Results 38,901-38,920 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Communications (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----are doing. In relation to thalidomide survivors, there is a process of engagement currently under way with at least some of the survivors of thalidomide, although there are different groups and many different individuals involved. Progress has been made with respect to the provision of health and social care assistance to respond to the current and future needs of thalidomide survivors....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 13 together. The Cabinet committee on health last met on 19 June and is currently scheduled to meet next on 24 July. The Cabinet committee on health oversees the programme for Government commitments relating to health and receives detailed reports on identified policy areas. It considers the progress of health reforms including Sláintecare, the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to beg indulgence and forgiveness from colleagues as I was not able to take everything down as quickly as I was asked questions. My officials are keeping an eye on this and will come back to Deputies with written replies where I am unable to give a verbal reply. In response to Deputy Barry's initial question, I am genuinely sorry to hear about his constituent's experience. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know exactly what the individual circumstances are that the Deputy mentioned, but if she wants to send me the details I will certainly make further inquiries about them. Deputy Gino Kenny raised the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use. When it makes its recommendations, they will be considered in good faith by the Government. As with the review that Deputy Bríd Smith...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Indeed, the union side is very much against the idea of being forced to agree to something, because it wants to be able to have a ballot, etc. The same would apply to shareholders and a board. I did not quite catch Deputy Ó Murchú's question, but I will come back to him by correspondence.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Transport Policy (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 to 16, inclusive, together. Requests for the use of the ministerial air transport service are made by Ministers' private secretaries to my office and are dealt with, in the first instance, by the staff of my office. Requests are examined by staff with regard to the need for and the purpose of travel, the destination, the availability and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Transport Policy (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: First of all, I join Deputy Boyd Barrett in congratulating Jack Marley, our first heavyweight boxer to qualify. I saw him on the news last night and was really impressed to see that so many of our athletes are qualifying at the moment. The rugby sevens men and women have qualified, and boxers and others have qualified too. We provide a significant amount of State funding for sport. We...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Consultations (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Taoiseach has incurred no expenditure on consultancy services to date in 2023.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Staff from the Department of the Taoiseach were invited to participate, alongside staff from across the Civil and Public Service, in the Dublin Pride parade on 24th June 2023. For staff attending, flags and t-shirts were purchased at a total cost of €145.35.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cross-Border Co-operation (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: As provided for in the Programme for Government, we are progressing the Shared Island initiative, to benefit the whole island by working with all communities and traditions for a shared future, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. The Government has so far allocated almost €250m from the Shared Island Fund for all-island projects. With this resourcing we are moving ahead with...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Policies (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Since 27 June 2020, the Department of the Taoiseach has been working with Government Departments to progress key national priorities set out in the Programme for Government through the work programmes of the Cabinet Committees established: ·implementation of the Housing for All plan, including recent extra measures to make it cheaper to build and refurbish homes, speed up home building...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Disadvantaged Status (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: In Spring 2023, a Child Poverty and Well-Being Programme Office was established in the Department of the Taoiseach. Government decided that the Programme Office will focus on six priority areas. These are: 1.Income assistance and joblessness 2.Early learning and childcare 3.Reducing the cost of education 4.Family homelessness 5.Consolidating and integrating public health, family...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Funding (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The table below details expenditure by my Department on advertising from 2013 to the 30th June 2023. Since 2020, under the estimates processes, a specific allocation had been provided to the Department of the Taoiseach for COVID-19 Public Communications. Total Advertising expenditure RTE Advertising expenditure 2013 €68,128 ...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Sports Funding (4 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Taoiseach does not provide nor operate any such funding or grant schemes.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Last year in Ireland, we marked 100 years as a democratic and independent state. We are now one of the oldest continuous democracies in the world and our ability to fulfil our destiny as a free and independent country has depended, in part, on freedom of expression, a free media and a strong public service broadcast sector. Public service broadcasting from RTÉ and others has been a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is important to point out that there is more than one person on the executive board. In any democracy, in any decent society, as I am sure the Deputy will agree, anyone should be afforded due process. For me now to condemn en massean entire executive board made up of several different people who had several different roles would not only be unfair but potentially would leave the State...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I know a lot about what happens in RTÉ. Their annual report and accounts are presented to Cabinet and, in addition, I have periodic meetings with senior people in RTÉ. I would meet the DG, maybe once or twice a year. On the existence of barter accounts, the Deputy is correct that the issue is not the barter accounts per se. Barter accounts, I understand, are...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Public trust cannot be restored without truth, transparency and accountability. What we need now is an end to the drip-feed of information. We need all the information out there, if not today then certainly in the coming days. With transparency we have truth and then there can be further accountability thereafter. It is essential that we draw a line under this affair as soon as we...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: RTÉ is a public body. It is also a semi-State or State-owned enterprise. A set of salary caps apply in State-owned enterprises and there is a code of practice for commercial semi-States as to how they are supposed to operate. We will have to establish very quickly whether any of the caps that exist were broken and whether the code of practice for commercial semi-States was breached. ...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Many different things need to be taken into account when considering these matters. The cost of pensions for retired public servants is extremely high, if you think about it. They receive half their salary for the rest of their lives. When it comes to saving money and so on, all of that needs to be borne in mind. The same thing goes for redundancy and dismissal. All these things need to...