Results 38,661-38,680 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It sounds like a reasonable suggestion. I am not across the detail of this, but I will make sure somebody from my office gets in touch with the Minister, Deputy Ryan, about it and comes back to the Deputy with a further response.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for raising the two issues. I heard many of the stories about maths paper 1. It does seem like it was a very hard paper and that caused much distress for students and, indeed, their teachers. My understanding is that maths paper 2 was a bit more student-friendly and user-friendly. I should clarify that, of course, Government and the Minister do not write the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I can give two assurances, one of which is about the way papers are marked. Difficult papers are marked more easily and easy papers are marked harder because there is a way by which grades are distributed. I give that reassurance to students, parents and teachers. The grades for maths exams will be similar to what they have been in previous years. A hard paper is marked more easily....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (14 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 9, inclusive, together. The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, NCPC, published its annual competitiveness challenge report in September 2022. It makes recommendations to the Government across a range of policy areas. On 29 November 2022, the Government published a formal response to the council's recommendations. This is the third...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (14 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. Deputy McDonald spoke about her visit to Letterkenny and her engagement with the chamber of commerce there. I have had the chance to visit the county on many occasions, including in recent months. I visited Tata Consultancy Services, TCS, a multinational company employing over 1,000 people now in Letterkenny, which is great to see. I...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 10 go 20 le chéile. The Cabinet Committee on Health met on 29 May and is due to meet again on 19 June. In addition to the meetings of the full Cabinet and of Cabinet committees, I meet Ministers on an individual basis to focus on different issues. I meet regularly with the Minister for Health to discuss progress and challenges in the area...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies again for their questions. Deputy Hourigan raised the issue of the north inner city drugs and alcohol task force. I am afraid I do not have my file on the north east inner city with me but there is a report and an update on it. I do not have it to hand but I will certainly make sure the Deputy gets a reply later in the week on it. I will send it to other Deputies from...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: There is €30 million for 2022, so the full amount allocated in that year was not spent. I was not aware of that. I am not sure it is correct but I will double-check because my impression had been the opposite in that any time any additional funding was provided for new medicines it was not enough. If that is the case, there is a problem so I will definitely check up on that this...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Question Nos. 21 to 26, inclusive, together. Cabinet committees meet as appropriate according to their work schedules. In addition to meetings of Cabinet committees, I often meet with Ministers on an individual basis to focus on particular issues, which are also regularly discussed at full Government meetings. From June to December 2022, the Cabinet committees on...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (14 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. The number of people sleeping rough was in or around 100, or just below that at last count. I do not know what the discrepancy is between the Simon Community count and the DRHE count. I will ask that question. It might relate to the time of night at which it is done. It might also relate to whether it is done on a single night or over an average...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Bodies (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO), is the only body under the aegis of my Department. NESDO has the following dedicated email address for Oireachtas members: Oireachtas@nesdo.ie.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Covid-19 Pandemic (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: A comprehensive evaluation of how the country managed COVID-19 will provide an opportunity to learn lessons from our experiences in dealing with a pandemic. It will include a review of the whole-of-government response to the pandemic and how we might do better and be in a stronger position if another pandemic or other similar type event were to occur. It will include a consideration of the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Communications (13 Jun 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. Organic videos posted on MerrionStreet.ie social media accounts that include closed captioning/subtitling between 1 May 2022 and...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Policies (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Taoiseach, in line with the rest of the Civil Service, is committed to the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination. This includes providing equality of opportunity and treatment of its staff and to persons to whom it provides services. Equality and diversity is enshrined as a core principle in the Department’s Customer Service Charter to ensure the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) is the only non-commercial public body under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach. NESDO is the corporate body for the National Economy and Social Council (NESC) which advises me on strategic policy issues relating to sustainable economic, social, and environmental development in Ireland. In 2022, NESDO spent a sum of...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Data (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Department had one individual seconded from PWC in the period specified. The individual was seconded to the Brexit Team in the Department’s British-Irish and Northern Ireland Affairs Division from 12thOctober 2015 – 29thApril 2019.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Data (13 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: No contracts have been awarded to the company in question by the Department of the Taoiseach nor has any expenditure been incurred.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The new national children's hospital will transform healthcare for children on our island. Elements of it are already open, including the ambulatory care centres in Blanchardstown and Tallaght. People who have taken their kids there will know quite how good healthcare can be when we have modern facilities. The main building has been under construction for quite some time, next to St....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know if a validation exercise was carried out in March, but I do know that snagging and checking-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----is par for the course in any construction project.