Results 38,681-38,700 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

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

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy has not told me who the independent experts are. If she would give me the copy of the report, I would welcome that. Like I say, this is-----

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

Leo Varadkar: -----something that we have only heard about, as a Government, today.

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

Leo Varadkar: If the Deputy has this independent expert report, I would be happy to receive a copy so that we can verify whether the claims she is making, here in the Dáil, are true. There is no point in being facile about these things. An operating theatre is a room. In the US they call them operating rooms and emergency rooms. Let us be a bit grown up about these things.

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

Leo Varadkar: I acknowledge that we have a very significant shortage and deficit of housing in Ireland and that the country is experiencing a very deep housing crisis that affects people in many ways, whether high rents, rising homelessness or the difficulty many people face in being able to buy their first home. The housing crisis is a reality for many reasons. These are a rapidly rising population,...

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

Leo Varadkar: I heard the Deputy say that single first-time buyers have to earn €67,000 to buy their first home. The Deputy may have misread it or there may have been a different interpretation. I think the figure is that the median or average income of people buying their first home is €67,000. That, by definition, means that at least half of the people who bought their first home earn...

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

Leo Varadkar: It is true. I am sorry. I know I will be criticised for explaining these things but sometimes when things are factually untrue, it is legitimate to point out what is actually meant by average and median for people who may not fully understand it. The €3.5 billion budget for housing is the biggest budget ever. If there is any reason that we are struggling to spend it, it is...

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

Leo Varadkar: I confirm once again that Ireland will remain militarily neutral. We are not going to apply for NATO membership, or membership of any military alliance, nor will we sign up to any mutual defence pact or clause. The Tánaiste has made that very clear on a number of occasions, as have I. However, the security threats facing our country have changed. There are cybersecurity threats,...

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

Leo Varadkar: There is no hidden agenda here. I have told the Deputy exactly what we intend to do. We intend to increase and improve our Defence Forces and defence capability. We are founder members of PESCO, which is European foreign and security structured co-operation. For more than 20 years, we have been part of NATO’s Partnership for Peace. Interoperability is there to protect our troops...

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

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. His experience will be similar to that of many in this House who have been talking to parents, teachers, doctors and psychologists and who will be aware of the increasing demands on young people's mental health, in part due to the pandemic and in part due to other challenges and pressures they face. That is why we are investing very...

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

Leo Varadkar: I assure the Deputy that we will take the INTO submission very seriously. We certainly have done so down the years. The ideas and advice it gives to the Government have very often been taken up by the Government. It is not always possible to do everything we want to do in any one given year but we can certainly do more over the years ahead. Again, I know the Minister, Deputy Foley, is...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I should point out that the increase in the defence budget last year was €70 million. This is a Government that is committed to investing in our Defence Forces and making sure that they have better equipment. We have seen a significant improvement in pay in recent years and it now compares very favourably with other jurisdictions like the UK and the US, for example. To the best of...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is a forum, so people will be able to participate. That is the whole idea of it.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I would have no difficulty - nor would the Tánaiste - in the report being debated in the House. I think that is a good idea, and I think that would be entirely appropriate. I just want to confirm that representatives of all EU member states have been invited to attend the forum.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: That includes Austria, Malta and Cyprus; and representatives from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland, which is neutral, have been invited to speak as panellists.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: To conclude, the aim of the forum is to hear from a variety of partners about their foreign and security policy choices. It will be an interactive forum.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: People will be invited to speak and make their contributions. Finally, on the issue of data centres, I have no difficulty having a debate about our policy on data centres but I suggest that Opposition time be used for that. We have a lot of legislation and we need to get it through by the recess. I suggest that Opposition time be used.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. As I said earlier at a different event, I think the figures produced by Women's Aid are very concerning. Just this year so far, five women have been killed as a consequence of domestic and gender-based violence. It is something the Government is acting on and is very concerned about. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, is taking the lead in implementing the strategy in that...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The Government is committed to making childcare more affordable and more available, and to improving the quality of childcare and early education available to children and parents. I am happy to confirm there will be a further reduction in the cost of childcare for all parents next year. That will be in addition to the 25% average reduction that occurred last year. As...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----disingenuous.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jun 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The Government is doing everything it can to increase the supply of housing and to make it more affordable. More than 30,000 new homes were built last year. We expect a similar number to be built this year. There is a rent credit to help with the cost of renting and loads of schemes to help people to buy. We are seeing them make a difference. There are now 300 or 400...