Results 10,521-10,540 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I would ask Deputy Shortall to bear in mind that there is a bigger picture and, when we take her facts and my facts, we get to the truth. The Deputy is only talking about one set of facts.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I am not but I will make inquiries with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and ask him to provide the Deputy with an update on the project. I am encouraged that the Deputy is in favour of the interchange project because there had been suggestions from many of his spokespeople that he believed the roads programme aspect of Project Ireland 2040 should be reviewed.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy has yet to say which projects he wants to be reviewed.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: They want to know if the Deputy is going to cancel the roads programme.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: He said it should be reviewed but he refused to say which projects he wanted reviewed.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy is well aware I do not control this House or the other House so I cannot make any commitments when it comes to the passage of legislation or the speed thereof. What I can say is that Ulster Bank, as everyone will know, is not a State-owned bank and is, in fact, a UK-owned bank. It is really important to point out that anyone whose loan is sold on by a bank retains all the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy knows, my preferred candidate for the position of European Commission President was Manfred Weber, the candidate of my party, and I fully appreciate that the preferred candidate for Deputy Howlin was Frans Timmermans, the candidate of his party. There is nothing wrong with supporting the candidates of one's own party group, and I would do that, just as Deputy Howlin did....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am coming to that. We came up with a compromise candidate, Ursula von der Leyen, the first female head of the European Commission, a really good candidate, a really experienced person, and somebody who comes from my own political family and who is known to many of us in government. The reason Mr. Timmermans did not have majority support in the European Council was that 11 countries did...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The answer to the Deputy's initial question is "Yes". We are considering a revised and new approach to target areas of particular disadvantage in the State. There are a lot of programmes already, as the Deputy is aware, such as the local drug and alcohol task forces, DEIS in education, the school meals programme and the community enhancement programme. There is also €2 million set...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am sure the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, will publish that report in proper order. The Government very much acknowledges that we have real difficulties in our health service when it comes to recruiting and retaining staff, not just doctors but also nurses, midwives, therapists and others. Notwithstanding that, it is not acknowledged, and it should be acknowledged, that there are...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I did give the Deputy a straight answer-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----but unfortunately she chose to misrepresent it and put words in my mouth. While I give the Deputy straight answers, there is nothing straight about her whatsoever in the way that she responds to my answers when I give them to her. The Government is acting. The Deputy should look at the facts. We have more people at work in Ireland than ever before.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We have an unemployment rate that it is at its lowest in 15 years.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Poverty and deprivation rates have been falling for four years in a row and we have cut child poverty by 30% and we have increased the minimum wage every year for the past four years after it was cut by others. That is our record. It is a good one-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----and we are going to continue to build on it but we will do it in a way that is sustainable and not counterproductive. The risk of Sinn Féin policies that are not responsible is that they will be counterproductive.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We would end up in a situation whereby people rather than getting an increase actually end up having their hours reduced or losing their jobs altogether and that is no good to anyone.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There are a lot of specific questions there. I will do my best to answer them in the time allocated. I did receive the Deputy's letter and have read it. I am not sure if he received the response-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----but it is in train. In respect of legislation, we would expect to have the public and community safety Bill next year, which will bring into law many of the recommendations made by Kathleen O'Toole in the commission she led on the reform of policing. It is being worked on at the moment by the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, and the Department of Justice and Equality. Ideally, I would like...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will ensure that the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, provides the Deputy with an update on the affordable homes scheme.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2019)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, the scheme is going towards a shared equity model. We will provide the Deputy with more information on that.