Results 741-760 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: When I refer to that, the Deputy will hear it. I am just dealing with section 2 of the Bill.

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: I am coming to that. I did not interrupt the Deputy. Perhaps he could have the decency to contain himself for at least one debate.

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: I am. This is a democratic country, left or right.

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Instead of competing for business, electricians in a town could form a union to negotiate terms, conditions and fees with local shopkeepers and enterprises. The Bar Council and the Law Society could similarly fix prices, terms and conditions for services provided to any social partnership group. This Bill is potentially a Trojan horse and if implemented would see a return of the medieval...

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Furthermore, the authors seem to disregard the separation of powers. It is most unorthodox for a Government to be able to make a declaration to exclude the effects of an Act for a particular body. The normal course would be to give authority to the Minister to make regulations by statutory instrument in line with specific criteria laid down in law.

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: The Competition Act is an advocate of competition and acts as a prosecutor; it is not an arbiter of the law. The final interpretation of law is a matter for the courts. The Bill assumes that the Competition Authority ruling in the Equity case is the law, which is not necessarily so. This also applies to the Attorney General's advice given to the Government with regard to HSE negotiations...

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: In that case, the Supreme Court determined that the representative services of the ILCU on behalf of its members were not economic activities——

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: ——and therefore were not covered by the Competition Act. Surely something like the Equity case or the HSE decision to follow the Attorney General's advice should be legally reviewed before changing the Act. That is the obvious course of action. There are a number of other means to resolve some of the problems which Labour Deputies have mentioned. With regard to Equity and similar...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 132: To ask the Taoiseach if his Department or any of its agencies has paid in advance for works or services that will not be commenced before the end of the 2007 financial year; the reasons for doing this; the amount of the payments; the recipients and the nature of the works or services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34758/07]

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 135: To ask the Taoiseach if his Department or its agencies has paid in advance for works or services that will not be completed before the end of the 2007 financial year; the reasons for doing so; the amount of the payments; the recipients and the nature of the works or services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34890/07]

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 133: To ask the Taoiseach the number of posts that have been decentralised as part of the current decentralisation programme with respect to his Department and agencies; the cost of mileage and overtime paid with respect to the holders of these posts in the year prior to decentralisation and the year after decentralisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34759/07]

Written Answers — Average Industrial Wage: Average Industrial Wage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 136: To ask the Taoiseach the way the average industrial wage is calculated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34695/07]

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 137: To ask the Taoiseach the terms of reference, functions and purpose of the National Economic and Social Forum, the First Information Society Commission and the National Millennium Committee; if these agencies are still operational; the reason these functions cannot be carried out by his Department; the benefits to the Irish taxpayer from the work of the agencies; and if he will...

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 140: To ask the Taoiseach if his Department maintains a record of visits by him to the headquarters of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35547/07]

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 150: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if his Department, or its agencies has paid in advance for works or services that will not be completed before the end of the 2007 financial year; the reasons for doing so; the amount of the payments; the recipients and the nature of the works or services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34885/07]

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 155: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the terms of reference, functions and purpose of the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeals; if the agency is still operational; the reason these functions cannot be carried out by his Department; the benefits to the Irish tax-payer gained from the work of the agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35071/07]

Written Answers — State Property: State Property (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 165: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the use for which the Taoiseach's residence at Farmleigh is being used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35526/07]

Written Answers — State Property: State Property (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 166: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the cost to date of the Taoiseach's residence at Farmleigh; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35527/07]

Written Answers — State Property: State Property (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 167: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the status of the Taoiseach's residence at Farmleigh; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35528/07]

Written Answers — Departmental Investigations: Departmental Investigations (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 168: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if will launch an investigation to ascertain the source of the leak that led to details of budget 2008 appearing in a newspaper (details supplied) before he made his budget speech; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35529/07]