Results 2,001-2,020 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement: Statements (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: This month marks 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement was concluded. Life on this island has been transformed over the past 25 years as a result of the agreement and the leadership, vision and capacity for compromise shown by those who made it possible at the time. On this anniversary, we recognise how far we have come in the quarter of a century since 10 April 1998, followed by the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: North-East Inner City Initiative (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Mulvey report, Dublin North East Inner City - Creating a Brighter Future, which was published in February 2017, contains recommendations for the social and economic regeneration of Dublin's north-east inner city. The report has been further supplemented by the North East Inner City strategic plan for the period 2020 to 2022. Implementation of the Mulvey report and the strategic plan is...

Ceisteanna - Questions: North-East Inner City Initiative (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. The Deputies opposite make a valid point as regards the need to review what has been done to date. It is important that we measure progress. It is not always straightforward to measure progress in such areas, but it is important that we try to do so because what we do not measure we cannot really improve. By doing so, we can try to figure out...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will take those questions in reverse. I am not familiar with that dispute and it would not be appropriate for me to join or not join any call without knowing all the facts. There are procedures to deal with industrial relations disputes of that nature. I agree we need to continue to review the income thresholds for both social housing and cost rental. We have already increased them...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Child Poverty (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. We have seen a huge increase in the budget for mental health services for children and young people and an increase in staff. There is of course also an increase in demand. We have challenges getting staff and some deficiencies in the system regarding how the services are deployed and best used. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 14 together. The National Economic and Social Council advises me on strategic policy issues relating to sustainable economic, social and environmental development in Ireland. NESC is currently working in six main areas. The council published a report on the Irish economy in April, Understanding the Irish Economy in a Time of Turbulence. It outlines...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. We have made a lot of progress on school transport in recent years. We reduced the cost considerably for parents, which has been very welcome, particularly in rural areas, and increasing numbers of children now qualify for school transport. I did not realise the deadline was Friday. It is that time of year again already. I imagine many constituency offices will be...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Child Poverty (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 12, inclusive, together. Our vision is to make Ireland the best country in Europe in which to be a child. The role of the Department of the Taoiseach will be to co-ordinate and focus Government action on this objective. Poverty restricts a child's opportunity. I recently informed Cabinet colleagues that the new child poverty and well-being...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: That did not stop anyone else, a Cheann Comhairle, in fairness to Deputy Crowe. In fairness to Deputy McDonald, it would be out of order for her to respond to the question, but I know she is a making statement later on the Good Friday Agreement, so perhaps that will be an appropriate opportunity for her to respond to the petition and Deputy Crowe's appeal.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for the question. He raises a valid concern. I would respond in two ways. One is that, while you can receive €800 a month for taking in somebody from Ukraine, you cannot charge them, say, €1,000 and get €800 tax free, so that has to be borne in mind when we talk about these things. It is €800 tax free but you cannot charge anything at all,...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I understand he raised it in the House yesterday evening as well. I appreciate the frustration of people in Mallow and the business community there. The Government is prioritising bypasses as part of the national roads programme and this is a bypass. We have about €500 million a year for the national roads programme, comprising about...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. We will certainly examine that. The legislation is only being drafted at the moment. The plan is to have the legislation through the Houses by the summer recess and to impose the tax both in September 2023 and September 2024 retrospectively on profits made, but we will certainly examine the starting point. The legislation is not yet agreed by Cabinet, so I will give...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I think he is jumping the gun a bit here. The review was commissioned by the Government, as we were mandated and required by the Oireachtas to do. I thank Marie O'Shea for the thorough job she has done. The report is only being published today and people will have a chance to read it. In fairness to her, she has done a very thorough job. All that the Government has...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for a thoughtful question and for what I view to be two very valid suggestions. The population is increasing and, therefore, the Dáil will continue to increase in size. At some point, we will have to put a limit on that. I do not think the figure of 180 is too big, but the figure of 250 would certainly be and 200 would probably be as well. As Government has...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: As I mentioned earlier, I will meet with a delegation from Macra na Feirme later this afternoon. I have read their statement and the eight points they are raising. I look forward to the meeting.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, is working on this. There is an increased demand for childcare, which is being driven by three things: an increase in population; an increase in the number of parents who are working; and the fact we have reduced the cost of childcare. Those three things together have led to an increase in demand. We...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am very sorry to hear about what occurred in the Deputy's constituency office. We are doing exactly those things. There was funding this year to recruit 1,000 gardaí. The mental health budget is now well over €1 billion per year. Not that long ago, it was barely €800 million. We are doing those things. As long as there is no fundamental change in economic policy or...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I might have to come back to the Deputy on that, or ask the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, to come back to him on the issue directly. The Deputy said that unemployment in north Kerry was slightly or somewhat higher than the national average, but at the same time he said there was a crisis in recruiting staff for a service. There is a certain disjoint there-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: However, we will have to come back to the Deputy on this issue.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Apr 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I am not across the detail of the issue. We might have a chance to speak about this later. There is a scope section in the Department of Social Protection which generally makes the determination as to whether somebody is or is not self-employed. I have a note here on adult education tutors in education and training boards, ETBs, but I do not think that is the issue the...