Results 4,801-4,820 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to check this with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, but my understanding is - I might be incorrect - that estate agents and landlords cannot refuse to accept HAP. This is an enforcement issue. Perhaps a complaint should be made and investigated.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The timing of the inquest is a matter for the senior Dublin coroner Dr. Myra Cullinane and it is not possible for Government to interfere in her work. However, it is the wish of Government that these inquests should start as soon as possible. I mentioned that pre-inquest hearings have already taken place. The OPW, which is a branch of Government, is working with the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: On gas supplies, I had my Department look at this for me the other day. Ireland does not use very much Russian gas. Pretty much half our gas comes from our own supplies in the Corrib gas field and the other half comes from Britain. Most of that either comes from Britain, Norway or Qatar. The gas comes from Qatar on ships to LNG terminals in Britain and then comes across the pipelines into...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister will provide more details on the audit in early course. It is intended that it will be nationwide. It will be an audit of compliance with CAMHS operational guidelines by all CAMHS teams to ensure the other 71 teams have been prescribing appropriately. This will include a random selection of files proportional to the medical caseload from a continuous six-month predefined time...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I wish to extend once again my sympathies and condolences to the families affected by the Stardust tragedy and all who have followed this issue down the years. The decision to carry out these inquests was made by the Attorney General in the last Government, Séamus Woulfe, who acceded to the request by the families that the matter...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I am a little disappointed that the Deputy has chosen to try to make this issue, which is very sensitive, into a party political one and to try to personalise it politically. I would remind him that while he may pretend to claim otherwise, Sinn Féin is very much an establishment party. In the past 20 years, his party has been in government on this island as long as my party has been....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I did not have a chance to listen to that interview this morning but a number of people have mentioned it to me already so I will make a point of doing so later today. It is important to hear the voices of patients and parents. It is the best way to understand the impact this has had on them. Let me not mince my words in any way. I am a politician and a medical doctor. I have come...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Speaking as a public representative but also as a doctor, I am disturbed and worried by what I have read and heard about what happened with psychiatric services for children in Kerry. I extend my sympathies to the children who have been affected and to their families. What it appears has happened is very serious, including misdiagnosis...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (27 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has not commissioned polling of the general public relating to any existing or proposed policy developments for the period January 2021 to date.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (27 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The National Remote Work Strategy identified 15 actions to be undertaken to ensure that remote work is a permanent feature of the Irish workplace in a way which maximises its economic, social and environmental benefits. An Interdepartmental Group (IDG), coordinated by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), provided oversight to the implementation of the Strategy. The...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (26 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: This Government is committed to introducing a statutory sick pay scheme and work is well underway in this regard. Any move to introduce a statutory sick pay scheme must be balanced with the need to support the viability of the business and enterprise sector, thereby protecting jobs. My Department undertook a full public consultation, reviewed international best practice, and formed an...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Contracts (26 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has a dedicated Procurement Co-Ordination Unit which assists internal business units and our Offices on a range of procurement matters, as required. We are also guided by various national and international (EU) procurement rules and guidelines. Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, 55 procurement contracts were awarded in relation to COVID-19 with a total value of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (25 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department does not have any discrete funding in its budget to specifically address issues of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Insofar as the welfare of the Department’s staff is concerned, the Department ensures that the various civil service wide guidelines and circulars that look to protect the welfare of staff in areas such as...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Ministerial Staff (25 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: In relation to my current corps of drivers, this information resides with the Department of an Taoiseach and an Garda SÍochána.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: As a former Minister with responsibility for transport, I am very aware of this matter and the essential search and rescue services provided by our Coast Guard and its contractors. As there is a contractual process under way, I am a little limited in what I can say. I can say what we expect to be the outcome and a contractual process must follow. We anticipate the outcome will be that...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I am very much aware of the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, as is anybody who has had the privilege of holding ministerial office. I know it confers enormous responsibility on Ministers but it does not confer on them the authority to discipline or reprimand civil servants.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: There are processes in place.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: As I said, when it comes to any public servant, there are-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: That file is with the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, as the matter was delegated to him. I anticipate those seven appointments will be made probably as soon as this week, or if not this week then next week.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I have enormous sympathy for people who are affected by sterilisation with regard to road projects. Even if takes a long time for a road to be built, just going from five possible routes to one frees four tracts of land. If the road project is more advanced, narrowing a wide corridor a bit can free land on which people can build houses, farm buildings, etc. I very much appreciate the...