Results 39,321-39,340 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Legal Cases (18 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Department has identified three legal cases which have been taken against the Department during the period in question. All three were individual claims taken against the Department and have all been concluded involving a small settlement and associated legal and ancillary costs. The costs for the three cases spread over four years are set out in the following table: Year ...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Strategies (18 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Ireland’s Well-being Framework was launched in July 2021. It consists of 11 dimensions which are made up of different aspects of well-being and is supported by a dashboard of 35 indicators (available on the CSO website). Analysis of these indicators is published annually since 2022, and the 2023 analysis was published on 9 June this year. The Government has committed to...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Budget 2024 (18 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I refer the Deputy to the Governments website (www.gov.ie/en/publication/a93a4-your-guide-to-budget-2024/) for detailed analysis of Budget 2024 and its benefits for all. The €14 billion package is designed to help people, families, businesses and farmers equally across all counties in Ireland with the cost of living. The focus on Child Poverty and Well-being in this year’s...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will attend that meeting and I will do the best I can to persuade the European Union and the European Council to adopt a common position. It may not be possible for us to adopt a common position. We do not have a single foreign policy across the European Union. We all have our independent foreign policies, which is something I know that Deputy McDonald supports, but I will certainly do...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We are small but we are far from ineffectual. We are a country that punches well above its weight in international relations. I did not say what the Deputy said: the misleader strikes again putting words in other people's mouths and stating things that are not true. If the Deputy ever has the opportunity to attend a European Council meeting, whether as a Minister or perhaps even as...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: At the outset, I join the Deputy in expressing my condolences to the family of Aidan Moffitt, a man I would have met on occasion through his involvement in Fine Gael, and the family of Michael Snee. I particularly thank the Garda for the work it has done in bringing this prosecution successfully through the courts. I also note the bravery of the man who was injured in stepping forward,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The LDA is delivering real homes. I have been on site. I have been in the completed buildings. I have met the people who were moving into those homes. At long last, we are seeing that on the ground with the LDA, our public builder and developer, producing those homes. We will make sure the LDA is adequately capitalised to continue that programme and to make sure we can develop places...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I do not want to see any innocent people being killed in the Middle East, nor do I think the Deputy does. He specifically mentioned Palestinian people. I would extend that to Israeli people, whom he did not mention. Innocent Israeli people should not be killed either, by Hamas or by any Palestinian armed group. Nor should any of our own citizens be killed. Let us not forget one of our...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I believe Ireland has a role to play in trying to bring peace, justice and order to the Middle East and that means working with our colleagues in the European Union, persuading the US and working at UN level to try to push for a new peace initiative to push for a two-state solution. Being absolutist on one side or the other removes our influence. The only influence we have is by trying to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I neglected to recall Anthony Burke's name earlier. I pay tribute to him in particular and the fact he went to the gardaí and gave them the crucial information that enabled them to apprehend the man who carried out the terrible murders of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee in Sligo. I pay tribute to him and recognise An Garda Síochána and its work. What we are doing and will...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: There are many ways to measure things. The Deputy’s focus has been mainly on GDP and relativities. That is a fair argument but when it comes to judging economic success and progress, I would never use GDP as the most important measure.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The most important measures are jobs, employment, incomes, businesses and investment. When it comes to the IDA, which the Deputy mentioned, of the 139 new investments made last year, over half were outside of Dublin, which was very significant. Enterprise Ireland works with Irish-owned exporting companies and over two thirds of new jobs created by Enterprise Ireland companies were outside...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----who could equally make a very strong case for positive discrimination for the south east. I could equally hear people from the Dublin city region who will say what is lost to Dublin is often lost to Ireland because only Dublin can compete with Singapore and San Francisco for certain investments and jobs. It is the Government’s job to balance that and try to get it right.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputies for their contributions. Regarding the tweet or message sent out by somebody in the Israeli Embassy, I want to categorically reject any suggestion that we provide any funding to Hamas, directly or indirectly. The funding we provide is done through the UN, the EU and NGOs. There is no evidence to support the claim that was made and I am pleased that the comments were...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Unfortunately, we are still experiencing a serious problem with emergency department overcrowding in quite a number of hospitals across the State. It is important to say and to know that there are approximately 120 fewer patients waiting for beds today than would have been the case this day last year. That did not happen by accident; it is because of the additional resources, staff and beds...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Cabinet decided earlier that for anybody making a claim or an application under the humanitarian aid relief funds in circumstances where the process for accepting applications is closed and where claims have been settled already, we cannot reopen the process because that would result in us going back who knows how long. Where there are still alive applications that have not been settled yet,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We condemn all breaches of international humanitarian law and any attempts to target civilians by violence for political ends, whether they happen here or in Israel, Palestine or wherever the perpetrators are.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I need to read the report. I have read the recommendations, but not the report. I do not think the report has even been written yet. Once the report is written, it will be submitted to the Government and the Oireachtas. I look forward to sitting down with its the assembly's chairman, Paul Reid, and talking it through with him as I have done with other reports, including the recent ones on...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I need to understand that better if that is what is proposed.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I look forward to reading the report when it is published.