Results 9,361-9,380 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Teaching Council is the professional regulatory body for teachers. I am not aware of the issue but if the Deputy gives me the details I will ensure that it is looked into by my people.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will certainly give consideration to the Deputy's suggestion with regard to involving Dr. Scally again. He is very much trusted by the Government and, I think, by the House and the patient advocates. I would prefer to have that discussion with him rather than make an announcement on the matter now. We can certainly give consideration to funding independent reports for women who wish to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: However, the judge heading the CervicalCheck tribunal which the Government established is empowered to appoint independent experts who would not be paid by the laboratory or paid through a solicitor. They can, I think, be genuinely independent.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Mental health is an issue in which I have a great interest and one that is of major concern to the Government. I do not agree with the contention that A Vision for Change has not been implemented at all but I do think it needs to be replaced by a new document. It has reached the pointed where it needs to be renewed. A lot of things have happened since A Vision for Change was first adopted....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am reassured and glad to hear that the law was enforced and the landlord was fined. Deputy Ó Laoghaire omitted to mention that in his contribution.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: That says the law was enforced and applied and I am glad to hear that it was. Deputy Ó Laoghaire is right when he says that many people are angry. Of course they are and I meet them all the time. Many people are angry about the problems our country faces and the fact many of them remain unresolved. It is and has always been thus: people angry with the Government and angry about the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It was the same in Northern Ireland when Sinn Féin was in office for ten years. It was the same when Fianna Fáil was in office as well.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There are many people who acknowledge the good work this country has done, taking us from a situation of mass unemployment and forced emigration to virtually full employment again-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----where incomes are rising, where poverty is falling and where people are becoming better off. We have delivered one of the best education systems in the world. We are investing in infrastructure all over the country again. People want us to do more.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: They want us to build on what we have done. They want us to deliver on our plans in areas like housing and healthcare. They certainly do not think that the Opposition has all the solutions and all the answers, or would necessarily do a better job. The by-elections referenced by the Deputy were only by-elections. Sinn Féin won one and Fine Gael did not win any, but we got more votes...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Ó Laoghaire should not make the mistake of thinking that Sinn Féin received some sort of endorsement for its policies; it did not.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In fairness to the Deputy, he has asked some very specific questions, one relating to the minutes of a meeting held on 6 October last. I was not present at the meeting and I have not seen the minutes so the Deputy will forgive me if I am unable to answer questions at that level of detail. It is the case that some errors were made during the process of the RCOG audit. They were flagged at...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am not going to prejudice the outcome of any formal or official investigation and I do not think Deputy Martin should either. He made a serious error of political judgment himself this time two years ago when he viciously condemned Frances Fitzgerald and forced her to resign as Tánaiste. A subsequent investigation found out-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----that Deputy Martin's political judgment was flawed and that he had mistreated that woman-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----and forced her out. I am not going to make that kind of political mistake-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----as Deputy Martin did in jumping to conclusions and judgment. I understand an investigation is still under way in respect of Deputies Dooley and Niall Collins, and there may even be others. I am not, therefore, going to prejudge the outcome of any investigation.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: That would be a failure of political judgment like Deputy Martin's two years ago when he did what he did to Frances Fitzgerald. Dara Murphy has stated that he is willing to submit to an investigation.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I know the Deputy is not interested in the investigation.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There should be a proper investigation and it should not be prejudged. Dara Murphy is willing to provide information and documents to the ethics committee or to the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO. If that cannot happen for some reason, as he is now a former Member, he is willing to submit the information to the Clerk of the Dáil and that is what should be done.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: As I stated yesterday, the rules around the way this House works when it comes to expenses, remuneration and fobbing in are far too lax.