Results 39,121-39,140 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Ryan for raising the issue. It is difficult for me to answer it without knowing the details. I know that hospitals and GP surgeries have access to dressings. Maybe there is a particular dressing in this case. It is difficult for me to answer without knowing all the facts, but if the Deputy wants to correspond with me or the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, on it, we will try to...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We treat people coming here from Ukraine differently from those seeking international protection. People coming here from Ukraine are coming from a country at war. It is a European country. They have the benefit of the temporary protection directive, which gives them particular rights under EU law that people claiming international protection do not have. That is the reason for the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister, Deputy Coveney, is in charge of ratification. We want to join the European patent court. We do not have a definite date yet but we are working towards holding that referendum concurrently with the local and European elections next year. That is not formally or officially decided, but it is the working plan at the moment. It is up and running now and we are keen to be part of it.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I cannot give the Deputy certainty today but it is something that we are considering. Many people who invested in forestry were encouraged to do so by Government and given Government grants. For many of them, this would potentially have been their pension. Now, through no fault of their own, they see their crop has been destroyed. For similar crops in similar circumstances, we...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am in 100% agreement with Deputy Smith's remarks on this matter. I hope to have the opportunity to speak to the Prime Minister next week at the European Political Community meeting in Granada. We will once again have an opportunity to impress on him the deeply felt opposition of the Government, of the five major parties in Northern Ireland, and particularly of victims' groups and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I attended the third summit of the EU and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, CELAC, in Brussels on 17 and 18 July. It is co-chaired by European Council President, Charles Michel, and the President of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves. It was also the first meeting at leaders’ level between the regions in eight years. At the summit, leaders discussed...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. Regarding Deputy Haughey's questions first, it is the case that Irish delegation rooms were used for talks involving the key players trying to secure agreement on the language, particularly relating to Ukraine, although that was done entirely for logistical reasons. It just so happened we had a room free and we were near the other delegation rooms....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Just Transition (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together. The National Economic and Social Council, NESC, advises me on policy issues relating to sustainable economic, social and environmental development in Ireland. The NESC report found the agriculture and land use sector can increasingly be part of the solution on climate change and biodiversity loss. It emphasised an approach that is...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Just Transition (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for the important issues they raised. Deputy Cowen raised the issue of peatland restoration and rewetting, the drawdown of funds and good agricultural and environmental condition, GAEC. I do not have the information to hand but I think he is correct in that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will want to clarify the matter in the coming weeks. I will...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Climate Action Plan (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Climate change is the single greatest threat facing humanity today. We must be the generation that turns the tide on climate change and biodiversity loss. The Government’s climate action plan 2023 requires public sector bodies to put in place a climate action roadmap to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 and to increase the improvement in energy efficiency to 50% by 2030....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Climate Action Plan (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: There can be more than one. Good ideas are followed.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Climate Action Plan (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I agree with Deputy O'Sullivan. Good school transport systems certainly have a role in reducing emissions if they reduce the length and number of journeys by car. Ideally, we will have electric buses and hydrogen buses. We are very much moving to that model at the moment. I had the pleasure of visiting Wrightbus in Ballymena, which is making electric and hydrogen buses as we speak and is...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Projects (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The State is providing emergency humanitarian assistance to the more than 110,000 people from Ukraine and asylum seekers from elsewhere who have arrived here. Thanks to the incredible generosity of communities across Ireland, over 94,000 persons seeking refuge have been successfully accommodated, and that number continues to increase. We are focusing on more effective ways to improve...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Bodies (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: No taxable benefits were paid, during the period 2019 to date, on behalf of the Chief Officer of the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO), which is the only body under the aegis of the Department.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Census of Population (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Awaiting reply from Department.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Child Poverty (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Awaiting reply from Department.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Regulatory and Poverty Impact Assessments (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: No Bills relating to this Department have been prepared in the period specified.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach (28 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. A Sheanadóirí, táim an-sásta labhairt libh inniu agus an t-eolas is déanaí a thabhairt daoibh ar roinnt obair an Rialtais. Déanfaidh mé mionsonrú freisin ar ár gcuid oibre chun tosaíocht a thabhairt do bhochtaineacht agus folláine leanaí. This Government is now more than three years in...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach (28 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Cathaoirleach and the Senators for their contributions. I will try to respond to as many issues as I can in the order they were raised. Senator Chambers said that while our country is by any objective measure a very successful one - at least, when the UN calculates its international ratings, it usually puts us in the top ten countries in the world, in terms of not just economics...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach (28 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: As the Senator pointed out, there is no commitment in the programme for Government to advancing Seanad reform-----