Results 10,021-10,040 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Citizens Assembly (16 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: At its meeting on 11 June 2019, the Government agreed to the establishment of a Citizens’ Assembly on gender equality and noted that a further Citizens Assembly would subsequently be established to consider the best model of local government for Dublin and, in particular but not exclusively, the issue of a directly elected mayor and his or her powers. The establishment of the first...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (16 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I travelled to the US on 22 September for events centred around the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly. On Monday 23 September, I participated in the UN Climate Action Summit with Minister Bruton. I made a national statement outlining Ireland’s approach to climate action, including the Government’s commitments under the Climate Action Plan, our intention to ring-fence...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: To clarify, I did not seek a right of reply from The Sunday Business Post. An editor or sub-editor texted me and offered me an op-ed in response to which I said: "Yes, thanks. I will take that up." The Deputy is going back to his conspiracy theories and making stuff up again.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: If the Deputy has any evidence to support his claim, I am sure he will produce it. Regarding oil exploration, it is the case that we have not had a commercial oil find but we have had drilling and oil exploration for many decades in Irish waters and that, in itself, leads to damage to the environment and the seabed. The policy is that existing oil licences and options will still be...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We will develop the policy and legislation to allow for exploration for natural gas to continue but not for oil. As we have always stated, this will not have an impact on our targets. Ending exploration will not reduce our emissions but it shows climate leadership in that we are sending out a clear message that we are we are getting out of fossil fuels. The Cabinet sub-committee on the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: On carbon tax, Deputy Boyd Barrett's numbers are incorrect. The carbon tax is roughly paid 50% by businesses and 50% by households. The Deputy made the incorrect assumption that it is all paid by households. That is not the case because businesses clearly use a lot of fossil fuels as well. The carbon tax increase will raise in the region of €90 million. Half of this will be paid...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: That is a matter for the National Transport Authority.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: What is equally interesting is that neither analysis takes account of the value of increased public expenditure. Neither of them takes account of the fact that we will spend an additional €400 million increasing public sector pay, the value of reducing prescription charges, the value of the national childcare scheme or the value of initiatives such as free GP care and dental care....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I cannot give the Deputy a quick word; I can give him a long word. It is too important a topic for a short reply.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Brexit or the environment. Which is more important to the Deputies?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There are bilateral engagements between Dublin and London but negotiations between the EU and the UK.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 13, inclusive, together. In July, the Government decided to reorganise the Cabinet committee structures. This included the establishment of a new Cabinet committee on the environment. The Cabinet committee on the environment covers issues relating to the environment, including climate action and the implementation of the Government’s climate...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to come back to Deputy Micheál Martin about the question on GDP, GNI and GNI*. I have a rough idea but I do not want to give the Deputy an inaccurate reply and have to correct it. On the minimum wage, I want to clarify that the Government has accepted the Low Pay Commission's recommendation to increase the minimum wage to €10.10 per hour from January. However,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We will have to see what happens between now and January. However, we accepted the recommendation to increase the minimum wage to €10.10 per hour from January in the event of there being an ordinary Brexit. On whether the budget was regressive or progressive, that depends on how it is analysed and counted. The Department of Finance analysis states that it was progressive because the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: If it is not published, we will. I think it has been.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: If it has not been, it will be. The Department of Finance analysis is based on cash. It is done in pure cash terms. On the Department's analysis, it is progressive because there are no cash increases for people who do not receive welfare because there were no tax cuts, with the exception of the self-employed and home carers. The vast majority of taxpayers did not get a tax cut. However,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Functions (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----because taxpayers did not get an increase in tax credits or a change of bands. All taxpayers were worse off under the Labour Party, Green Party and Sinn Féin proposals. According to the ESRI, their proposals to increase welfare and pensions by less than 4.5% of average earnings would have made people in receipt of welfare payments and pensions worse off. It is an interesting...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Government-Church Dialogue (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I think it was a good idea quite frankly.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Government-Church Dialogue (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: When one has a good idea, often the best thing is to talk to the stakeholders and not impose it on them.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Government-Church Dialogue (15 Oct 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I did call them together and we had this meeting. Among the actions arising out of it was to continue working out how that new relationship should be structured.