Results 9,381-9,400 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

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

Leo Varadkar: I think it is about the issues I mentioned.

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

Leo Varadkar: As I mentioned, Members on Deputy Martin's Front Bench have other employment and may well-----

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

Leo Varadkar: -----be fobbing into this House on their way to that other employment.

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

Leo Varadkar: We need to change that fundamentally. We should not have a system where we have rules made by politicians for politicians.

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

Leo Varadkar: In the House of Commons, at Westminster, this whole area has been handed over to an independent body and that is what should be done.

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

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for the question. I am very sorry to hear about that case he illustrated in his contribution. I do not want to comment on the detail without knowing all of the facts and information. It would be inappropriate to do so. What I do know is that pregnancy or having a child is not grounds for eviction - that would be illegal - and is certainly not grounds for issuing a...

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

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Martin. As he will be aware, Dara Murphy has resigned from the Dáil and is no longer a Member of the House or the Fine Gael parliamentary party. He is taking up a new role in the European Commission, a job he applied for and got. It is not a Government appointment. In relation to his remuneration and expenses, I spoke to him last night and last weekend. Last night...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Public Consultation Process (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Details of the public consultations undertaken by my Department in 2018 and to date in 2019 are set out in the following table. These were national public consultations and not specific to any particular county. 2018 Details of Public Consultations Date Consultation on the National Reform Programme 2018 March Consultation on the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Legislative Process (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There are currently no Bills in my Department awaiting committee stage.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The information on photography costs for my Department for the period from March 2011 to date, is set out in tabular form in the link below. These tables include the cost, the name of the photographer and the occasions involved. Photographers are engaged for official purposes only. Local photographers are used on international visits, trade missions etc., to maximise cost efficiencies....

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Freedom of Information Data (4 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The details requested by the Deputy in relation to FOI requests received by my Department are set out in the tables beneath. Regarding records part granted or refused, material is redacted for a variety of reasons, as provided for in the FOI Act. Examples of grounds commonly used by FOI decision makers in my Department for withholding material include where it is necessary to withhold...

Confidence in the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government: Motion [Private Members] (3 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak in this debate. I thank the many Deputies who have rearranged their schedules to travel to be here for this debate and for tonight's vote.

Confidence in the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government: Motion [Private Members] (3 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am not going to speak at length, but I will make a few points. The first thing that needs to be said is that tonight's motion will not pass and was never going to pass. It was just a stunt to gain publicity and coverage for its proposers. It has succeeded in that respect because it secured precious airtime on television and radio, sometimes with a by-election candidate in the doughnut....

Confidence in the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government: Motion [Private Members] (3 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: This motion does none of that. I give the Deputies no marks in that regard. I respect the views of Members of this House. I always try to reflect on what they say. I have not forgotten the advice provided by one of our colleagues two years ago last week, when it looked like the country would be plunged into an election before Christmas because of false allegations made against the then...

Confidence in the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government: Motion [Private Members] (3 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I do not need to remind anyone that the allegations in question were subsequently proven to be without foundation. Deputy Shortall advised me at that time that the country could not afford to have a general election and that a Christmas election would do huge damage to the country. I have not forgotten her wisdom or her certainty about what was needed for the country at that time. It is a...

Confidence in the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government: Motion [Private Members] (3 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We are talking about six Cabinet Ministers from three parties with different ideologies, perspectives and personalities.

Confidence in the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government: Motion [Private Members] (3 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The housing crisis was not caused by any one party, ideology or person. Its roots lie in the economic crisis and crash that occurred ten years ago. The Government of the time was broke and could not afford to build houses for many years. The banks were bust and could not finance housing. The construction industry had gone bust and was unable to build anything. Some 100,000 construction...

Confidence in the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government: Motion [Private Members] (3 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The help-to-buy scheme, which has helped 15,000 young people to purchase their own homes, will run for another two years. The Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme has enabled 2,600 people to get low-interest loans, thereby allowing them to afford new homes. We are three and a half years into a five-year housing plan. It has got off to a slow start. That was always going to be the case. We...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff Data (3 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Earlier, Deputy Martin asked about the future structure of British-Irish relations after Brexit. He rightly pointed out that after Brexit we will not be in a position to meet British Ministers in the way we do now, three or four times a year at Council of Ministers meetings in Brussels or more frequently at the European Council. One of the suggestions we are working on is to strengthen and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Biotechnology Industry (3 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. The bioeconomy plan is being implemented. To give some examples of the progress being made, we have significant actions across the bioeconomy policy framework, including the development of physical infrastructure and the creation of piloting facilities such as the Lisheen national bioeconomy campus and the Páirc na Mara marine project, as well...