Results 2,861-2,880 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Programme for Government (8 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Government has been working to implement the commitments in the Programme for Government, which are advanced through the co-ordinating mechanisms of the cabinet committee structure. The ten Cabinet Committees recently established by Government reflect the core policy areas set out in the Programme for Government that it will continue to focus on. Cabinet Committees will meet regularly to...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: State Bodies (8 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Government remains fully committed to the important work that has been underway in Dublin’s North East Inner City (NEIC) to oversee the long-term social and economic regeneration of the area. The NEIC Programme Implementation Board, which was established following publication of the Mulvey Report, and comprises government departments and agencies, alongside community...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Social Media (8 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the Department of the Taoiseach and the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) - which incorporates the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) - is set out in the tables below. Department of the Taoiseach Platform Total no. of videos No. of videos with subtitles % of videos with...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Housing Policy (8 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Housing for All Sub-Group on State Lands and Property reports to the Public Service Delivery Working Group chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which in turn reports to the Housing for All Delivery Group. The Group oversees relevant actions and targets in the Plan and the potential of State Land & Property to contribute to...

Address by H.E. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament (2 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Ceann Comhairle, Cathaoirleach, President Metsola, distinguished Members of the Dáil and Seanad, Irish MEPs and former Members of the Oireachtas, thar mo cheann féin agus thar ceann mo chomh-Theachtaí, cuirim fáilte ó chroí romhaibh. Ina cáil mar Uachtarán Pharlaimint na hEorpa, is ionadaí chroí daonlathach an Aontais Eorpaigh í....

Seanad: Address by H.E. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament (2 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Ceann Comhairle, Cathaoirleach, President Metsola, distinguished Members of the Dáil and Seanad, Irish MEPs and former Members of the Oireachtas, thar mo cheann féin agus thar ceann mo chomh-Theachtaí, cuirim fáilte ó chroí romhaibh. Ina cáil mar Uachtarán Pharlaimint na hEorpa, is ionadaí chroí daonlathach an Aontais Eorpaigh í....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (1 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I just have a different perspective on it to the Deputy. I do not think our end points are different; I just have a different perspective on it. It is the Deputy's view that higher taxes always result in more revenues for the Government, which we can then spend on health, housing and everything else. My view is that it is not necessarily like that. We have very low corporation profit...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (1 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is the low taxes on corporations in Ireland that produce the massive tax revenues we can spend on health, housing and education. If we doubled or trebled our corporation profit tax, I think the receipts would go down. I do not want that to ever be tested. That is one of the reasons I am glad neither of the Deputies is Minister for Finance, because I think they would test it. They would...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Ukraine War (1 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I would like to visit Ukraine. I have never had the opportunity to visit that country and would very much like to do so. I am connected to it now in a way I never was in the past given that someone from Ukraine has been living with me since May 2022. I have come to learn a lot about the country and its culture and would love a chance to visit at some point. I would particularly like to be...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Ukraine War (1 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Calling on someone to withdraw from occupied territories is something they should do. We want to get the embassy in Kyiv up and running, have the ambassador there and have it functioning again. There are some issues around security. I do not know the details of that but I know the Tánaiste is working on it. I absolutely agree that escalation is not a solution but what is the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (1 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 14 together. I travelled to the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos on 18 January. That evening I attended an IDA Ireland event where I met with some leading job creators in Ireland from across industry, including manufacturing, chemicals, technology and finance. On 19 January, I attended a foreign policy-focused event hosted by Lally...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputies for their questions. On the historical nursing home charges relating to private nursing homes, I emphasise again that this does not relate to anyone who is currently in a nursing home today or who has been in recent years. It relates to charges prior to the 2005-06 period. The matter was resolved prospectively when the fair deal scheme was set up in 2009, which is the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Ukraine War (1 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 12, inclusive, together. I spoke by phone with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday, 10 January. President Zelenskyy extended new year's wishes to the people of Ireland and expressed his appreciation for the steadfast assistance and friendship shown by Ireland and the Irish people to Ukraine over the past year, and to the more...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (1 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions 5 to 9, inclusive, and 35 together. The Government has established ten Cabinet committees in the following areas: Brexit and Northern Ireland; children and education; economy and investment; environment and climate change; EU and international affairs; Government co-ordination; health; housing; humanitarian response to Ukraine; and social affairs and public...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (1 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. I will start by responding to Deputies Haughey and Brendan Smith on the Northern Ireland protocol. I welcome the continued positive UK-EU engagement aided at finding joint solutions to concerns about the implementation of the protocol. When I met the Northern Ireland parties and business representatives last month, I got a real sense of a...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We plan to make a decision on this before the middle of this month in order for people in business to know where they stand for March and the spring. Two measures are in place for businesses at the moment that are valuable to them, namely the temporary business energy support scheme, TBESS, to help with energy costs and the 9% VAT rate. We need to work out what we can continue and what we...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy is aware, the scheme is currently being reviewed by the Ministers, Deputies Michael McGrath and Coveney. The Deputy is correct to say that the take-up is much lower than we anticipated. The current plan is to end the scheme at the end of February but we are now looking at the possibility of extending it because energy prices are still very high for businesses. We are also...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I do not have an up-to-date note on that, but I will let the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, know the matter was raised in the House and ask him to contact the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate the disparity the Deputy has outlined. The short answer is that I do not know. I will need to ask the Minister for Transport to revert to the Deputy on it. Sometimes the reason is the projects that are put forward. I am not saying that is the reason. It is the responsibility of the local authority to put forward the projects. They cannot be funded unless they are put...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 Feb 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Yes, my attention has been drawn to it and I have seen the analysis in the Irish Examiner. It seems there has been an increase in excess deaths this winter relative to other winters. It seems it is a phenomenon that is not unique to Ireland. It is an international one. I have asked the chief medical officer, CMO, for her opinion and advice on it. The likelihood is that it is related to a...