Results 621-640 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We will give any suggestions that the Deputy has proper and full consideration. The Minister, Deputy Ryan, is at COP28 but I know he will want to engage with the Deputy when he gets back. From talking to other Heads of Government all around the world, I hear that everyone is doing this. Everyone is doing solar energy and everyone is installing wind turbines, onshore and offshore. It makes...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to check with the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, about the timeline. I had heard a suggestion that we would have it for the final Cabinet meeting just before Christmas but I do not know if that is still the case. I will check with him and come back to the Deputy directly.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate the Deputy's passion on this issue and I know she feels strongly about it. If she thinks there is something the Irish Government can do to force the Israeli Government and Hamas, Islamic Jihad and all those groups to agree a permanent ceasefire, that simply is not the case. We do what we can. That means assisting our citizens in Gaza to get out, and most of them are out now....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is something we gave careful consideration to. The first thing we are proposing is to delete the archaic sexist language in the Constitution with regard to a women's duties in the home and to replace it with a new article which gives constitutional protection and recognition to care within the family. It does not necessarily have to be within the home but it does have to be family care....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I had a very good meeting with the acting chairperson and the chief planner of An Bord Pleanála only last week or the week before. They have a full complement now of 15 board members. Their staff now is well above 300. They are starting to get on top of the backlog, which is encouraging. On the Deputy's question, we believe that requesting go-away money in order to withdraw a...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy directly on that and to make sure that it is as good as it possibly can be. In relation to what we saw on "Prime Time Investigates" last night, let me be very clear: people seeking money to withdraw planning objections is not acceptable at all. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, the Attorney General and the Minister for Justice are...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I do not think it is common practice to put Supplementary Estimates into the base. It may have happened once or twice in the past, but it would not be standard budgetary practice to do that. It is, unfortunately, the case that for almost every year that I can remember, the Department of Health has required a supplementary budget. I think the place to resolve this is in the service plan.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate the Deputies have raised some very important issues, which merit debate in the House. I point out, however, that there is dedicated Opposition time every week in the House and Opposition parties choose what they want to prioritise for discussion every week. The Government will use Government time for legislation. We have a lot of legislation to get through before the Christmas...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I do not like anyone being demonised when it comes to this debate. I do not like to see farmers being demonised, I do not like to see farmers being climate-shamed and I do not like to see my colleague, the Minister for the environment, Deputy Ryan, being demonised either. This is a European law-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----agreed by 27 member states, and it has been around for quite some time, long before Eamon Ryan was a member of this Government. I believe it is possible to produce high-quality food in this country and still have good water quality. That is actually what people in Ireland want, in rural and in urban communities. If we get a reputation for producing food in a way that is not...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. It is important to put on the record of the House that the nitrates directive and derogation are environmental law and is about water quality above all. No matter what they do in America, India or China, and no matter what the Eamon Ryan thinks or does not think, all of us in the House want to have high quality waterways and rivers in our country.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is in the interests of urban and rural people, and farmers and non-farmers to have pristine and clean rivers and clean water in our country. Ultimately, that is what the nitrates directive and derogation is about. It is not about CO2 emissions or climate; it is about water quality. I am disappointed that we were not able to hold onto the 250 kg limit. We did our best to do so.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and I met the Commissioner and explored any possible flexibilities that we could get, including moving the date for implementation, but the rules are clear and are written in black and white in European law. We have some flexibilities. The average is not immediate from 1 January, but is over the period of the year so people can delay implementation....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I know independent broadcasters and Local Ireland have been briefing TDs and Senators from all parties. Indeed, they met a delegation from my own parliamentary party to discuss the situation only in the last two weeks. We are very keen to press ahead with this new funding of €6 million, the local democracy reporting fund and the courts reporting fund. This will be of particular...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. At a time of misinformation and disinformation, and at a time that is so often amplified online, the importance of quality media and public service broadcasting has never been so valid. That includes RTÉ and national media but also includes local media, including local broadcasters and newspapers, many of which employ a lot of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We are doing a lot as a country on an international stage, and both the Tánaiste and I have been very active on this issue. When I met people from all over the world in Dubai in recent days, from the Arab world and from the global south in particular, they were very appreciative of and thankful for the Irish position, a position we have been taking, which is not one of double standards....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: If that is not what Deputy Cairns was trying to imply-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----then I thank Deputy Shortall for that clarification.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is true.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is in the actual census.