Results 36,421-36,440 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Employment Agency Regulation Bill 2009: Second Stage (4 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: I am referring to ministerial appointees, which is a legal term for cronies. That is exactly what they will be. One thing that has shocked me is the behaviour of the Green Party. Since the last local elections the Green Party has appointed at least seven failed election candidates to State boards. It has even set up a whole new Green quango, the Foras Orgánach, to facilitate its members....

Employment Agency Regulation Bill 2009: Second Stage (4 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: No. I am suggesting that if one stands for election for the Green Party and loses, one will almost certainly be appointed to a public body. There is evidence of that.

Employment Agency Regulation Bill 2009: Second Stage (4 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: No; what I am saying is that appointments to public bodies should be properly scrutinised. I am saying that the members of a party that preached that line for ten years and voted down a Bill containing such provisions on the basis that it did not go far enough are hypocrites. I am happy to stand over that in any forum whatsoever. At least Fianna Fáil does not pretend anything; its members...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (3 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: Question 98: To ask the Minister for Finance if applicants from outside the public sector are considered for the filling of top posts in his Department. [5257/10]

Written Answers — Public Sector Pay: Public Sector Pay (3 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: Question 185: To ask the Minister for Finance if he has utilised his powers under Section 6 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No.2) Act 2009; if so, the details of his utilisation of those powers; the number of public servants in this class; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5421/10]

Written Answers — Public Sector Pay: Public Sector Pay (3 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: Question 186: To ask the Minister for Finance if any individual, informal group, trade union or staff association has approached him seeking that he utilise his powers under Section 6 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act 2009; if so, the details of this representation; his views in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5422/10]

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (3 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: Question 290: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on providing land for allotments on his lands at Abbotstown, County Dublin, pending the completion of the sports campus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5416/10]

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (3 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: Question 360: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his views on providing land for allotments on his lands at Abbotstown, County Dublin, pending the completion of the sports campus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5417/10]

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (3 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: I have an open mind on that. There may be a case for having elected members and making them work, but we cannot do these things piecemeal. It is similar to the situation with the Lord Mayor of Dublin. If we are to establish an elected mayor it must be as part of an overall reform of local government in Dublin. If it were up to me, I would establish an elected Dublin mayor with executive...

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (3 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: I would be happy to give way to the Minister, Deputy Ryan, for one minute if he would like to answer the question asked by Deputy Burke.

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (3 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: I remind the Minister not to take too long.

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (3 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: I will make a few general comments about the Bill but I will stick mostly to specific comments. We have talked a lot about the current economic crisis. In many ways, part of the unwritten history of the crisis is bad planning — the extent to which land was inappropriately zoned and to which planners, who are supposed to be professionals, granted planning permission that conferred land with...

Social Partnership. (2 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: Question 8: To ask the Taoiseach his views on the status of the national wage agreement regarding private sector firms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1840/10]

Social Partnership. (2 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: Question 13: To ask the Taoiseach the implications of the decision to subsume the National Economic and Social Forum, the National Centre for Partnership and Performance into the National Economic and Social Council; the timeframe of implementation for this action; the estimated reduction in staff numbers to be achieved by this; the estimated cost savings; if any committee or entity will...

Loan Guarantees. (2 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: Question 99: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will provide a State backed loan guarantee system to encourage banks to lend to small and medium enterprises and to exporters of all sizes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5349/10]

Loan Guarantees. (2 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: The Tánaiste is really taking her time on this issue. We are probably two years into a recession at this stage and great numbers of small businesses are closing. They are closing because they cannot get credit. The Government rushed into a bank guarantee overnight. It rushed the NAMA legislation through the Houses, yet it has taken almost two years to decide whether we will have an SME...

Loan Guarantees. (2 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: It is the Tánaiste's job to make decisions on these matters. Britain made its decision on the enterprise finance guarantee more than a year ago at this stage.

Loan Guarantees. (2 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: Nobody in this House under estimates the Tánaiste's capacity to commission reports, to appoint task forces or to ask agencies to study things. What we doubt is her ability to make decisions and to make them correctly and in a timely manner. When will we have a decision on this? The enterprise finance guarantee has been brought into the UK and it works. The British Government guarantee is...

Job Losses. (2 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: The issue is simple. A group was appointed and an eminent person was asked to chair it. It has issued an interim report containing approximately 20 recommendations, most of which are very good and should be implemented. At the very least, the Government should issue a reasoned response. Will it do so on a recommendation by recommendation basis? It should state which recommendations it...

Job Losses. (2 Feb 2010)

Leo Varadkar: Ongoing engagement again.