Results 4,521-4,540 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet the six main farming organisations in Government Buildings. We organised the meeting as a regular round table to talk about Brexit, Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, reform and climate action. As the Deputy can imagine and as is often the case, events overtake us. Most of the meeting was about Ukraine, the cost of inputs, the rising cost of fuel and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It is for both, actually.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It seems that one of the problems with the planting is that while licences are being issued, not all are being used.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: As an aside regarding forestry, the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, is working on a new scheme to allow farmers to plant small plantations of trees. It is very small, but still significant if everyone does it. We would like to see farmers using a small part of their land for small plantations, ideally with native broadleaf trees. She is introducing that and allowing them to avoid the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I do not have an update on the Dean Maxwell nursing home. I sought one before coming here, but it was not available. I will have that sent directly to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I am not aware of that particular vote. As the Deputy knows, councillors act in a quasi-judicial manner when making decisions on their plan. I will certainly make inquiries. It would be unusual for Fine Gael to vote against or oppose housing. Quite frankly, that is more the Deputy's party's form than ours but I will certainly check it out.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I echo and agree with the Deputy's remarks on at least two accounts. The first is that we all admire the bravery of the Ukrainian Government and the Ukrainian people who are resisting this attack and this attempt to take over and occupy their country. Even with regard to a city like Kharkiv, which is near the Russian border, in which most people are Russian speakers and in which there is,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. Far too many people in the west, including many western European governments, turned a blind eye to President Putin for too long. We saw that after the Crimea crisis. That sent a message to him that the west was weak and I would say he started making his plans around about then to take the rest of Ukraine. However, it is not just about governments or government...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I take this opportunity to pay tribute to Deputy Kelly on the role has played in recent years as leader of the Labour Party and as a Minister in a previous Government. Some people will say that the Labour Party has struggled to overcome its period in government. Quite frankly, however, it has a lot to be proud of when it comes to the period it spent in government between 2011 to 2016, which...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: In the past few moments, the Minister for Health's office has confirmed that Committee Stage of the Bill will be taken next week. This will allow us to make progress. There are some changes the Minister wants to make. Some of them follow on from the examination Dr. Scally did on this matter and the civil liability amendment situation and some input from members of the 221+ support group....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I welcome Deputy Conway-Walsh to the leader's seat. It is always a pleasure to have the opportunity to engage with another member of Sinn Féin, particularly one from Erris, a part of the country I know well. It is always a pleasure to have a disagreement or an agreement on occasion with people from that part of the world. The situation in Ukraine is, as people will appreciate,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: We believe that our energy supplies are secure, or as secure as they can be in the current context. We used Russian coal to run the power station at Moneypoint. That has now been switched over to Colombian coal. We are not dependent on Russia or Ukraine for gas. Approximately one quarter or one third of our gas comes from the Corrib - it is our own gas - and the rest comes from the UK....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Digital Ireland Framework (2 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: In February the Government launched the new National Digital Strategy called "Harnessing Digital - The Digital Ireland Framework". The Strategy sets out a high-level framework to support our ambition for Ireland to be a digital leader, at the heart of European and global digital developments. Ireland’s digital ambition is aligned with EU priorities, under the EU’s Digital...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Data Centres (2 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department is aiming to complete the review of the 'Government Statement on the Role of Data Centres in Ireland's Enterprise Strategy' in the first half of 2022, in line with the commitment made in Climate Action Plan  2021. The Statement was first published in 2018.  My Department has begun engagement with key stakeholders in this regard, and will continue to work closely with...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Data (1 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: While IDA Ireland won 246 investments in 2020 and 249 in 2021, projects are publicly announced in conjunction and co-operation with our clients. The table attached shows the number of publicly announced investments won in each of the years 2020 and 2021. It should be noted that not all companies agree to announce their investments and as a result, the table does not truly reflect the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Human Rights (1 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The IDA issued a request for tender for a part-time Israel based Business Development Consultant in April 2021. The process was concluded in January 2022 when the Business Development Consultant was appointed. This person will represent IDA to support its efforts to win new investment.  The newly appointed Business Development Consultant will be expected to identify...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Gender Equality (1 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department and its agencies are delivering on our gender equality objectives. Balance for Better Business was launched in 2018 as an independent business-led Review Group established by the Government to improve gender balance in senior leadership in Ireland. It was created to make recommendations on how more women can be involved in decision-making at the top level of businesses in...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (1 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The primary responsibility of the IDA is to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Ireland and to retain, transform and expand the existing base of FDI companies that have already invested and located here.  When it comes to foreign direct investment, site visits represent a valuable tool through which investors can be encouraged to invest in regional areas. However, site visit...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Correspondence (1 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has not brought any policy instructions or policy documents to the attention of an Bord Pleanála since I have taken office.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Schemes (1 Mar 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme (CCGS), launched on the 7 September 2020, allows for up to €2 billion in lending to Irish businesses and is the largest guarantee scheme in the history of the State.  The scheme was introduced to provide access to finance to viable but vulnerable businesses negatively impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Its function is to...