatives, public servants, and a broad range of representatives from sectors such as arts and culture, education and...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cybersecurity Policy (25 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy will appreciate that it is not the practice to detail in public the measures that are taken to protect the security of official and office holders’ communications, including those measures taken regarding mobile devices. This is a long-standing practice adopted for sound reasons of security. In general, all users of official devices have a responsibility to exercise...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising the important issue of the various challenges that affect our health service. As somebody who has worked in the public health service for seven years and has served as Minister for Health and as Taoiseach, I am not in any denial about the challenges faced by patients or staff in our health service. There are certainly too many patients waiting too long to see...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I have only seen the media reports of the survey she mentioned. I have not had chance to read it yet. My understanding from what I was briefed on earlier is that it relates to three out of four staff having considered at some point leaving their work area, not necessarily their profession which is obviously a different thing. However, I acknowledge that we need to continue to improve...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is important that the Deputy hears it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is important that Deputy McDonald hears it because north of the Border her party has been in and out of government for nearly 20 years, and has held the office of finance minister, health minister and joint head of government on regular occasions. I would take the patient outcomes and the performance of our health service down here anytime over those in Northern Ireland-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----where patient outcomes are worse, waiting lists are higher and staff get paid much less.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. As I have often said before in this House, homelessness is a stain on our society. As a Government, we are honour-bound and duty-bound to do everything we can to reduce the number of people who are required to stay in State-provided emergency accommodation over the next months and years. We had a period when we were able to bring it down by 30% to 40%, but it has gone...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy mentioned the fact we have a budget surplus, and we do. We also have the biggest budget for housing in the history of the State. If it was a matter of money and budgets, this problem would have been solved a long time ago. There are many other constraints and she rightly pointed out that one of the constraints is the availability of labour and construction staff to do all the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I was aware of the protests when I visited Cork last week. This is a live issue and, because it is an industrial relations matter, I am limited in what I can say in the House. I understand Cork City Council has invited SIPTU to talks with a view to finding a solution to the dispute and remains available to meet staff representatives....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 May 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We published the retained fire service review. It went to Cabinet only a few weeks ago. Approximately 1,000 submissions were made, including many from the retained service. As a point of context, it is worth pointing out once again that we are very close to full employment in this country with 2.6 million people at work. This is more than ever before. We have more public servants than we...