Results 5,501-5,520 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Official Engagements (21 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Mr. Mulcahy and his representatives have communicated with my Department for more than twenty years and I have written to Mr Mulcahy about these matters on 16 March 2021. I reviewed the matters associated with my Department regarding Mr Mulcahy’s correspondence over a prolonged period. Mr Mulcahy had the Department’s handling of these matters considered by the Office of the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Communications (21 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I do not regularly use text messages to transact Government business but I do use email regularly. I do not routinely delete text messages or emails related to Government or official business. I do delete personal or party political ones on occasion. Messages on old devices may not always be retained or backed-up.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate this issue is causing a lot of frustration, not just for people involved in forestry but in terms of the impact it is having in construction as well. The Government is keen to get it resolved. I am told by the Department that licensing this year will be significantly up on last year. There was an increase in licensing output in the seven weeks up to 2 July and approximately...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Like the Deputy, my understanding is that the original deadline was extended to allow more consultation with the homeowner groups and that the deadline for the presentation of a solution is now 30 September, which is not that far off in that it is only two weeks away. I have heard no suggested or inklings that that deadline is going to be changed again, but I cannot be 100% sure of that. As...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is in charge of our health service or, at least, the public health service, but it has always been a principle of good government and good management of our health service that politicians and officials do not make clinical decisions.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I have never come across a situation whereby an official or a Minister would seek to override the judgment of the doctor or nurse in charge of infection control in a hospital. I would be reluctant to go down that path. That may be my bias coming from my background as a doctor. That could create all sorts of other problems. Hopefully, we are getting to the point where this does not arise.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: This is a local issue of importance to the Deputy and the Minister of State, Deputy English. I do not have the information on particular water projects to hand but I will follow up on the matter and seek to have a reply sent directly to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I will refer the question on the An Garda Síochána to the Minister for Justice, Deputy Humphreys. In regard to SouthDoc, I will inform the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, that it was raised here today and, as suggested by Deputy Collins, I will work with him to resolve the issue and make sure the service is restored. We do not have a date for the citizen's assembly on drug use yet....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I am not across the issue and I do not have a note on it with me, but I will let Deputy Madigan, the Minister of State with responsibility for special education, know that it was raised in the House and ask her to contact the Deputy directly.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Yes. My apologies.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is very much aware of the role played by school secretaries and caretakers in the school community and recognises the important work done by these staff and other support staff in the running of our schools. There have been intensive discussions at the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, which is an office of my Department, and a great deal of progress has been made in recent...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: That is the Government's position and policy objective.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Now that we have reached the point of over 90% of adults being fully vaccinated, we should revert to the status quo anteat least when it comes to partners attending maternity services. That is not to say that we should revert to the previous general visiting arrangements. There was probably too much visiting happening in hospitals, bringing infections into hospitals and nursing homes. When...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Obviously this is a matter for the NTA, which has seen a significant increase in its budget in recent years. Its budget has not been cut. In the next budget, we are projecting an approximate 5% increase in general spending, leaving out Covid emergency spending. There will be additional funding for road transport next year. Exactly how that is best allocated will be a decision for the NTA...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I hope it will not get worse. The return to schools has been successful - much more successful than many of the doomsayers said it would be - and cases are now stable or falling. Hopefully, it will get better and not worse, but we cannot assume that. We cannot take anything for granted in that regard. I appreciate that children missing school is causing enormous disruption. Their...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: -----bear in mind that we have avoided huge numbers of outbreaks in schools and we do not want that to happen either.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: In fairness, the Minister and the Government have given this issue much of our attention. It is an issue that continues to come through my constituency office. It probably comes through the Deputy's office too. I sympathise with the lived experience of people who have to sit in a car park when they should be at the side of their partner being scanned, attending an appointment or giving...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The minimum wage has increased by 25% in recent years. It has been increased ahead of the rate of inflation and ahead of average earnings growth. We have one of the highest minimum wages in the developed world. If one adjusts it for the cost of living, it is not so high but still well above average for the developed world. That has been positive and has made a real difference in people's...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, I have visited Tipperary town on a number of occasions, including as a previous Minister with responsibility for transport. I believe, and the Government agrees, and so does the Minister for Transport, that the town needs to be bypassed. The only way we will regenerate the town is by bypassing it and relieving it from the through traffic it currently...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I suppose it is always the difficulty with any kind of system that involves a means test or threshold. If we do not give social housing to everyone, which, of course, is not possible, we have to set some sort of income limit and set of rules. There will be always someone who is €1 or €10 above the threshold regardless of where it is set. The income limits are being reviewed....