Results 4,601-4,620 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Like the Deputy, we come from our communities. We are elected by everyday people and we hear the concerns of our constituents and their real-life experiences every day, just as he does. The Deputy is on the same salary as everyone here behind me.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I was wrong on that point, but the Deputy is a hypocrite.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I am very sorry to hear about that situation. The Government has plans, and has put aside additional funding, to improve services for people who suffer from eating disorders. I will arrange for a detailed note on that to be sent to the Deputy from the Department of Health.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I am not familiar with that particular medicine, but I am familiar with hyperemesis gravida and how serious and debilitating an illness it can be. I will certainly check with the Minister for Health to see if we can do anything to speed up a decision in that regard.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Commission on the Defence Forces published its report yesterday. I have not had a chance to read it from cover to cover, but I have read the executive summary. The commission has produced a very valuable body of work and I encourage Members to give it proper consideration. It is a report that was noted by the Government. We have not adopted it or accepted its recommendations. It...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, is working on new planning legislation, which we hope to have before the House in the next few months.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I will certainly bring this matter to the attention of the Minister. I know the cable car and for it to be down for seven months would be pretty serious, especially during the tourist season. I do not know the details, but I will certainly let the Minister know that the Deputy has raised the issue.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: There are two aspects to the rental crisis we are facing. One is affordability and the other is availability. When a property goes for rent, within a very short period there could be hundreds of emails from people who are looking for somewhere to rent. On affordability, we have brought in a law that limits rent increases to no more than 2% a year. That has been important for many existing...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The Government continues to conduct appropriate contingency planning that considers a number of perspectives, including consular support for citizens. At the same time it is important to remember that intensive international efforts to secure a negotiated diplomatic resolution to the tensions are ongoing. At the moment there are no plans to withdraw staff or evacuate...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. It is prescient and appropriate to raise this issue in the House because if Russia invades Ukraine this will become a very big issue for Ireland and indeed for the EU. As I said, contingency planning is under way for different scenarios but perhaps we need to upgrade or scale up the kind of contingency planning we are doing. The Deputy makes a very valid point in that...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I am going to have to come back to him on the SCSI standards as I do not have a note on that at the moment. As I understand it, the €240 being offered in Northern Ireland has not been paid to anyone yet.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Yes, but the Deputy is critical of------

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I accept that. Will the Deputy accept-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Yes. Will the Deputy accept that Sinn Féin is not giving it to everyone in the North? It is only giving it to-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: -----a limited number of groups. Second, would the Deputy accept that it is hypocritical of him to criticise us for not yet paying the energy grant that has been announced, when exactly the same thing is happening in the North? An energy grant of £240, or whatever the amount is, was announced but has not been paid because the legislation has not gone through, yet the Deputy criticises...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Those exact same people can struggle with the bills. The best way to help those who struggle with the bills is to increase their income or reduce the amount of tax they pay and then they can decide what they spend it on, whether it is the mortgage, rent, childcare or energy costs, because everyone's finances are different. The advantage of pay increases and reducing personal taxation is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Low Pay Commission was established back in 2016-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: By the Labour Party and Fine Gael.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: You are welcome. It is a statement of fact. It is also a statement of fact what I said earlier but the Deputy is not willing to accept those facts. In 2016, the Labour Party and Fine Gael together established the Low Pay Commission. Since then the national minimum wage has increased by 26%. Inflation has increased by 7%. While the Deputy is talking and speechifying and demanding...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy mentioned companies like BP and Shell.