Results 2,301-2,320 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Gender Equality (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is very fair of the Deputy to ask the question he asked but as is so often the case when he raises individual cases in the Dáil, and I know they are real cases, it is very hard to comment on them without understanding all the detail. I have a constituency service too and get lots of housing queries - believe you me - and try to deal with them and help people as much as possible. You...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Gender Equality (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 9, inclusive, together. International Women's Day is marked annually on 8 March and is an important day for recognising the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women in Ireland and women around the world. It is a day to honour the contributions of women, as well as to advocate for greater gender equality and women's rights. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Church-State Relations (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will take the questions in order. I have received a copy of the book Deputy Bacik referred to, but I have not yet had time to read it, so I cannot comment on the assertions made by the authors or adjudicate on them. In relation to records relating to Magdalen laundries, major work is currently under way to establish a central repository of records within the national centre for research...

European Union Regulations: Motion (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to accept the following measure: Regulation (EU) 2021/2303 of...

Criminal Justice Regulations: Motion (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Criminal Justice Act 1984 (Treatment of Persons in Custody in Garda Síochána Stations) (Amendment) Regulations 2023, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 28th February, 2023.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Church-State Relations (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, together. The most recent formal meeting between the Office of the Taoiseach and church leaders took place on 15 April 2021 when the then Taoiseach, now Tánaiste, met with the leaders of the all-island Christian churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, Church of Ireland, Presbyterian Church, Methodist Church and Irish Council...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The vast majority of people entitled to the payment have received it and received it last year. I should say that it was intended for people who were front-line workers - the people who wore masks and gowns and were exposed to Covid patients before the vaccines were available. It was for our own employees who were employees of the State. We put in a provision allowing non-State employees'...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy referred to the funding in the budget to recruit 1,000 more gardaí this year. That should be more than enough to cover retirements and resignations. That recruitment campaign is now under way. Decisions on how gardaí are allocated to different services in different regions are not made by the Minister or the Taoiseach. Such decisions are made by the Garda...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I believe that all of us in this House, and the Deputy, are familiar with the Constitution, the law and Standing Orders. We all know what they are. There are motions of confidence, financial motions, Private Members' motions and legislation. They are all different. Legislation trumps Private Members' motions. We passed legislation in this House - I think almost every...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Murnane O'Connor for raising the issue of Garda resources in Carlow. I do not have a date for the reopening of the station in Leighlinbridge, but I will ask the Minister, Deputy Harris, to contact the Deputy directly about it, and also about Garda resources were generally in the county. Certainly, when it comes to personnel, it is the Garda Commissioner who decides how...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy knows, it is a new special school. It is in addition to the education infrastructure and services we have in Dublin West that we have the special school. I have been to visit with the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, and I hope to visit again. I acknowledge that the building the school is in is not working out. We are examining whether the former institute of horology in...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy has raised the matter of alienation on a number of occasions both in the House and with we personally. It is fair to say there are different views on that matter. Ultimately, we cannot interfere in decisions made by the family courts. Perhaps the best thing I can suggest is for Deputy Durkan to engage with the Minister for Justice or perhaps even the Attorney General to explore...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: There probably are lessons to be learned. The Deputy may be aware of a recently published report that was commissioned by the Department of Health on a reimbursement system and how it might be improved. Fundamentally, though, there is a real difficulty when a single company develops a new product and new medicine, and it is the only product. That company develops and manufactures it and...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: In fairness, the Deputy is not saying that. That is the underlying problem; if a single company develops a medicine that it manufactures and controls, it tends to hold a lot of the cards when it comes to negotiating the price.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am a little bit disappointed in the Deputy's question. People in the south east fought for a very long time to secure a university for the region. We now have the South East Technological University. It is an addition to the region and certainly when I went to visit and spoke to businesses and ordinary people in the region about it, they accepted that it is a plus and a good thing. I am...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Maybe the Deputy does not realise he is doing this, but he is talking down the only university in his region.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is not something that most people from most parts of the country do. The Deputy can call for something to be improved and expanded without talking it down and making out that it is-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----something less than it is. I actually have an update on those three issues. I cannot remember it all off the top of my head but I did follow up on the PPP building, the former Waterford Crystal site, the student accommodation issue and the borrowing. I will send that to the Deputy in writing so that I get it exactly right.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: A number of people and different groups in the health service are currently balloting with regard to safe staffing levels. We acknowledge there are many parts of the health service in which staffing is too low. We are happy to engage with unions and representatives on how we can resolve that but we need to put it into a wider context, which is the fact that we are hiring more healthcare...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I understand the concerns parents and staff have about these school projects. There are one or two such projects in every Deputy's constituency, including my own. It is a matter about which we are all very concerned. As a result of the rising cost of construction and the fact that the Department of Education is doing such a good job on building new schools and extending existing schools,...