Results 2,181-2,200 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions: Motion: Cabinet Committees (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: What happens is a very practical, fair and humanitarian thing. If a case comes before a judge and a person is facing eviction into homelessness, what a judge will often do – it is up to them to hear all sides of the case and do the kind of thing we do not allow ourselves to do in this House – is to say they are not issuing the order for eviction and that they are going to allow...

Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions: Motion: Cabinet Committees (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It would be interesting for them to ask the question of how many eviction orders are issued by the courts every year in Ireland. Thankfully, in Ireland, unlike in many other countries, getting an eviction order from the courts, which is the only place one can get an eviction order from, is not that easy. In regard to how the decision was made by the Cabinet, it was made on the...

Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions: Motion: Cabinet Committees (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: For lots of reasons. That was the basis for the decision.

Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions: Motion: Cabinet Committees (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: In regard to the modelling question, which I have answered on numerous occasions, this is an area that is almost impossible to model statistically. First, there are lots of reasons people end up homeless in emergency accommodation, for example, family breakdown. There is no way of statistically modelling how many families are going to break down in the next month or the next six months.

Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions: Motion: Cabinet Committees (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is not something that is possible to do accurately.

Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions: Motion: Cabinet Committees (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We have seen an increasing number of families presenting for emergency accommodation who are not citizens of the State.

Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions: Motion: Cabinet Committees (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: There are all sorts of different people with all sorts of different stories. There is no way to accurately model that. There is also no way to accurately model the number of notices of termination that will result in eviction orders, for example.

Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions: Motion: Cabinet Committees (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We are trying to do that all the time but to accurately project it is very difficult for anyone to do. I am not aware of any instructions given to the Garda in regard to this.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Tógfaidh an tAire Stáit, Teachta Butler, an chéad cheist. In respect of the other two questions, on modular builds and rapid builds, the first phase is under way. There should be people starting to live in the first 500 to 700 in the next few weeks. Some local authorities already use modern methods of construction. Fingal is one of those. We do not currently have any plans...

Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions: Motion: Cabinet Committees (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to answer questions Nos. 1 to 16, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on housing last met on 2 March. The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for 17 April. This committee works to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the implementation of Housing for All. Progress on Housing for All is reported on a quarterly basis. The latest progress report, for quarter 4 of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: In my constituency, we established an aonad, which is a Gaelcholáiste unit within an existing secondary school. It was the first time we had one in all of Dublin 15. It has been a great addition to the area, because we had two Gaelscoil, but no aonad or Gaelcholáiste. If one takes Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8 together, that is a considerable population. I am sure the Deputy is correct...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is a fair question. I do not know the answer. I know it was not me, but I do not know the answer. The PSA falls under the remit of the Department of Justice. Thus, I will ask the Minister for Justice, Deputy Harris, or his team to get back to the Deputy within the next week with an answer.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I will have to come back to him with a more detailed reply. We have made considerable process in the context of onshore wind. A huge amount of our electricity, nearly 30% or 40%, is produced by means of onshore wind. We will be going offshore much more, in addition to Arklow, but it is important that it is plan-led and that we have the grid and consents. This is quite...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Any terms of reference can only be approved by the House, but I can absolutely give the assurance that the Tánaiste is going to engage with the Women of Honour, who helped to bring this to light in the way they did and campaigned on it, and with the Men and Women of Honour, which is another group, RACO, PDFORRA and retired members. He is very keen to engage with all of them, to come up...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I agree. It is extremely important that people, especially young people, have the freedom a driving licence gives them. That is especially the case in more rural areas where it is much harder to get around if someone does not have a driving licence or a car. My understanding is that there has been a considerable increase in the number of people applying for driving tests. It is...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Feighan for raising this important issue. In part because of full employment and the fact there are more people at work in Ireland than ever before, there is no sector of the economy, whether public or private, well paid or poorly paid, that is not struggling to recruit and retain staff currently. Childcare and early years education is one of those. To help with the issue,...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I meet the Minister, Deputy Ryan, once or twice a week. I guarantee the Deputy that the road programme often forms part of our conversations and discussions. It is not a secret that I am more enthusiastic about new road development than perhaps he is. It is good to have different views and parties within a coalition.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: To answer the Deputy's question, which relates to several national road projects, roughly €250 million is allocated every year to maintaining national roads and another €250 million a year to upgrading and improving them. It is never possible to fund every project every year. Regarding the N2, funding is in place this year to progress the Ardee bypass and Clontibret to the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I have not yet received the report. I understand the Minister for Health has received it in recent days. The normal process would be for him to consider it, to bring it to Cabinet and to publish thereafter. I anticipate it is only a matter of weeks, but I do not know for sure. I have not seen any proposals to establish a special committee on the matter.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (29 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I take on board the Deputy's point that we have a health committee and that a special committee is perhaps not necessary. I have not heard anyone, at least in government, make that proposal yet.