Results 39,061-39,080 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Strategies (20 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Taoiseach is supporting implementation of the cross-government actions set out in the strategy to promote equality for LGBTI+ people in Ireland. This includes creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all colleagues feel respected, valued and included. The Department is a member of the Civil and Public Service wide LGBT+ Employee and Ally Network and...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Reports (20 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I refer the Deputy to the table below: Details of study/review/research currently underway Date commenced Estimated date of completion Costs Involved Details of person / body conducting the study/review/research Shared Island research programme with Economic and Social Research Institute, 2021 Programme: 4 Projects 2022 Programme: 4...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. As she knows, there is a childcare and early years education strike happening today. Of the 4,000 childcare providers in the State, we understand that 5%, or probably fewer, are participating in the action today. That is important to point out. The action is being supported by only one organisation, the Federation of Early Childhood...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. It remains the Government's objective to reduce the cost of childcare by 50%. We set that out some time ago. We are halfway there already. We also need to invest in capacity because we also need to ensure there are more places available. We also need to invest in quality, and that includes better pay for staff, which of course has to be funded, at least in part, by...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----by having the groups that are not backing the action doing so? I know the Deputy will ask many questions between now and budget day about how much money we will spend on various priorities. She might let us know at some point whether Sinn Féin is signing up to the Government's decision, made for good, logical and important long-term economic reasons, not to increase spending by...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The threatened strike by section 39 and section 56 organisations is a matter of real concern, especially to the people who need those services daily, to their families and to their carers. The Government is very aware of the potential inconvenience that could be caused should the strike go ahead. I hope it will not. Much of the work done by these bodies is in the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: As I mentioned earlier, a good offer was made and this offer was accepted by people in the community sector when a ballot was held.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate there may be differences but it is important to point out that this offer was accepted in a similar sector. It is a 5% pay increase applying from November, that is, a 5% pay increase being paid within a matter of weeks and before Christmas; an additional 3% backdated to April, which would result in a lump sum payment in this calendar year; and a commitment to engage, as we did...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: At the outset, once again I want to take the opportunity to acknowledge that this is a cause of great anxiety for a lot of parents, families and vulnerable children attending these services. A comprehensive patient safety review and assurance process has been commissioned into the paediatric orthopaedic surgery service, and there is a Medical Council complaint that is currently being...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy did not pass on any detail or information or at least did not pass it to me. Perhaps he did pass it to other people. If he had that kind of information weeks and months ago, and perhaps he did not, he should have passed it on.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: My understanding is that parliamentary questions were submitted in the Deputy's name in July. The Department of Health was not aware of this at the time and passed on the queries to the HSE. That was how the issue came to light. The allegations were passed on by the Deputy by means of the parliamentary questions. That information was passed on to the HSE. It made inquiries and that was...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Lowry for raising this very important issue and I know all of us from our own constituency work will have met many parents of very many children who have special educational needs. Investing in special education is the right thing to do to give those children the best possible start in life and that is the objective which all of us in this Chamber share. It is an area...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The summer programme has expanded significantly in the past three years and almost €40 million is provided now for it, which is double the funding from when this Government took up office in 2020. The summer programme for 2023 was available to all schools that wished to run it. There was 50% increase in the number of special schools that participated in the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputies. The Chief Whip informs me that the issue of the childcare protests was not put to the Business Committee as a matter for debate in this House. That would be the best mechanism by which to find time for it. The sections 39 and 56 strike action is planned for 17 October. I believe there is plenty of time between now and then to avoid it happening. Of course the Government...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate that prices at the pump have gone up in the past couple of weeks to in or around €1.70 or €1.80 a litre, and higher in some places. Everyone is very aware of that. Due to the price of petrol, diesel and electricity going up by so much, the Government reduced excise on petrol and diesel and VAT on electricity and gas. Of course, we will have to make a decision on...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The commitment the Government made was to reduce the cost of childcare for families by 50%. We have gone halfway there this year. We will decide on budget day how much further we can go for 2024. We will go as far as we possibly can but, as Deputy Bacik rightly pointed out, when it comes to childcare and early years education, there are many demands and needs for additional resources to...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: When it comes to housing, delivery figures tend to be lower at the start of the year and increase throughout the course of the year. We are helping people to buy their first homes in many ways. There is the help to buy scheme, which must be factored in, the first home scheme, which is very popular, and vacancy grants for turning derelict properties into use. There are also local authority...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We will not be supporting it. There were two no-fault eviction bans in recent history. Both happened while I was in government. The last one did not work. Homelessness increased and the number of people in emergency accommodation increased for almost every month that it was in situ. It just deferred homelessness and made a bad situation worse later. That is not a solution. The solution...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I understand there are a number of places across the country where it has not been possible to provide school transport. What I am told is it mostly relates to difficulty getting drivers but that might not be in the case in the areas the Deputy mentioned. If he passes on the details, however, I will make sure the Minister, Deputy Foley, responds to him directly.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I understand there has been a significant increase in demand for driving tests since 2019, pre-pandemic. That is a reflection of the fact, perhaps, that there is an increased population in the country and more people at work. I appreciate how important it is to have a car in many parts of the country. The Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, has provided a report to us on this. Additional...