Results 3,301-3,320 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (17 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I will have to check with the Minister, Deputy Ryan, who is attending COP 27 at present, to see what solution we came up with. I know it turned out to be quite complicated given the nature of bill pay being different from pay-as-you-go. As the Deputy acknowledged, there are no disconnections at certain times such as weekends. We were trying to make it easier for people...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (17 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. We are actively recruiting people for our health service domestically and abroad. Approximately 130,000 or 135,000 people work in our health service, which is more than ever before. There are 81,000 nurses and midwives, which is more than ever before. We have never had more doctors or consultants working on our health service than is the case now. This, of course,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: For the record, I am not a supporter of any political party in the United States. I will check with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, on the issue of reliefs. This is a tax that I agree with. Land that is zoned for housing should be developed for housing and people should not hang on to it. If they want to dezone land, that is fair enough. If, however, land is zoned for...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Like the Deputy, I understand that insurance companies have to make a profit. If they do not make a profit, they cannot operate or function. If the latter were the case, there would not be any insurance companies or insurance policies and there would certainly be no competition. Obviously, they should be making reasonable rather than excessive profits. It is encouraging to have seen...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: -----and somebody who has an issue with flooding. If they are willing to share that detail with us - it would be with the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming - we can take the matter up with the regulator and the industry and see what they have to say.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: A regular smear test should not be grounds for refusing insurance. Insurers must price in risk. If somebody is very ill or terminally ill they do have to take it into account. An irregular smear test does not fit into that category, or certainly does not in my mind. I am genuinely interested and if the Deputy could pass on the information, with the permission of that person, we will take...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy again for raising this important issue. On Monday, I had a chance to listen to the radio documentary. It was very compelling. I pay tribute to the bravery of all those who participated in it. If people do not tell their stories, then it is very hard for us to take actions against people who carry out abuse and prevent it from happening in future. I recognise their...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It is fair to say there is broad consensus across the House that we do need an inquiry into these matters and that it should be victim-led and survivor-led. As we all know from our own experience of inquiries that have been initiated by the Government or this House, getting the form of the inquiry right is very important, as is getting the terms of reference right. Inquiries can range from...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The residential zone land tax will raise revenue. Any tax raises revenue. However, that is not the primary purpose of the tax. Its primary purpose is to make sure that where land is zoned for housing, it gets developed for housing. We are all aware of the need for additional housing in the State and the fact that much land that is zoned for housing is not being...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this very sensitive matter and for his ongoing interest in it on behalf of the 18 families affected. The matter has been discussed in the House previously. Once again, I express my deep sympathy to the families in Cork who have experienced the tragedy of losing a child and who then had the devastating experience of learning that their children's organs were...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The delays with this inquiry and many other inquiries are impossible to defend. I can only imagine the frustration people experience when these inquiries, which you think will last six months, go on for more than six months and last a year or two years. That is very hard to defend. When we challenge the people carrying out the inquiries as to why this is the case, they often say that the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Labour Market (17 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: According to the latest available national figures, from the Central Statistics Office’s Labour Force Survey, employment levels reached 2.55 million in Q2 2022. We now have more people employed in our country than ever before, while the latest monthly unemployment rate, for October 2022, stands at 4.4% - levels not seen since 2005. These results are a testament to the hard work and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Meetings (16 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Since my appointment as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in 2020 I have visited County Clare on two occasions. On 22 October 2021 I launched the Ennis 2040 Economic and Spatial Strategy in Ennis. On 15 July 2022 I visited the Future Mobility Campus at Shannon, Co Clare and Ardnacrusha Power Station in Ardnacrusha, Co. Clare.

Death of Vicky Phelan: Expressions of Sympathy (15 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I extend my deepest sympathies and those of my party to Vicky's friends and family, particularly her husband, Jim, and her children, Amelia and Darragh. I met Vicky on a number of occasions and she was one of the most impressive people I have ever met. There was something about her that was hard to define. She is an example to us all, a woman of limitless strength, courage and compassion....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (15 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 137 together. IDA Ireland's results for 2021, showed that total employment in IDA client companies in Ireland now stands at 275,384, up 16,826 on 2020, the highest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) employment level ever. Employment growth was recorded in every region of the country. IDA has worked hard to create a welcoming environment for FDI in all...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Losses (15 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: On Monday 7th November, senior officials from IDA Ireland briefed myself, and Ministers of State Damien English and Dara Calleary on the emerging situation in the global tech sector. This followed a series of direct contacts by my office and the agencies with the companies involved. My foremost concern is for the staff and their families who will be affected by re-sizing in certain tech...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this. It is something I have heard about and am concerned about. The service public health nurses provide is essential. Calling to those homes and checking those babies can bring to light issues that need to be brought to light and make sure help is provided at an early stage. There may be a particular issue with staffing in one or two parts of the country....

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I certainly will. The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, spoke about this issue at a meeting only yesterday evening. She is very keen to get the application process under way as soon as possible because there will be a lot of applications and the sooner we can open the applications, the sooner we can make the payments. The Minister does not want to wait until the new year to...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I absolutely agree. The situation in Northern Ireland is always at its best when the Irish Government and the British Government work together with a common agenda and common objectives. Unfortunately, those have been absent for quite some time. The fact that Prime Minister Sunak is attending the British-Irish Council in person, the first time a Prime Minister has done so in a very long...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Nov 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is an issue I am not familiar with so it is new to me. If the Deputy wants to pass on more details to my office, the Taoiseach's office or the office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, we will make sure the matter is raised with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland as a matter of urgency.