Results 10,301-10,320 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----and Deputy Burton of the Labour Party, who was the Minister who brought in the card.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I compliment former Fianna Fáil and Labour Party Ministers who managed this project for ten years-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----for doing such a good job in producing legislation that we believe is robust.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Brexit omnibus Act covers all the legislative requirements that we needed to deal with no deal. However, subsequent to that being enacted we made a commitment to do all that we could to extend the European health insurance card, EHIC, to all residents in Northern Ireland and also Erasmus+. We found a means of doing that but it is not perfect; it is a bit clumsy. The Minister for Health...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for his kind words of congratulation to the Dublin men and Dublin ladies on making history at the weekend. I would like to add my congratulations to Galway for winning the camogie and Tipperary for winning the hurling as well. It was extraordinary to see 56,000 people attend the ladies' final. I know the Deputy was there too. It was a record-breaking attendance and one...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It should make us all very proud. In response to the Deputy's question, it is intended today to publish the report of the Commissioner for Data Protection and also the Department's response to it. Obviously I have no objection to there being a debate on the matter. That would be for the Business Committee to decide. The Government absolutely respects the Commissioner for Data Protection...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Yes, it is. However, no document of legal standing has yet been served on the Government so we have to wait until there is an enforcement order issued by the Commissioner for Data Protection before we can challenge any findings. No findings of legal standing have yet been made, but that may happen in the coming weeks. The public services card is a good thing. It is a success. The vast...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Pringle makes an articulate case in favour of increasing public spending year on year. As he will be aware, the budget that we are planning will increase public spending by approximately €2.8 billion next year. Some of that will be for health services, disability services and services for the victims of domestic violence. I would almost be tempted to send Deputy Pringle to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising the very important issue of funding for community-led organisations in Donegal, including Lifeline and iCARE. I am afraid I am at a disadvantage in that I did not know this issue was to be raised on Leaders’ Questions. As such, I do not have an up-to-date note on funding for either of the organisations but I will seek one and ensure it is passed on to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy will know the answers to those questions on the same day that I know of for sure because the budget will not be signed off on until the Cabinet meeting on the morning of 8 October, when we will present that budget to the House on that day. We are on the same page here. I would rather be in a position that the country is borrowing money to save people's jobs than borrowing...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We have had two rounds of talks. Those talks concluded this weekend with an agreement endorsed by the Minister, the meat industry and the six farm organisations representing the vast majority of farmers in this country. That is where we are today. The base price, as I explained earlier, is roughly the same across Europe. It is a market price, largely a function of supply and demand....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----in the same way any producer negotiates a price with a potential buyer. That is the way it is done but that cannot be done at the moment when the factories are not operating. The factories need to be allowed to reopen. The producer organisations need to be allowed to negotiate contracts and prices. The figure I have is 3,500 - it may well be higher by now - but as many as 8,000...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate that for the next three weeks I will be asked questions about what is in the budget. I hope everyone in this House will appreciate that the answer will be that we will find out on budget day because the budget has yet to be agreed. It needs to be discussed among Ministers, with Fianna Fáil, as the confidence and supply partners to the Government, and at Cabinet. The only...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I pointed out earlier that the price Irish farmers receive for beef at the factory gate is roughly the same as that received by European farmers at factory gates all across Europe. The average price is roughly the same across Europe and it is lower elsewhere. Commodity prices often work that way because they are set by the market as a function of supply and demand. However, that price is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: If Sinn Féin wants beef and sheep farmers to be able to get their animals to the factories in order to get any payment at all, the agreement should be supported by all of us in this House. I ask Sinn Féin to support it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Thanks, Deputy. Mercosur at the moment is only at the level of a political agreement, and that political agreement was signed off on not just by the entire Commission, but in particular by Commissioner Malmström from Fianna Fáil's own political family who is the Trade Commissioner. In two years' time when there is a legal agreement, we will be in a position to assess it and take a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Six farm organisations representing the vast majority of farmers in the State have endorsed that agreement. The protestors were successful in highlighting the issues affecting beef farmers, they did bring the industry to the table, but all that can be achieved from protests and blockades has now been achieved. I would ask that they end now-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----and that people try to make this agreement work because I am deeply concerned. I think everyone in this House who cares about the beef industry, who cares about rural Ireland, who cares about employment-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----is concerned that continued protests-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Sep 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----and continued blockades will lead to more job losses.