Results 2,681-2,700 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: In the meantime, I agree with what the Deputy said about the purchase in situ programme. The Minister tells me that we are doing that. If a landlord is selling and the tenant is a social housing tenant, a council can buy that property.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: If the Deputy wants, he can send me a note. There are different thresholds, as he knows, and I do not profess to knowing the exact ins and outs of the scheme, but I know it is something that is done and we support it. I imagine there are some sort of thresholds. The Deputy may want these set out in detail or in writing. We can certainly examine whether we get rid of the thresholds...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We have reduced public transport fares, which has been successful, but we need to make sure we do not create major capacity problems for ourselves and that is something we have to balance each time. The school transport initiative is a climate measure. Since we waived the fees for school transport, there has been a large increase in the number of children using school transport. The figure...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Strategies (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 10 go 22 le chéile. The priorities set out in the Department's Statement of Strategy 2021-2023 reflect the role of the Department to assist me, as Taoiseach, and the Government to ensure a sustainable economy and a successful society, to pursue Ireland's interests abroad, to implement the Government's programme and to build a better future for...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 1 go 9, agus 129 le chéile. The Cabinet committee on Government co-ordination is scheduled to meet again on Monday next, 27 February. The committee reviews the agenda of Government meetings, discusses political priorities and reviews the activity of Cabinet committees. I am a member of the committee, with the Tánaiste and the leader of...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Income tax is coming down. There is the rent tax credit. We are holding off on restoring VAT and excise rates, and we are reducing childcare, education and healthcare costs, student fees, public transport costs, etc. If you are examining this matter in the round, you have to take account of all three; you cannot just focus on one or on a part of one.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy very much. I join him in congratulating Israel Olatunde on a fabulous performance the other day. I watched it on the news. I am very impressed by what he has achieved and with his speed. I also congratulate the Deputy on segueing from that to the protocol. I did not know where the Deputy was going, but fair play. On the protocol, I spoke with the President Von der...

Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Protection of Financially Vulnerable Customers) Bill 2023: First Stage (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: No.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising the important issue of our electoral laws. On Saturday, The Irish Timesreported that the Standards in Public Office Commission is examining irregularities in Sinn Féin's accounts. The accounts have also been examined by a senior independent accountant, who confirmed the anomalies. We are talking about large sums of money - hundreds of thousands of euro....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The short answer is "Yes". As we discussed at the meeting, I foresee Ennis and Nenagh hospitals being upgraded. It is already the case that more patients who are sick but stable are being taken there directly by ambulance. That protocol could be extended further provided it is safe to do so. There can be more medical assessment unit slots and longer hours for the local injury unit. Ennis...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I certainly hope that does not turn out to be the case. We have always said that we cannot fully insulate everyone from the rising cost of living but that we would try to insulate people as much as we can, particularly those who are the most vulnerable. In any household budget, there are three elements. There is how much you get paid, how much you get taxed and how far the money goes. To...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I understand that 26 children in Limerick did not receive secondary school places, but I am sure we will be able to find places for everyone. This happens in my constituency from time to time - the numbers are often much higher than 26 - and we are always able to find a place for every child in the school. It may not be in the school of...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I was very pleased to visit UHL last week. It was the third or fourth time I visited the hospital, and the third time I had visited the accident and emergency department. I was in the old one and in the new one when it opened. I was there again the other day. It really is a very good and modern department. It has some equipment and facilities that just do not exist...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: When the new CEO of the HSE is appointed, I am going to sit down with him and the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and see what we can do.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will know, though, developments are under way. A 96-bed block is under construction on the public hospital site. There is also a new private hospital. We want to make better use of Ennis and Nenagh and do other things as well.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. I agree that the road does need to be upgraded. We have approximately €500 million annually for national roads, with €250 million going to maintain and restore those we have and €250 million to invest in new projects. It is not always possible to fund every project every year. It never was and never will be, unfortunately....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I have been to Tipperary town many times and I agree it is a town that needs a bypass. I think about €2 million was provided for that particular road project-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----but that just helps narrow the route and with route design. We have about €250 million a year for new national roads. That is not enough to allow every project to progress every year but it is enough to make significant progress on many of them. The Minister, Deputy Ryan, is especially keen to prioritise bypasses of towns. Many got funding in this round, including Virginia,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The chair of the independent review group, Ms Justice Bronagh O'Hanlon, submitted the final report to the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence on 2 February, so only in the last week or two. The Tánaiste has indicated he is considering the report in full consultation with the Attorney General, and thereafter he will bring the report to Government for consideration and further...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: This was not a mini-budget or a budget, which is why we did not make changes to any weekly payments, although there are quite a number of once-offs. In regard to the national minimum wage, it went up by 7.8% this year and it looks like inflation this year will be lower than 7.8%. It is not the case that the minimum wage goes up faster than inflation every year but if we take the three-year...