Results 941-960 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know exactly what happened in Ennis today, why surgery was cancelled and why the surgical team was not informed. They would usually to be the first to know in my experience in the health service, but that may not always be the case. I definitely agree with the Deputy that part of the solution to the problems experienced in University Hospital Limerick is the greater use of the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I know from what he has said to me before and what Deputy Colm Burke and others have told me that the situation in Glanmire particularly affecting Sarsfields is very serious and we are keen to help out there. I believe the flood-defence works, which are under way, helped, but they need to be completed. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, had...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I think it is fair to say that many of recommendations from the various citizens' assemblies have been introduced and have been realised, but it is not a requirement that the Government or the Oireachtas necessarily accept every recommendation. We need to consider them though and that is why the first step is always to refer the report to the relevant joint Oireachtas committee to tease it...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate the Deputy is raising very important issues of real interest to the communities she mentioned. I do not know enough about the individual schemes to give her a detailed reply. I will certainly advise the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, that she has raised it in the Dáil and ask him to come back to her directly.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I have not seen that invitation but as is the case with all invitations that come in, I will give it consideration. It will not be soon; I will be in Brussels for the next two days and out of the country next week but I will certainly take up the invitation and reply to it.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I think €250 million is a lot of help for small business. The amount allocated to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is roughly double what was spent on the temporary business energy support scheme, TBESS. That gives an indication of the level of support being provided to small business. It is grant and not a rate rebate, rate reduction or rate pause. However, there...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising a very important issue. I will touch base with the Department of Health and the Chief Medical Officer to see if something can be done in that regard. 1 o’clock Many people in Ireland would benefit from vitamin D supplementation, which is very different from some supplements people take that are of no health benefit whatsoever. Vitamin D is one that...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy will see the new targets in the early New Year. We will take account of Dr. Lyons's research and the advice of the Housing Commission. We will also take account of other work being done the ESRI and we will increase the housing targets in the new year. However, we need to be realistic. Housing construction can only be scaled up so quickly. We definitely do not want to cut...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to double-check with the Minister of State during the course of the day. My understanding is there is contact between the Government and the landowner. Whether this constitutes negotiations or not, I do not know, but there is certainly contact. I will ask the Minister of State to speak to the north Kildare Deputies about it. My understanding is the Government is willing to pay...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I think the far right is capable of a lot of hate. Some of them are consumed and motivated by it. I think the same goes for a lot of the far left. Both groups are very much capable of hate. They are often motivated by it and often driven by it.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is a fact Deputy. We have free speech in this country.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I do not need to detail or document for the Deputy the level of hatred that is directed by the far left towards many people for many different reasons.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will send the Deputy some examples.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: That is not a matter for me. That is a matter for the Ceann Comhairle.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I might have to come back to the Deputy with a more comprehensive reply because I am not fully au faitwith these issues. My understanding is we do still clean rivers and ports. Obviously, we have to take account of wildlife and other factors.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I agree that road safety has to be of paramount concern for all of us. I am shocked at the number of lives that have been lost on our roads so far this year. I extend my condolences to the families and communities affected. There are many aspects to road safety, including car safety, the quality of roads, speeding, behaviour and education. I accept that animals on the road can be a road...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I might ask the Minister of State, Deputy Malcolm Noonan, to engage with the Deputy directly during the week. As he knows, the Minister of State has responsibility for nature, heritage and electoral reform and holds the pen on this issue. He has advised me that we need to cull significant numbers of deer over and above the 60,000 deer which have already been culled. I...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I do not agree with her remark. The budget contains a number of things that help on housing, such as extending and increasing the rent credit to help renters, extending help to buy to help people buy their first home and a budget of over €5 billion, meaning that we will build records amounts of public housing next year, including social and cost rental housing. ...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: In my 20 years in politics, I have often been compared with a particular British politician, but Jeremy Corbyn is not the one.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: This is the first time I have been compared with or aligned to him, as a politician. I know I have moved to the centre in my middle age. I did not think I had moved quite that far left, but I thank the Deputy for giving us something to ponder. The Deputy is right to say my party has been in office in various coalitions since 2011. We have not achieved everything we sought to achieve,...