Results 37,261-37,280 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Financial Resolution No. 4: Mineral Oil Tax (7 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: -----and address that issue again. The monthly year on year returns from excise on alcohol are falling because of the law of diminishing returns. I will not be two-faced about diesel. My party proposed to increase excise on diesel by more than the Government proposed. However ours was part of an overall package that did not hammer middle-class families through massive increases in...

Financial Resolution No. 4: Mineral Oil Tax (7 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: Ah go on. The Deputy will not try to tell me he is against tax and spend. If he is, he should join Fine Gael.

Financial Resolution No. 10: Stamp Duties (7 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: The majority of these resolutions provide for increases in capital taxation. I share the view that capital taxes in Ireland should be considerably higher because it is wrong to tax income from work at such a high rate while taxing wealth not gained through work, such as inheritance or capital gains on property, at a lower rate. That is why I have no difficulty in seeking significant...

Financial Resolution No. 10: Stamp Duties (7 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: It is extraordinary that this is the Government's economic policy. I cannot believe it. We will be back here very soon.

Supplementary Budget Statement 2009 (7 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: It is 53%.

Supplementary Budget Statement 2009 (7 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: And donations.

State Airports. (2 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: Question 7: To ask the Minister for Transport the cost incurred in implementing the decision to separate the State airports before the decision was taken to postpone this separation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13846/09]

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (1 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: Question 84: To ask the Taoiseach the occasions when the Government Press Secretary made written or verbal complaints since May 2008 to date in 2009 to RTE or another national media outlet regarding the treatment of An Taoiseach; the details of such complaints; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13578/09]

FÁS Report. (1 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: My concern is that there is not any sense of urgency to deal with the issues that have arisen in FÁS. The scandal that came to light in FÁS occurred almost a year ago. We have since had a report published by the Committee of Public Accounts, while the Comptroller and Auditor General is compiling his report now. Much good work is done in FÁS, but it is also an agency with a budget of more...

Skill Shortages. (1 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: Question 26: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will ensure there will be no reduction in funding to Skillnets in 2009; her views on proposals to include newly redundant people in Skillnets training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13739/09]

Skill Shortages. (1 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Ceann Comhairle and the Minister of State for agreeing to allow the question. Skillnets does an excellent job. It is one of the examples of money that is well spent. It provides excellent training, it is largely employer-led and it gives the people who work in those industries the skills they need to improve the competitiveness of the industry and to go on to promotion and...

Skill Shortages. (1 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: Will the Minister of State tell us by next week?

Skill Shortages. (1 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: Does the Minister of State not understand the damage being caused to the country by this uncertainty? People do not know what is happening. They do not know how much they will be paid next month, or how much they will be taxed next month. We need certainty.

Job Losses. (1 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: I welcome the announcement that the Minister of State intends to appoint more people to that section, which is important. However, the Government has made several commitments recently. It committed to paying its bills on time and to paying redundancy refunds on time, but these commitments are not being honoured. As a customer, the Government is putting businesses out of business, because...

Job Losses. (1 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: Will they be?

Job Losses. (1 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: Do you think they are listening?

Job Losses. (1 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister of State might have said as much in his reply.

Departmental Agencies. (1 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: People are facing pay cuts and higher taxes. People on training schemes are not paid well, nor are most FÁS workers on the ground. In this context, is the remuneration package of the director general of FÁS, which is worth more than €200,000, not excessive and inappropriate? Should the Minister of State not announce that the chief executive's salary will be capped at, for example, the...

Job Losses. (1 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: The Tánaiste stated she was highly committed to sustaining jobs in that part of the world.

Job Losses. (1 Apr 2009)

Leo Varadkar: I remind her that Members are discussing north County Dublin, which is a few miles away and not Argentina or India. It is located in Deputy Reilly's constituency at present and will be in mine quite shortly.