Results 39,321-39,340 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar
- Skill Shortages. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: Is there a rough idea? Is it 100, 1,000 or 10,000?
- Business Regulation. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: I thank the Minister of State for his answer but I have heard it many times. I raised this question on 28 November 2007, the last time the Minister took Question Time. I have the good fortune to have the Official Report before me and I can see I specifically asked the Minister on several occasions when we would be given a target. A number of European countries have had targets for some...
- Business Regulation. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: I will not go through the interesting list of the number of forms their members must complete that the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association, ISME, gave the committee on enterprise, trade and employment yesterday but I am delighted that I am in a public sector PAYE job because I would hate to be in business. There is obviously nothing happening. Nobody is being upskilled, a...
- Business Regulation. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: Is a 25% reduction in regulation the Government's domestic target?
- Business Regulation. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: What is the domestic target?
- Telecommunications Networks. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: We all accept that Ireland has fallen behind badly on broadband roll-out because of the botched privatisation of Eircom, conducted by Deputy Penrose's constituency colleague. We have not recovered from that. Eircom, or the post-Eircom entity, will have to invest in next generation networks. What is the Department's attitude to the separation of Eircom? What involvement has the Department...
- FÁS Training Programmes. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: Earlier in the debate, the Minister of State referred to the long-anticipated downturn in construction activity as a correction. As someone who probably will enter negative equity by next summer, it feels like somewhat more than a correction to me, as well as to many people of my generation. FÃS has 28,500 apprentices at present, 90% of whom are being trained for construction jobs. As the...
- FÁS Training Programmes. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: It depends on when one bought a house.
- FÁS Training Programmes. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: Will apprentices who lose their jobs still receive training?
- FÁS Training Programmes. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: A large number of apprentices will lose their jobs halfway through their training. Will FÃS facilitate the completion of their training?
- Employment Rights. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: To be fair to the Minister of State, it is important to acknowledge that NERA represents real progress. We do not yet have 90 inspectors but, given that there are approximately 79, we are at least approaching the target. When does the Minister of State believe we will reach it? One may argue about whether the minimum wage is too high but the fact remains that it is set down in law, which...
- Employment Rights. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: Having only to pay arrears is not much of a deterrent.
- Legislative Review. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: Question 1: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the review of the Competition Act 2002 in view of the completion of the public consultation stage of this process; the changes he is considering at this stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4414/08]
- Legislative Review. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: The Minister of State might inform us what stage the Minister is at with regard to this matter. It is customary for the Minister to advise us, or at least advise the Chair, if he is not going to be here to take questions. As regards this specific question, will the Minister of State indicate how many Competition Authority reports have been published to date and how many recommendations have...
- Legislative Review. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: I can give the Minister of State a rough idea and although we do not have all the answers we have managed to find some of them. There have been 11 such reports to date, excluding those made last year which, in fairness, we do not expect to be implemented at this stage. Going back to 1998, one out of four recommendations in the report on liquor licensing was adopted. One out of ten...
- Live Register. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: Question 3: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will revise upwards the Government's projected unemployment rate for 2008; the measures he is taking to reverse this rise in unemployment and under-employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4415/08]
- Live Register. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: I agree with everything Deputy Penrose said. This is the week after the highest increase in the numbers signing on since I was one year old and it is very disappointing the Minister is not present to answer questions. Why not?
- Live Register. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: I accept fully that the quarterly household survey is the most accurate measure of unemployment, but the live register is still significant. It measures both unemployment and underemployment. It is interesting that since the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment took office, the number on the live register has increased by 21,000 compared to a reduction of 100,000 when his...
- Live Register. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: The Minister of State has not answered either of my questions.
- Live Register. (7 Feb 2008)
Leo Varadkar: Does the Minister of State stand over the Government's projection that the SUR will increase to 5.4% this year or will it be higher? Is he proud of his senior Minister's record on unemployment, which has increased by 0.5% since he took office, with 21,000 more people on the live register?