Results 39,861-39,880 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: There is no condemnation.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: There is no call for the release of the hostages. There is no call for Hamas to cease fire. There is no call for that terrorist organisation to disarm.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The issue of immigration and asylum is a very sensitive topic and one that needs to be dealt with sensitively in this House, so I reiterate my view and that of the Government that migration in the round has been a good thing for Ireland. We would not be able to run most of our public services without migrant workers. Many of the big companies that are here that pay billions in tax would not...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: If I stick to that, I can do this very quickly.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: In relation to the O'Meara case, we will need legislation on that. We are considering the judgment, which is about 160 pages in length. I should point out that the judgment was made on equality grounds. Sadly, the court confirmed that it does not see Mr. O'Meara's family as a family under our Constitution and nor can the State. That is another reason why we need to change the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: First, everyone should live in safe and healthy accommodation. Damp, mould and cold living conditions are not acceptable, particularly when it is State-provided accommodation. In relation to Oliver Bond, I am informed that Dublin City Council is working on a design in preparation for a Part 8 planning application for the regeneration of Oliver Bond flats, including blocks L, M and N. In...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: My understanding is that early pregnancy loss and fertility treatments can be covered under the statutory sick pay scheme, which is new. It just requires a doctor's cert to that effect. However, I appreciate and am sympathetic to the calls for dedicated leave for the reasons outlined. Some employers offer it on a voluntary basis. To pick up on what many Deputies said earlier about rising...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The Government defends the right of people to protest and do so peacefully. That includes pro-Palestinian protests, and it includes protests against antisemitism and protests against terrorism. I do not know the details of the case raised by the Deputy. There may be more to it than I know or the Deputy knows. We have no plans to bring in any restrictions on pro-Palestine protests.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I do not believe this is just about electricity prices, which as the Deputy will know are now falling and falling rapidly for businesses. It is also about lead and zinc prices, which ultimately determine how much the company gets for what it produces. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Simon Coveney and his team, alongside our enterprise agencies,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to seek an update from TII on this. I do not have the details to hand. We are continuing a considerable investment in our roads. The focus, of course, is on maintaining and strengthening existing roads, on safety, on international commitments, and on bypasses of towns in particular.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Durkan for raising this important issue again. I will have to speak to the Minister for Justice about it. Either a review or a report was done but not an inquiry. I will follow up on the matter with the Deputy directly.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. If she passes me the details, I will check the matter out with the Minister, Deputy McEntee. Straightforward cases should not take that long. If somebody comes to the country legally and is working, making a contribution and paying their taxes, usually that person's case can be decided within months, and certainly less than 19 months in my experience. Sometimes there...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Thanks, Deputy. I am going to have to ask the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, to come back to him directly on that particular query, but this is an issue that I have taken an interest in personally. I have met the fishing organisations a few times. I think we had a good outcome in relation to mackerel not too long ago. On this particular negotiation, though, I am not across the detail, so I...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I concur with him. Regeneration is happening in Dublin city. It is, of course, a matter for Dublin City Council primarily, but it is not happening fast enough. It is not just the Oliver Bond complex. It is also Dolphin House, Donore Avenue and so many other projects that seem to take an inordinate amount of time to progress. Even the O'Devaney Gardens project, which...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I know this is a priority for the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers. From talking to my own Deputies and going around the country, I know the delays in getting a driver test are hugely frustrating, especially for young people and those who need the car to get to work or to college. We are hiring more testers and we believe this will help us to get on top of the backlog...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. As I think I said earlier in reply to another Deputy, the Government appreciates that a lot of businesses are under pressure from rising costs, particularly those in the hospitality sector. There is help on the way in terms of a €250 million in grants that the Government will be pumping into small businesses before the end of March to help with bills and cash...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos 1 to 7, inclusive, together. The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council published its annual competitiveness challenge report in September 2023. The council's report outlined 19 priority recommendations across a broad range of areas for Government consideration. These include enabling stronger productivity growth through research, development...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. Deputy Boyd Barrett is quite right to say that wealth is generated by workers, but there are different forms of workers and different forms of wealth. A lot of wealth is generated by innovation and creating new things. We need to always bear that in mind. There is a lot of research showing that 75% of all new global growth in recent decades has...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: -----work out what the effective amount would be and make sure we are very careful about any unintended consequences, which often happen in tax policy. Artificial intelligence is a really important topic to which we need to give a lot of consideration. It was the main topic of discussion in Davos last week. It is a powerful technology with potentially enormous benefits for society and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, to revert to the Deputy on that issue.