Results 5,661-5,680 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: We could all engage in cheap shots in this House.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As I say, we can all engage in cheap shots in this House and question each other's motivation. I could point out that this morning, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, were here for an hour and a half and took questions on any issue people raised such as agriculture, farming, fishing and forestry yet not a single Rural Independent Group...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The list of submitted questions is there.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: People had opportunities to intervene. As is often the case, I am being shouted down because the truth hurts.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The truth hurts.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: It is important to say that negotiations are still under way and are about to resume soon. We are not ruling out CPO as an option but we need to understand that the outcome of a CPO process is not guaranteed and would certainly result in delay, with additional costs, if it is successful, on top of those the Deputy mentioned. Sometimes the perfect is the enemy of the good, and we need to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I think we will all agree our healthcare workers have done an amazing job throughout the pandemic so far. We can be very proud of our public health service. It is much maligned and has its imperfections, but the pandemic has proved to us that it is much better than many people believed it was, and it really stood up and scaled up in the way we asked it to during the pandemic. While all...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I agree with the Deputy's sentiments and will certainly discuss them with the Ministers for Public Expenditure and Reform and Health, but I will restate what I said earlier. This pandemic is not over. We are heading into a difficult couple of weeks when the number of cases will soar and those of hospitalisations, ICU admissions and deaths will increase, sadly. People who are unvaccinated...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: A nine-month timed amendment does not mean that nothing can be done for nine months. That is certainly not my interpretation of what a timed amendment means. It is prudent to ask the Central Bank for a view on the legislation. We have accepted legislation Deputy Doherty has proposed on consumer contracts and we are open to accepting the legislation he is proposing now. However, as is the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Once again, I congratulate the Deputy on her election to Dáil Éireann. Her arrival in this House is long overdue.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: It might be said that she played the long game, and sometimes that is the most successful strategy to adopt. I am also very pleased as a Trinity graduate to welcome her to the House and sorry to lose her from the Seanad's Trinity constituency. I am sure there will be an interesting contest for that by-election. I believe it has already begun. As for the wider issues, as Minister for...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Even the Catholic Church would consider it a long time.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. We are making good progress in implementing the action plan for insurance reform, which is something I am personally committed to. As Tánaiste, I chair the ministerial committee which oversees its implementation and I am determined as the Minister responsible for business but responsible also for consumers to see the cost of insurance falls for businesses,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I understand some businesses are under pressure to meet their fixed costs, such as rent, after what has been an exceptionally challenging period. At the same time, we must remember that commercial landlords have their own financial obligations that still need to be paid. Where a landlord has debt in place, their flexibility will likely be driven by what their bank/lender will accept. One...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Digital Hubs (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: IDA Ireland was one of many stakeholders who worked with the Department of Community and Rural Development on the project to implement the National Hubs Network which was branded ConnectedHubs Ireland. This projectis now being managed by the Western Development Commissionand is intended as a single registry of all remote working hubs in Ireland. It is envisioned that there will be 450 Hubs...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Customs and Excise (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy may be aware, the European Union imposed safeguard measures on steel imports into the EU in July 2018 in response to the United States applying a 25% tariff on steel imports originating from 3rd Countries, including the European Union. As a consequence of the US measures, there was an increased risk of steel originally destined for the US market being diverted to the EU market...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (15 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The table below lists the number of staff in each office/building of my Department by function and location, nationally. The Office of Public Works (OPW) manages the State’s property portfolio on behalf of my Department. In respect of the accommodation occupied by the Department and its Offices, the State owns the Kildare Street, Dawson Street, Lansdowne House and Lower Hebron Road,...

Health (Amendment) (No.2) Bill 2021: Second Stage (14 Jul 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I welcome the opportunity to speak to the Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021, which enables us to reopen indoor hospitality, pubs, cafés, restaurants and other licensed venues safely, sustainably and in line with public health advice. It is imperfect but it is better than any of the alternatives currently on offer to us. One alternative is opening to all people, against public...