Results 21-40 of 2,668 for long speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising the really important issue of stroke on Leaders' Questions. I know the topic has been raised previously but not for a long time. We all know the extent to which stroke affects people and their families. We know people who have died as a result of stroke, people who are surviving with the effects of stroke or who are at risk of stroke. We have a national...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...homelessness, it is for less than a few months. In many cases it is less than six months, and in most cases, less than a year. That being said, I appreciate that a few months can be a very long time in a child's life and can stick with them forever. This is why we are redoubling our efforts to reduce family homelessness. We have increased resources for prevention in particular, which...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...to him and his family and colleagues. On the Deputy's question, as I said before, we need full information and clarity from RTÉ. The drip-feed of revelations which has been happening for far too long is now seriously damaging an important organisation which has a pivotal role in our democracy and our national cultural identity. The Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, met the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Northern Ireland (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...South. The Government is also making substantial allocations under the Shared Island Fund. This includes a €50m contribution to the redevelopment of Casement Park stadium in Belfast. This will help realise a long-planned sports infrastructure project in the city and maximise the benefit for Northern Ireland of the joint hosting by Ireland and the UK of the UEFA EURO2028...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...and the sustainable development goals. It is equally important that we engage with China guided by values and interests. We welcome that the dialogue has continued. I also reaffirmed Ireland's long-standing adherence to the One China policy and our recognition of the People's Republic of China as the legitimate Government of China. We emphasised our view that any change to the current...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...in contributing to peace and security in that country. My visit to three western Balkans countries, namely, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia, was also an opportunity to reiterate Ireland's long-standing and strong wish to see the countries of the western Balkans join the European Union as soon as they are ready. Ireland has long endorsed their journey towards membership, and we...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...will make an enormous difference. It will be there for 50 or 100 years. It will be comparable with and better than any children's hospital in the world. I know it has cost too much and taken too long. Like many other big projects, such as terminal 2 in Dublin Airport or the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire, nobody will regret it when they see it.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...of actions that can be taken to assist Irish people returning home. Roughly 30,000 Irish citizens come home every year - 90,000 in the past three years. In many cases, they have not been away for long and so it can be straightforward but where they have been away for a long time, it can be much more challenging, as is often the case in moving to another country. There are things we can...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The HSE hired 8,000 extra staff last year, which was probably the biggest increase in a very long time. The HSE service plan next year provides for it to hire an additional 2,000 to 3,000 staff. I do not know what the Deputy's definition of a recruitment freeze is but 8,000 extra staff last year and another 2,000 or 3,000 this year, to me, is not a recruitment freeze. However, it will not...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...and is not in the competence of this Parliament to legislate for. We all need to be realistic. These are the actions we are taking and they are considerable, and we will take more. Recognition, alongside other countries, is one of the things we are working on at the moment and discussing with other countries and EU allies. It is clear to me, though, that Israel is not listening to any...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ..., decommissioning and transition to the new hospital, which will happen next year. The total cost will be €2.2 billion, of which €1.4 billion has already been drawn down. The project has taken much longer than anyone anticipated and there will be years of dispute with the contractor about payments even when the hospital is fully open. This will not impact on other projects...

Death of Former Taoiseach: Expressions of Sympathy (7 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...he left Irish political life so he could make a vital contribution on the world stage as EU ambassador to the United States. In the years in between, he helped to make this country a better place. He had a vision of how to fix problems and he brought a long-term plan for the nation perspective to his work as a TD, a Parliamentary Secretary, a Minister in some of the toughest Departments...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...but I think they will be available in the next couple of weeks. I want to acknowledge that rents are very high for far too many people in this country and that a lot of people are waiting far too long to be in a position to buy their own home. This is something that the Government is helping with. The rent credit, for example, is worth €750 per renter per year, this year. It was...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (24 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...the loss of further innocent civilian lives, to allow access for urgently needed humanitarian assistance and to facilitate the release of hostages held by Hamas and other terrorist groups for far too long. This position was supported by a strong majority of member states on this occasion. However, a number of countries disagreed with the call for an immediate ceasefire, and as a result...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Bodies (24 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ..., they certainly shared with me their various views on the particular political impasse occurring in the North but we have not made it a focus of the forum really because we want them to think long term rather than about the current political difficulties. Deputy Smith spoke about the geopark, which I had a chance to visit as Minister for tourism a long time ago. It is really great to...

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council (24 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...avoid circumvention. Most significantly, in line with the recommendation of the Commission, we agreed to open EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova and to grant candidate status to Georgia. I have long said that Ukraine’s future belongs within the EU family, and this is another important step in making that a reality. Given the need to ensure sustainable financial...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (24 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...for the past couple of years, due in large part to the Government’s unprecedented financial supports for business, which cannot go on forever. We are still seeing that insolvencies are below the long-term average of about 50 per 10,000 per year. As for what we can do to help businesses with their costs, which we are doing, the new increased cost of business scheme will provide...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...supports. The latter have to be withdrawn at some point and cannot go on forever. Businesses are closing, but others are also opening. The closure rate, at about 50 per 10,000, is around the long-term average. We have to monitor this very closely, particularly to see whether employment levels may fall in any sector. That would be a very serious alarm bell. Notwithstanding that, we...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate that many children have been waiting a long time for orthopaedic surgery. There is considerable investment in this area. Money has been set aside by the Government specifically for investment in orthopaedic services. Additional theatres have been provided and a whole new hospital will be handed over to the State and in commission next year. That will make a huge difference....

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...lives and reduce the impact of injuries. I know what will be said to me if I discuss the matter with the Department of Education and the Minister, Deputy Foley. I will be informed that there is a long list of many things that people want to add to the curriculum and have children do at school. The contents of that list range from coding to Internet safety training to driving tests - you...