Results 3,961-3,980 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The Government has not agreed any final targets yet for the agricultural sector but they will be in the range of 22% to 30%. As far as other sectors go, such as industry, transport or electricity, we are asking for the lowest emissions reductions from the agricultural sector because we recognise it is a special sector, is involved in food production, and needs to be...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: We have a very busy schedule this week. The Dáil will sit until 12 midnight tonight. It will resume at 9 o'clock in the morning and will sit until after 10 o'clock tomorrow night. It will resume at 9 o'clock on Thursday morning and sit until after 10 o'clock that night. I acknowledge that it is a busy schedule. However, there is important legislation that we need to pass, including...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: -----doing what parliaments are supposed to do, namely, spending time on legislation.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I agree. Again-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: You always know you are speaking the truth and touching a raw nerve when the Opposition tries to shout you down.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: We are-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: -----a Legislature. We are here to pass legislation. Looking at other parliaments around the world, they spend more time on legislation, doing what they are supposed to do, and less time on motions, statements and showboating.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: We should change our rules in September so that we spend more time on legislation and less of all the other stuff.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: If the Deputy goes to places closer to here and looks at the price of petrol and diesel, such as the North, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland and other countries in our neighbourhood, he will see the price, unfortunately, is similar to here or higher.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I am not interested in cherry-picking data or statistics. I am a medical doctor by training. I take science and data seriously and I always like to see and know the numbers. When I seek the data, I seek them from reputable independent bodies such as the Central Statistics Office, CSO, or the Central Bank, which act independently and produce robust data that we can stand over. I tend to be...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I can assure the Deputy that I talk to business owners all the time. I am the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and that is my job. What they are telling me is that, by and large, they are busy. The biggest problem they have at present is finding staff. That is the biggest issue that is brought to me from business, and not just in hospitality and retail but across the economy....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I am not up to date nor have I been briefed on the issue relating to vascular services in Waterford. I will check up on that. I got the Deputy's email the other day regarding the staffing of the second cath lab in Waterford University Hospital not having proceeded. I am concerned about that too and I have spoken to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, and Senator Cummins about it. I will look...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: -----there are not many people in Ireland or the world who are currently looking for employment in the cardiology space. We need to begin that recruitment process to recruit as many staff as we can, however, and extend the hours of that service. That is something on which the Deputy can be sure I will follow up. With regard to the health service generally, the fact is that investment in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important policy question. I agree that we should have better data on how money is spent and on where it is spent. That is something that we are very much aligned on. I also agree that Governments do not have any money. The only money that Governments have is the money that we take from people and business in the form of taxation. It is not our money....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I understand it very well. The hot school meals programme, which is working extremely well, was introduced by my colleague, Senator Regina Doherty, when she was Minister for Social Protection. The back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance is being increased by the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys. The former Minister for Education, Deputy Joe McHugh, introduced the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: If there is one thing we absolutely agree on it is that back-to-school is really expensive for families, and so is back-to-college. That is why there is an increase in the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance which will be paid from next week. It is why there is an increased SUSI grant for those going to third level and is why we changed the rules only in the last few weeks to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I again acknowledge on behalf of the Government that back-to-school is a very expensive time for families and puts much pressure on family budgets, as is also the case with back-to-college. The Government is responding. The back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance will be paid from next week. There is an increase to €160 for children aged four to 11 and €285 for...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I acknowledge that we are experiencing a cost-of-living crisis. We are seeing inflation at a level that has not been seen for almost 40 years. While this is driven by international factors in the main, it is very much being felt in every home across the State. Everyone is feeling the squeeze and, of course, those on lowest incomes are feeling it most acutely. The Government's response...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Appointments to State Boards (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: In making appointments to State boards under my remit as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, my department operates in accordance with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform guidelines on appointments to State Boards, published in November 2014.  The Public Appointments Service (PAS) has responsibility for managing an open, accessible and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Funding (5 Jul 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Internally, as part of its learning and career development offering - my Department operates an Advanced Payment of Fees Scheme on an annual basis, where employees are invited to apply for advanced funding to undertake third-level studies. Records indicate that as part of this Scheme and its preceding Refund of Fees Scheme, funding has been provided to approximately ten employees to undertake...