Results 7,161-7,180 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Brexit Supports (13 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: It is intended that the first call for submission of applications to this new Capital Investment Scheme for the Processing and Marketing of Agricultural Products which is jointly funded by my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, will open at the end of January. The scheme will be managed by Enterprise Ireland. The detailed terms and conditions will be published...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (13 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Under Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19, only essential retail outlets will remain open.  Further information can be found on https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/  S.I. No. 701 of 2020 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 10) Regulations 2020 and S.I. No. 4 of 2021 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions)...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (13 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Under Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19, only essential retail outlets will remain open.  Further information can be found on S.I. No. 701 of 2020 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 10) Regulations 2020 and S.I. No. 4 of 2021 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 10) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 () clearly...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (13 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I understand the significant impact that the necessary move to return to full scale Level 5 of the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19, will have for businesses. The decision to move to full scale Level 5 was not taken lightly and all factors were considered. The restrictions are in place for a period of at least one month from 31 December 2020. My Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (13 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am keenly aware that publicans are continuing to make massive sacrifices to protect their communities. I remain committed to ensuring that the Government offers as much assistance as possible. A comprehensive range of measures is in place for firms of all sizes, including the wage subsidy scheme, grants, low-cost loans, write-off of commercial rates and deferred tax liabilities and is...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Consultancy Contracts (13 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Details of consultancy contracts related to COVID-19 entered into by my Department are set out in the attached table. Details of outsourcing of consultancies of specifically Covid-19-related work, services or advice Value of Contract Behaviour & Attitudes: Telephone and online survey of Business Capability and Capacity to Implement COVID-19...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Brexit Issues (13 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The choice and availability of online retailers to Irish consumers is a matter for domestic and international retailers and not something that the Government can directly influence. Brexit has not eliminated the potential for UK-based retailers to offer products via online channels to Irish consumers but it has complicated matters. My colleague Minister Troy has brought this to the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy is right about ventilation, particularly if people are going to spend a few hours together in the same room. This is a new vaccine but it is by no means the first vaccine. We anticipate that the data which will be collected on the vaccine and on patients will be much the same as they would be for any other vaccine and that it will be possible to use existing legislation. If...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: A change to this legislation is long overdue. The fair deal is unfair to farmers and small business people because of the way their assets are calculated. We have been working on this legislation for a long time. I am advised that it will be published in January. I fully accept that the Deputy will not believe that until she sees it, and nor will I, because it has been imminent for a long...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I am not sure if there was a question in her contribution.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy is spot on. From Friday, people will be allowed leave their counties, travel across the country and meet up with relatives. We need to bear in mind that it is not the travelling that causes Covid-19 to spread, rather it is the interactions between people. I ask people who are meeting up at the weekend and over the next week or two to stay safe as much as possible. They should...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I am not familiar with the case but I will let the Minister, Deputy McEntee, know that the Deputy raised it again today and we will try to get him a reply as soon as we can.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I am not familiar with that particular case so it is impossible for me to comment on it. The commitment that has been given is that there would not be deportations during the pandemic, particularly to zones where there is a high incidence of the virus. However, there was an exception that we said we would make, for example, if it was an issue of national security. I am...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: All of this was cleared up in the statement by the Minister, Deputy McEntee, some weeks ago in the Dáil. It was an informal contact and there was no instruction. The matter was not taken at Cabinet on 6 July. It was taken some weeks later. During that period the Minister had the opportunity to review all the names put to her and to discuss it with me, the Taoiseach, the leader of the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I believe there was a review. When it comes to JobPath, there is a quarterly report setting out metrics as to how the programme is performing. From my recollection as Minister for Social Protection, although it is a while ago now, the feedback from participants was generally very good. There are always people who will make complaints or who do not like a particular...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I welcome the acknowledgement that the Duffy Cahill report's implementation would not have solved this problem. It was suggested early on in this dispute that the Debenhams dispute was analogous to the issue with Clerys. We know that it was not. Clerys had a highly valuable asset in the form of a building. This was a different dispute. The report from the chairman of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I want to express my support and solidarity for the people in Killorglin and mid-Kerry. I assure Deputy Griffin this will be given the highest priority. We are not particularly concerned about contagion or spread to other primary schools or schools in the area because we are told there is not really much contact or interaction between the different schools. However, it...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I do not have any detail on the matter to hand. Certainly, if the Deputy or the Genesis counselling service wants to contact my office directly, we will see what we can do. It is very much appreciated and understood that there has been a real increase in mental health issues, depression, anxiety and others during the pandemic. A lot of people have really struggled with...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I am familiar with the road because, long ago, when I was Minister with responsibility for transport, I allocated the funding to get it moving, at least in terms of transport and planning. I know there is an active debate at present on this in the area. The Minister, Deputy Ryan, is examining the proposal. He does have some concerns about the prospect that it may result...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I will have to come back to him about the framework. I am not familiar with it. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien to do so. What I can say is that in 2021 there is a further increase in the budget for Irish Water to invest more in capital infrastructure and water services next year. There is a very long list of work that needs to be done to improve water...