Results 39,581-39,600 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 569: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his Department or its agencies has paid in advance for works or services that will not be completed before the end of the 2007 financial year; the reasons for doing so; the amount of the payments; the recipients and the nature of the works or services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34879/07]

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 579: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his Department maintain a record of visits by him to the headquarters of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35537/07]

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: I wish to share my time with Deputies James Reilly and Jimmy Deenihan.

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: I acknowledge the bona fides of the Labour Party in presenting this Bill. It is a genuine effort to address genuine hardship for some individuals such as self-employed members of Equity, the NUJ and others. Similarly, I acknowledge the efforts the Labour Party is seeking to provide a means through which professional groups such as dentists, pharmacists and general practitioners can...

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: When I refer to that, the Deputy will hear it. I am just dealing with section 2 of the Bill.

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: I am coming to that. I did not interrupt the Deputy. Perhaps he could have the decency to contain himself for at least one debate.

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: I am. This is a democratic country, left or right.

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Instead of competing for business, electricians in a town could form a union to negotiate terms, conditions and fees with local shopkeepers and enterprises. The Bar Council and the Law Society could similarly fix prices, terms and conditions for services provided to any social partnership group. This Bill is potentially a Trojan horse and if implemented would see a return of the medieval...

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Furthermore, the authors seem to disregard the separation of powers. It is most unorthodox for a Government to be able to make a declaration to exclude the effects of an Act for a particular body. The normal course would be to give authority to the Minister to make regulations by statutory instrument in line with specific criteria laid down in law.

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: The Competition Act is an advocate of competition and acts as a prosecutor; it is not an arbiter of the law. The final interpretation of law is a matter for the courts. The Bill assumes that the Competition Authority ruling in the Equity case is the law, which is not necessarily so. This also applies to the Attorney General's advice given to the Government with regard to HSE negotiations...

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: In that case, the Supreme Court determined that the representative services of the ILCU on behalf of its members were not economic activities——

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: ——and therefore were not covered by the Competition Act. Surely something like the Equity case or the HSE decision to follow the Attorney General's advice should be legally reviewed before changing the Act. That is the obvious course of action. There are a number of other means to resolve some of the problems which Labour Deputies have mentioned. With regard to Equity and similar...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (13 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 97: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of income-earners in the State; the number of whom pay income tax; the number who do so at the standard and higher rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34697/07]

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (13 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 98: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos that have been purchased for each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34698/07]

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (13 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 99: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the estimated value of the National Pensions Reserve Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34699/07]

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (13 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 100: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the amount of money that has been paid into the National Pensions Reserve Fund by the Exchequer since the establishment of the fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34700/07]

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (13 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 101: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the amount of money that has been paid into the National Pensions Reserve Fund in each year since its establishment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34701/07]

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 102: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of posts that have been decentralised as part of the current decentralisation programme with respect to his Department and agencies; the cost of mileage and overtime paid with respect to the holders of these posts in the year prior to decentralisation and the year after decentralisation; and if he will make a statement on...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (13 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 103: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if his Department or any of its agencies has paid in advance for works or services that will not be commenced before the end of the 2007 financial year; the reasons for doing this; the amount of the payments; the recipients and the nature of the works or services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34733/07]

Written Answers — General Medical Services Scheme: General Medical Services Scheme (13 Dec 2007)

Leo Varadkar: Question 116: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason a drug (details supplied) is not available on the GMS; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34706/07]