Results 40,141-40,160 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 10, inclusive, together. On 1 February, I attended a special European Council meeting in Brussels. The main item on the agenda was the mid-term review of the EU budget for the period 2021 to 2027, including agreement on a €50 billion assistance package for Ukraine. We had discussed the proposed package at our meeting in December. While it had...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. I will respond first to Deputy Haughey. This Parliament has already passed a motion in favour of the recognition of Palestine as a state. The Government wants to fulfil that in a way that is meaningful. We could do it unilaterally tomorrow but it would be effectively a press release that would be dismissed by Israel and nobody would follow it....

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: That is the point. The Deputy is not critical of Venezuela or Cuba. There are double standards all over the place.

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy should do a bit of research and count the number of times he has raised Palestine as opposed to Ukraine, and the number of times he has raised human rights abuses in Cuba and Venezuela as opposed to China.

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: He is pretty good at double standards. The situation in Ukraine is different from that in Palestine. The attack on Ukraine was totally unprovoked. Ukraine is a democracy, not a dictatorship or a theocracy. It is also a European country, in our neighbourhood, and a country that had applied to join the European Union. Indeed, one of the reasons Russia attacked Ukraine was that it wanted...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Investigations (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: In advance of the Government considering the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes in January 2021, certain information that related to matters therein was disclosed in a newspaper article. In that context, the then Taoiseach requested that an investigation be carried out. The investigation was conducted by a senior official in my Department and it...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Investigations (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I emphasise to the Deputy that, as would be usual, the investigation was carried out by the Department. I was not involved in conducting it, directing it or influencing it, nor was the then Taoiseach. It is important to make clear, although it should be self-evident, that any process such as this should be allowed to be conducted without any interference or otherwise in the process. ...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Transport Policy (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 12 go 14, go huile, le chéile. The economic division of my Department assists me and the Government in developing and implementing policy across relevant areas, including economic growth and job creation, infrastructure and housing and climate action and social dialogue. The work especially focuses on the deliver of commitments in the programme...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Transport Policy (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I have no objection if the Deputy wants to take three minutes.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Transport Policy (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Once again, I thank the Deputies for their questions. Deputy Boyd Barrett raised the issue of ride sharing. Perhaps I can give some assurance to taxi drivers in that regard. It is something we have all used when we were abroad. Generally speaking, it is a good service. I have used Uber, Bolt and Lyft. With one exception, I found the service provided to be good. However, I have concerns...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Northern Ireland (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Today, (Tuesday 20thFebruary) the Government confirmed a range of funding allocations which affirms its commitment to work with the new Executive, and with the UK Government, to implement cross-border investment cooperation that will make the island of Ireland a better place to live for all communities. This is the largest ever package of Government funding for cross-border investments and is...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: EU Meetings (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: On 1 February, I attended a Special European Council in Brussels. The main item on the agenda was the mid-term review of the EU budget for the period 2021-27, including agreement on a €50 billion assistance package for Ukraine. The package agreed provides an additional financial envelope in the budget of €64.6 billion, through a mix of new and existing funds. Taking account of...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The Cabinet Committee on the Environment and Climate Change oversees the implementation of the ambitious Programme for Government commitments in relation to the environment and climate change. The Cabinet Committee first met on 30 July 2020 and has met on a total of 20 occasions, most recently on 27 November 2023. The next meeting of the Cabinet Committee is due to take place later this...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The Government Coordination Committee is scheduled to meet again on Monday, 26 February 2024.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The Cabinet Committee on Brexit and Northern Ireland is one of ten Cabinet Committees re-established in January 2023. It last met on 29 November 2023. The Cabinet Committee oversees implementation of Programme for Government commitments in the areas of Brexit and Northern Ireland, and ongoing related developments. Issues related to Brexit and Northern Ireland are also discussed at Cabinet...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Commissions of Inquiry (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 116 together. A comprehensive evaluation of how the country managed COVID-19 will provide an opportunity to learn lessons from our experiences in dealing with a pandemic. It will include a review of the whole-of-government response to the pandemic and how we might do better and be in a stronger position if another pandemic or other similar type event...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Covid-19 Pandemic (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 28 together. A comprehensive evaluation of how the country managed COVID-19 will provide an opportunity to learn lessons from our experiences in dealing with a pandemic. It will include a review of the whole-of-government response to the pandemic and how we might do better and be in a stronger position if another pandemic or other similar type event...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: National Security (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The State’s security is a priority for the Government. We already have functioning services in place that carry out significant and important roles in protecting the State and the people, notably An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and the National Cyber Security Centre. Much of the security-focused work our services do is, of its very nature, covert and simply cannot...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Social Dialogue (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The social dialogue unit, part of the economic division of the Department, co-ordinates and assists the Government's overall approach to social dialogue. This includes the Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF, which engages with representatives of employers and trade unions on economic and employment issues insofar as they affect the labour market, and which are of mutual concern. The most...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: An Garda Síochána (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: A Policing Service for our Futureis the Government’s Plan to implement the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. The Implementation of the Plan has been overseen by a dedicated Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach and an Implementation Group on Policing Reform (IGPR), chaired by an independent person. This phase is expected to conclude this year...