Results 39,561-39,580 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I mentioned that.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am happy to clarify this. What was agreed by Cabinet today is a supplementary budget for health of about €1 billion for this year. The budget relates to next year. The way it works is we have a budget in October, then a Revised Estimates Volume, REV, in December and there can be Supplementary Estimates but the Supplementary Estimates are for the existing year, not the following...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: No.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The wording will go to Cabinet next week. Subject to being approved by Cabinet next week, it will be published and the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, I and others will then have an opportunity to go through the wording. Changing the Constitution is never straightforward. We always have to bear in mind how it might be interpreted by the courts. I have a strong view that laws should be made in...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: That is all set out in our climate action plans and we are doing everything we can to step up climate action but this requires-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----system change and one cannot change systems that took generations to build up in a short period of years.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We need to bear in mind that while we have to step up climate action, which we are doing and will do, the impact that will have on a global atmosphere and environment can unfortunately only ever be small. That is why we will have a particular focus on adaptation and the Minister, Deputy Ryan, will bring an updated adaptation plan to the Government before the end of the year.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I outlined our position on this only in the last hour. We have very strict rules in relation to the use of Shannon. There are no flights going from the US through Shannon to Israel. There are troops being carried to US bases and anybody carrying munitions needs permission and a licence.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: That commitment stands and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coveney, is working on it at the moment, with a view to having the referendum concurrent with the local and European elections. The court is up and running and we are keen that Ireland be part of it. I will have to come back to the Deputy on the issue of the central division. My understanding when I was...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I have met a lot of farmers on this issue for the best part of a year now and I understand the impact it is going to have on thousands of farms around the country. At our invitation, Commissioner Sinkevičius is coming to Ireland on Thursday. The Minister for agriculture, Deputy McConalogue, and I will have a chance to meet him and we will explore any flexibilities that might be...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will certainly transmit those suggestions to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. In the round, the national childcare scheme is working well. Parents have seen a big reduction in fees and will see another big reduction in fees in September. We are seeing terms and conditions improve for staff and we are seeing improvements in quality. Like any new scheme, however, there will be teething...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising the important issue of the western rail corridor. I will have to double-check with the Minister for Transport, but my understanding is the draft of the all-Ireland rail review has been published. It is now out to public consultation and a final draft will follow. I will double-check on the current state of play and revert to the Deputy directly.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will definitely follow up on that and revert to the Deputy with a proper answer as soon as I get one. Some people will probably speculate that it is linked to the recruitment restrictions in the HSE at the moment. I do not know whether that is or is not the case. Approved posts can still go ahead. Next year, the HSE is authorised to take on an additional 2,000 staff. I am sure it can...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I can and I will. A sum of €250 million has been set aside in the budget for a cost of business scheme which the Minister, Deputy Coveney, is currently developing. That is double the amount that was drawn down from TBESS. We thought there would be a bigger drawdown from TBESS but it appears that energy bills did not go up as much as we thought they would. Many people had fixed...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I am not familiar at all with the case. I do not know how much money the gentleman owes or why, and I am not familiar with the company the Deputy has mentioned in the House. I certainly encourage anyone who has unpaid debts to get legal advice and get good advice from a solicitor or financial planner. It is important that if people have debts, they should pay back those debts....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: As I do not know enough about the case, I cannot comment on it.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: In fairness to the Minister, Deputy Ryan, he has always made the case in favour of bypasses because bypasses relieve towns of traffic and allow for improvements in air quality and for more pedestrian space and space for cyclists and so on. There was very positive news today that the Government has given the Minister, Deputy Ryan, approval to press ahead with the Adare bypass, a 7 km roadway....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Our objective in all cities, including this city and Limerick, is to make sure that shelter is available to everyone who needs it. That is not always the case but, generally speaking, it is the case. I will be speaking to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, during the week and will let him know the Deputy has raised the particular issue of people not having shelter in Limerick. Emergency funding...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I know the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, is very committed to doing everything we can to eliminate violence against women, as well as gender-based and domestic violence in general. I am not sure if she is giving consideration to the particular matter the Deputy has raised but I will let her know it was brought up and ask her to respond to Deputy Costello directly.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am happy to clarify the matter. The HSE will be able to hire an additional 2,000 staff in 2024, so it will be able to replace any staff who have resigned or retired and hire an additional 2,000 staff. We cannot have what has been happening in previous years. We have had a recruitment surge, with 20,000 extra people hired by the health service since this Government came to office but not...