Results 10,381-10,400 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I have had that discussion with some of my colleagues at the European Council. There is a common view among a number member states, including Ireland and France, that if Brazil pulls out of the Paris accord and fails to honour the climate obligations it has accepted, the Mercosur proposal will fall.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: That is our strong view. There is a two-year period between now and the finalisation of the legal agreement. We will see what happens in that two-year period, how President Bolsonaro behaves and whether he will honour the Paris commitments to which he has signed up.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I have a question for the Deputy. The Mercosur agreement was negotiated by Ms Cecilia Malmström.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: She is the Trade Commissioner and part of Fianna Fáil's political family. Did Deputy Micheál Martin meet her to discuss the deal?

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We will do everything we possibly can, as we have in the past two years and will for the next three or four months, to avoid a crash-out, no-deal scenario. We have negotiated a withdrawal agreement and a backstop and will continue to work towards its ratification. However, I would not be telling the country and the House the truth if I said if we have no deal and the United Kingdom crashes...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am not sure if I picked up a question, but I acknowledge that the cost of legal aid is very high. I also acknowledge that the Deputy has acknowledged that people are innocent until proved guilty-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----and entitled to legal representation, even if it is the third or fourth time they have been accused.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: This matter is being studied by the Minister. He is exploring means by which we might be able to reduce the cost of legal aid, but there are also constitutional issues. Under the Constitution people have a right to access the courts. We also need to bear that in mind.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. Project Ireland 2040 is not just about climate action. It is also about new schools, new sports facilities and more homes. Climate action is really important, but other things like health and housing are important, too. When people oppose Project Ireland 2040, they should be specific about what projects they oppose. Is it the housing projects, the health projects, the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate that Deputy Eamon Ryan has been straight up.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: His objection is to the roads programme. I disagree with him. If road maintenance and restoration are excluded from project Ireland 2040, the split in new projects is actually two to one in favour of public transport over new road projects. We need to retain and restore roads, particularly in rural Ireland. The new road projects include din the plan are very much needed, for example, the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: They are needed.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I refer also to Dunkettle and the N4 to Sligo. A two-to-one split is about right. I appreciate that Deputy Eamon Ryan sees things differently and would have a much smaller roads programme. Looking at the projects, however, I know why they are included. Another really important one is the outer ring road in Galway. I do not think we should cancel the roads programme altogether, or...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There is a huge opportunity for Deputy Eamon Ryan's party to show that the mandate and good vote it received actually matters, not to waste any time in making sure the councils it now controls will put the action plans together. Central government will support it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: This is the reality. Any reasonable person would be a little confused on hearing Deputy Eamon Ryan's contribution. The democratically elected local councillors in Cork decided to vote against the bus project precisely because it involved taking away trees and parts of people's gardens. The Deputy seems to think that is a reason to vote against BusConnects in Dublin, but it is not okay for...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: That is a bit strange. There is something else on which the Deputy is incorrect. The national development plan is a matter for central government and has been adopted by it. Under European law, action plans on air quality are the primary responsibility of local authorities, of which the Green Party is now one of the controlling parties. The Deputy's party has a responsibility to act in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We will be here to assist it, but it must show some leadership and take some action that it has a mandate to take. On what is being done to improve air quality, I note the move to electric vehicles. That is really important and it is happening. A total of 17% of new vehicles bought this year are electric or hybrid. That is not enough, but it is a lot better than it used to be and the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Beef farmers, beef farm families and all of those involved in the beef industry in Ireland have that unequivocal commitment from me and the Government, as do consumers of beef and beef products in this country. Ensuring that we have the highest food safety standards and the highest traceability standards should apply to beef that is imported as well as to beef produced here. We are not...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Crime and the fear of crime is a matter of great concern to communities all over our State. There are victims of crime, unfortunately, all over our State. We should not see this as a rural versus urban issue. We do have a serious issue with rural crime. I represent an urban constituency, however, as do many people here, and I assure the Deputy that the threat of and fear of crime is as...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In answer to the Deputy's question I am informed by the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, that he was briefed in Haulbowline last Friday and the remarks he made to the media reflect the briefing he was given in Haulbowline with officials and senior Naval Service staff present. In terms of the actions that are being taken, let me go through them again.