Results 2,441-2,460 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Dillon for raising this important issue and for advocating on behalf of Davitt College. I can give him the assurance that we will sort this out. There are a number of school projects across the country, including in my own constituency, that either have planning permission or have already gone to tender and the tender has been awarded. We have run into a difficulty. The...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I know there are some employers who already offer early pregnancy loss leave and, indeed, some that offer it to fathers as well as mothers experiencing this. That is a very good thing. We have introduced sick leave, as of 1 January 2023, that is any form of medical leave, once there is a doctor's certificate that can cover treatments, such as IVF and early pregnancy loss, but I appreciate...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I would see that differently.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The decision we made is to have a referendum to modernise our Constitution. Homelessness affects men and women alike. In fact, there are more men than women who are homeless. Homelessness affects younger people and older people. It also affects people from all sorts of walks of life. It is very much a stain on our society. It is not simply a gender issue, and that should be...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Croí Cónaithe scheme is going really well. There have been more than 1,000 applications across the country from people seeking grants to allow them to being old buildings or homes back into use. This is really positive and we are very encouraged by it. The figures relating to the scheme are not counted in our new housing statistics. They should be because a home brought back...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. We are giving consideration to further legislation in this area, although it will not be emergency legislation. We already have the National Archives Act and there are already offences with regard to the destruction of public documents, but I appreciate that does not apply beyond the State sector. My understanding is that the archive is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will come back to the Deputy with a more detailed reply, because the question is valid and I may not be able to answer it fully today. It is intended we will have all records that are held by the State in the repository and any personal testimonies, subject to the consent of the people involved. The National Archives Act already protects documents, as does the Birth Information and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: On childcare professionals, we have an employment regulation order in place that has improved pay, terms and conditions for such professionals. It gives them a proper incremental scale and a body of workers’ rights beyond the minimum floor prescribed in legislation. I think that is helping in recruiting and retaining childcare professionals. Last time I visited a childcare facility...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as a cheist. Aontaím go bhfuil fadhb ann leis an ionad tástála tiomána i nDroichead Átha. Ba mhaith liom an fhadhb a réiteach agus ionad nua a chruthú sa bhaile sin. The Road Safety Authority has statutory responsibility for the national driving test service, including the locations and operation of driving test...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I passed my driving test at 18 as well, though it was my second attempt. A little bit like my electoral record, it took two attempts to succeed. I understand the importance of having a full licence. It is about being able to get a job, as the Deputy said, being able to get around, get to college and do whatever people need to do. It is a major restriction on people’s freedom not to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I answered the Deputy's question. Perhaps she could not hear the answer because she was too busy shouting me down, or the people behind her were too busy shouting me down. The options include social housing. We are going to build more social housing than ever before. We are ramping up cost rental, which is another option. A third option is we are going to purchase 1,500 homes where the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Let me finish, Deputy. I know you hate the truth. Look to the North, where we have had a Sinn Féin finance minister and a Sinn Féin housing minister.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Do you know how much social housing you built in Northern Ireland last year? Do you know, Deputy?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Under 2,000 in the past year - there was an assembly - much less per capita than in this State. You say that small landlords are not to blame for the crisis. Fine. What is your proposal? You want to put an extra tax on small landlords.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: To make it even worse-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----you say you care about first-time buyers. What do you want to do?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: You want to take away the help-to-buy scheme. The reason you consistently shout me down when I try to answer your questions is because you cannot handle the answers-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: ------because you know they are true.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: On a point of order, I really need to put on the record of the Dáil that what we see here is a party that really just cannot handle honest democratic debate.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed) (8 Mar 2023)

Leo Varadkar: They will not answer questions.