Results 39,341-39,360 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

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

Leo Varadkar: We finally built the second cath lab. It was delivered, built and commissioned under this Government. I am very keen to have it extended to seven days, which is Government policy. We will have to engage with the HSE in the context of the service plan to work out how soon that can be done. It is good that the hours have been extended. Extending it to the weekend will also make a big...

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

Leo Varadkar: I am aware of the dispute. I know there are ongoing efforts to resolve and settle it, but I am not up to date as to exactly where we are with it. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Harris, to come back to the Deputy directly.

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

Leo Varadkar: It is a reasonable question, but I cannot imagine that anybody in this House, let alone the Government, would in any way countenance the killing of journalists. Of course we condemn that - absolutely. In response to what the Deputy said, however, I must point out that we have seen a fair bit of propaganda from a number of different sources in this conflict. It is very hard to get reliable...

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

Leo Varadkar: Many of those people will benefit from the mortgage interest relief which was announced in the budget because they have seen big increases in their mortgage payments as a consequence of higher interest rates. They could benefit by about €1,250 a year under that scheme. I appreciate, however, that this is only a small contribution for people facing increases of €600,...

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

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Burke for the question and I remember very well my visit to Sarsfields only a few months ago now. I was devastated to hear the amount of damage that has been done to the pitch, the clubhouse and the bar. A lot of damage has been done. We will work with the club to ensure the damage is repaired and the club can operate as normal as soon as possible. I know the Minister of...

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

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for that question. We keep the social housing income levels under review and they were increased only last year. We keep them under review and we may well increase them again, as incomes, rents and property prices rise. As the Deputy said himself, we have cost rental now as an option for people who are above the limit for social housing, and that is for real now. There...

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

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I do not have an update to hand but I will certainly make enquiries and ask that the Minister for Health comes back to him directly.

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

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I appreciate the inconvenience being caused for people in Drogheda. I will make further enquiries. Obviously, it is between the council, TII, and the contractor to resolve this but I will make further enquiries and see if I can help.

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

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Healy-Rae. I will certainly speak to the Minister of State about it. In the round, decongregation does work. Not having people living in institutions and instead living in small houses or community houses does work better. I know the difficulties it can cause, particularly if people have become settled in a community. As the Deputy said, it does not have to be the case...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 10, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on children and education oversees the implementation of commitments in the programme for Government in the area of children and education, including further and higher education, with a specific focus on child poverty and well-being. The Cabinet committee on children and education met on Thursday, 13...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. Deputy Murnane O'Connor raised the issue of the school building programme, with particular relevance to County Carlow. We have an extensive school building programme under way throughout the country. More than €1 billion per year is spent on new schools, extensions and refurbishments. In my constituency last Friday I had the privilege...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 to 15, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on EU and international affairs oversees the implementation of programme for Government commitments and considers policy matters in relation to the EU and international issues. The committee met most recently on 2 October, when it reflected on the attendance of meetings at the UN high level week in...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their comments. It is important, when we engage with our European partners in the 27 member states of the European Union, that we always try to understand the positions they are coming from. We may disagree, we may criticise each other and we may compromise but shouting and pointing the finger really does not work in international affairs or in forums such as the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We need to keep channels of communication open. It would be of no advantage to Palestine to throw out the Israeli ambassador. There would be no advantage to Ukraine in throwing out the Russian ambassador-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----but it would cut us off. We need to be able to talk to countries, particularly countries where we have citizens and people, because we need to make sure they are protected.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Offices (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 to 20, inclusive, together. The economic policy unit is part of the economic division of the Department. The unit assists me, as Taoiseach, in achieving sustainable and balanced economic growth and in advancing the Government’s economic priorities. The unit also advises me on a broad range of economic policy issues and provides me with briefing...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Offices (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Dillon raised the really important role of the tourism industry in our economy and society. I remember very well that back in 2011, when I was Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, we had just experienced an appalling economic crash, with mass unemployment, mass emigration, empty houses and falling incomes. Three industries lifted us out of that, namely, the multinationals,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Offices (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am sorry but I will have to come back to the Deputy on that.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: State Bodies (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) is the only body under the aegis of the Department. The following dedicated email address is available to Oireachtas members: Oireachtas@nesdo.ie

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Bodies (24 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Membership of the Labour Employer Economic Forum (LEEF) is made up of a labour delegation, led by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and an employer delegation led by Ibec, which also includes the Construction Industry Federation and Chambers Ireland. The current membership reflects long standing and established arrangements for engagement between Government, employers and trade unions on...