Results 9,021-9,040 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Covid-19 (Taoiseach): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Mar a tharlaíonn ar laethanta eile, smaoinímid inniu ar dóibh siúd a fuair bás, daoine a raibh saol agus scéalta acu agus ar bhain tábhacht agus brí lena saolta. Cuimhneofar orthu. Tá an Rialtas buíoch de chuile dhuine atá ag obair go dian chun dul i ngleic leis an gcoróinvíreas. Tá siad ag glacadh a bpáirt sa...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (23 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I ask that the Business Committee consider how we can do this better in future. I have written down nearly six pages of questions.

Health (Covid-19): Statements (23 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: On the open source issue, I do not know but I will check that out and come back to the Deputy. It is not an area I have particular expertise in. We do not have exact numbers for the criteria yet. If there are to be magic numbers, they have not been set yet and we do not have any advice on that from NPHET yet. The criteria are the instance of transmission, including in relation to...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (23 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Absolutely. On being pressed for time, I must represent the country at the European Council which starts at 2 p.m. I would not like the country to be unrepresented at it. In addition, as Members are aware, there is a two-hour public health rule which states that we will become close contacts if we are in the same space for more than two hours. I will first answer the questions asked by...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (23 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Which question did I not answer?

Health (Covid-19): Statements (23 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: As of last night, we had 16,671 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in our country. Sadly, 769 people have so far lost their lives: people with lives and stories; people who made a contribution; people who mattered; and people who will be remembered. The Government is eternally grateful to all those working to combat Covid-19, and everyone is playing their part in this emergency, whether through...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: On a point of order, we were supposed to keep this debate under two hours because of the public health advice and I think we are well over that now.

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I just think we should take our own public health advice.

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Mattie McGrath speaks quicker than I can write. I think I managed to jot down most of his questions. On Lebanon, given the unprecedented nature of the Covid-19 crisis and to mitigate its transmission, the UN Secretary General in recent days advised all troop contributors and mission commanders of his plans to suspend all rotations and leave for military personnel serving in UN...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Grealish referred to people over 66 years who have lost their jobs. They can be included in the wage subsidy scheme. We encourage their employers to keep them on under the wage subsidy scheme. However, they cannot receive the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, which is an individualised payment. If one examines some of the individual cases - I have examined some, although...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I cannot give the Deputy a straight answer to that because I do not know if that is correct. I would have to check the HSE guidelines. I am not sure if that assertion is factually true. It may be correct but I would have to check as to whether it was left to nursing homes to provide their own PPE. My understanding is that the HSE has been providing PPE to private nursing homes. It is my...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: That is an estimate so it is as accurate as any estimate can be, if that answers the Deputy's question. It may be right or it may be wrong. It is an accurate estimate but it is not necessarily what the actual cost will be because we will not know that until the end, when the costs are calculated. The agreement made between the HSE and the Private Hospitals Association was that this would...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The answer to the question on Apple is No. It is a very disingenuous question and solution. The truth is that whether the State withdraws its appeal or not is irrelevant because Apple is appealing the judgment as well. This will continue to be a matter for the courts for many years, no matter what the Government does. The money has been collected but it is in an escrow account controlled...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to revert to the Deputy with the details on that but my understanding is that somebody who works for Ernst & Young has been retained by the HSE. I forget her name but she has been retained by the HSE as a project manager. The view of the CEO of the HSE, Mr. Paul Reid, was that we were asking the scientists and the lab managers to do too much. We were asking the same...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: -----the availability of testing kits and systems in which to get people their results. There may be a change in the next few weeks, for example, whereby an antibody test may become available. While no effective antibody test is available at the moment, it may become available next month or the month after - nobody knows for sure - and that would move from a swab test to a blood test....

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I would welcome a written proposal as to how that would work.

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: If I could answer that question in terms of structures, we already have a lot of structures and they are operating effectively. We have the national public health emergency team, there is an expert advisory group, and we have a Cabinet sub-committee, which has access to expertise. Of course I am willing to consider any proposal for an additional structure or task force, but I would have to...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I did not have time to jot down all the Deputy's questions so I ask him to repeat them if I miss any. I absolutely agree that the coronavirus is a national emergency. The Government declared the emergency some time ago, and that emergency exists not just in nursing homes and care homes but also in hospitals and the community. It is a health emergency and an economic emergency, and it could...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I am not sure of exactly what I said but if I was off-beat or inappropriate-----

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Leo Varadkar: -----I do apologise. I am happy to clarify. I believe I said there is a large amount of some items available but that there is a shortage of other items, such as gowns. It is not just a case of having supplies in the HSE's warehouses; they must also be distributed to all the different centres and people and then replenished because, obviously, people use them. Systems need to be in place...