Results 34,281-34,300 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: My apologies for not addressing this matter in my closing remarks yesterday. I am advised that passenger drivers are covered because they have unaccompanied access to children, old people and vulnerable people who they could harm. This is not the case with haulage drivers, who chiefly drive trucks on their own and are accompanied by their goods, not passengers.

Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I must give that matter some consideration. It is an argument I have not heard before and I must confer with my officials on it. If there is a lacuna or an anomaly, perhaps we can address it in the Seanad by means of a Government amendment or in legislation next year.

Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I take it that by Ross, Deputy Wallace means New Ross.

Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The Enniscorthy to New Ross bypass is a public private partnership and I hope we will get it started in the next ten years, although maybe not in the next five years. The Department and the NRA are open to proposals on how things could be done more cheaply. Even where interim and cheaper options are presented, they tend to cost a few million euro. We do not even have this.

Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I move amendment No. 1: In page 6, subsection (1), between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: "(h) an offence under the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008,". The offence proposed to be added here is on the advice of the Attorney General's office. It is an additional one in the category of serious offences and relates to trafficking for the purposes of sexual or other...

Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The amendment applies to politically motivated offences which are covered by and occurred before the Good Friday Agreement. I point out that in the context of this Road Transport Bill we are talking about very serious offences. We are not talking about membership of the IRA. Somebody convicted for membership of the IRA is not precluded from holding a haulage licence nor is somebody who...

Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I should clarify the provisions of the Bill. There is an obligation to notify the Minister that convictions exist for these offences. It does not automatically preclude somebody from being given a licence. Having been notified, the Minister can consider particular convictions that affect good repute. If he or she decides to refuse or withdraw a licence, applicants must be notified, at...

Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: 1916 may not have but the struggle from 1918 to 1922 did. What is absolutely certain is that the violence - or armed struggle as it is called - which occurred more recently never had the democratic legitimacy of the people of the North or South of the island.

Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: Ultimately, unlike the struggle of the 1920s it was unsuccessful. Partition is now a fact and Stormont is back in operation, which makes a very big difference.

Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I draw the Deputies' attention to some of the offences about which we are speaking. They include rape-----

Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy's amendment would actually do so. It refers to offences such as drug smuggling.

Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: What about drug smuggling, money laundering and human trafficking?

Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: Money laundering-----

Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: Yes.

Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I stated earlier there may well be a case for drawing a line under the events of the past, stating they were in the past, and having an amnesty Bill or a spent convictions Bill. One of the problems that prevents us from doing this is the failure of the party opposite to admit to the crimes that occurred in the past. I was really shocked during the presidential campaign by the behaviour of...

Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: There were, but that was an appalling offence and it was a murder, but it was still the view of very senior people in Sinn Féin that it was not a murder. If I remember correctly the Deputy First Minister stated the family may think it was a murder and he would not disagree with them but he would not call it a murder. If we want to move on from this period in the past, what we need is an...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (23 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The statutory power to levy tolls on national roads, to make toll bye-laws and to enter into toll agreements with private investors in respect of national roads is vested in the National Roads Authority (NRA) under Part V of the Roads Act 1993 (as amended by the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Roads Act 2007). The contracts for the privately-operated toll schemes, including the M6,...

Written Answers — Tourism Promotion: Tourism Promotion (23 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The matter raised is an operational one for Tourism Ireland Limited as the body responsible for promoting the island of Ireland as a visitor destination overseas. Therefore, I have referred the Deputy's Question to Tourism Ireland and asked them to reply directly to the Deputy. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

Written Answers — Irish Coast Guard: Irish Coast Guard (23 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: Providing a suitable building for the Irish Coast Guard volunteer unit in Killybegs to enable it to operate in a safe and efficient manner remains a priority for my Department. Every effort will be made within the context of the funding provided to the Department in the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme 2012 to 2016 to complete the development.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (23 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The detailed pension payments for chief executives of State agencies are available from the relevant agencies. I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the agencies for which I have responsibility for their direct response. If the Deputy does not receive a reply within ten working days, please advise my private office.