Results 9,781-9,800 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I only hope that the result is clear. In terms of our representation in Scotland, we have a consulate, not an embassy, in Edinburgh and we can certainly give consideration to additional staff there. We have just reopened the Cardiff consulate and I am glad that we were able to do that. We are also examining the possibility of opening a new consulate in the north of England, perhaps in...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is not something that should be-----

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There certainly is. By the way, I am not suggesting we would pay for it.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I can assure Deputy Howlin of that. If it comes to any cross-Border projects, our priorities, of course, are the A5-N2 to help us to connect better-----

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----to Derry and Donegal, and - something I would be very enthusiastic about doing - upgrading the train line from Belfast to Dublin and then on to Cork and Limerick Junction. We made a Cabinet decision the other day to go ahead with a feasibility study of high-speed rail between Belfast and Dublin, and then Dublin, Limerick Junction and Cork, looking at either the possibility of a...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----or upgrading the existing infrastructure to a higher speed. Those projects would be a much higher priority on my agenda than a bridge between Northern Ireland and the west of Scotland. To clarify what I stated earlier, I did not rule out a citizens' assembly on the future constitutional arrangements in Ireland but I remarked that there is a pipeline of citizens' assemblies under way-----

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----and we only have the capacity to do one at a time. The one on gender equality, which is of great merit, is about to start. That will run for approximately six months. After that, we will have the one on local government in Dublin.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There are a number of suggestions about other citizens' assemblies that also have merit. There is a suggestion to have one on education. There is a suggestion that we have one on disability. There are lots of suggestions that have merit for a future citizens' assembly and they should not be dismissed. Regarding this particular proposal, I would only say that the timing is important....

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Government Information Service (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There are 15 staff currently employed in the GIS. Responsibilities of the service include the running of the Government press office and the delivery of Government-wide communications reform. In line with the recommendations from a review conducted in 2018, the Department has reverted to the GIS model, with a smaller budget, fewer staff and a more limited role. In further alignment with the...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. I last met First Minister Sturgeon at the British-Irish Council in Manchester on 28 June. We subsequently spoke by phone on 7 August regarding political developments in the United Kingdom, including Scotland, and also Brexit developments. Prior to that, I met the First Minister over lunch in Farmleigh on Monday, 27 May last. We...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I join the Deputy in acknowledging the progress that has been made in the greater Drogheda area and the success An Garda Síochána has had in quelling violence and tension in Drogheda in the past couple of months. That is, of course, in part connected to the additional resources provided for the area. The budget allocated to An Garda Síochána for next year is €1.88...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am not aware of that but I will have it checked out. My understanding is that the free travel pass applies to public transport, not transport provided by the HSE, the Department of Education and Skills and others.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I acknowledge and value the work done by community employment schemes and those who supervise them. I had some very good engagement with them when I was Minister for Social Protection but as the Deputy knows, community employment scheme supervisors are not public servants. They are not our employees and any Labour Court recommendation that is made applies to the employer, which is not the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I have met them.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is now the law that an asylum seeker who has been in the country for more than nine months can work, which is positive. I am pleased that we were able to make that change. My recollection is that much of the law relating to driving licences is linked to EU directives.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There may be an issue around residency but in principle, if we are allowing somebody to work, we should allow him or her to drive to work or drive as part of his or her job so I will look into the matter and obtain a note on it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I read the letter in a newspaper the other day. It arrived in newspapers before it arrived in my office and I did not get a phone call about it in advance. I imagine if I was the Leader of the Opposition, I would have a bee in my bonnet about that and would be feeling disrespected for two years, but I do not. I understand where the signatories are coming from in terms...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which is important to people in Cavan and Monaghan. However, this session is on promised legislation and the programme for Government-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----and there is nothing in either of those about those particular Garda stations. It might be more appropriate to raise this matter with the Minister for Justice and Equality during Question Time or to table a Topical Issue matter.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Nov 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I outlined the Government's response to this earlier. Perhaps that was before the Deputy came to the Chamber. We are doing a number of things. First, we are increasing the number of beds across the country, including in Clonmel and Limerick. Since 2014, we have been adding more beds to the hospital system. Deputies will recall that when Fianna Fáil and the Green Party were in power...