Results 1,061-1,080 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

An tOrd Gnó (Atógáil) - Order of Business (Resumed) (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I want to join with the Deputy in expressing my horror and devastation at the fact that so many people lost their lives on the roads this weekend. We have to turn the tide on the increase in road traffic accidents and collisions we have seen this year. We have made so much progress for so long that it is terrible to see it going back in the wrong direction. The Deputy is right to say it is...

An tOrd Gnó (Atógáil) - Order of Business (Resumed) (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The budget for disability for next year, which has been transferred to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, is €2.8 billion. It has been increased from €1.7 billion in 2017 so there has been a massive increase in budget in recent years. Of the €2.8 billion, €131 million will be allocated to ensure the full-year cost of...

An tOrd Gnó (Atógáil) - Order of Business (Resumed) (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am glad it was possible to come to an agreement in the WRC last night. The pay offer was an increase of 8% spread over time, with some of it to be backdated. Some people went to bed last night not knowing whether someone would be there to help them to get up in the morning and that was distressing for many people. Sadly, it is the nature of industrial relations that sometimes things can...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will come back on a few of the points. To be very clear, the budget is agreed by the entire Government and the entire Government is responsible and accountable for the budget. It is not agreed bilaterally between the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, and the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, and any other Minister. The...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am sure he is happy to engage.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am sure he is happy to engage. He has engaged with some and I am sure he is happy to do so again.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We believe the motion is balanced and does provide a strong statement-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----on behalf of this House.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We hope it will get cross-party support.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Just finally-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: In regard to the recruitment restrictions in the HSE, the HSE still has the authority to hire additional home helps, up to a certain level, and the restrictions do not apply to the private providers which provide most of the home help. To be very clear on doctors, despite the talk and the description that we often hear of a recruitment and retention crisis in the health service, we have seen...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: There are 2,000 more doctors and 6,000 more nurses than was the case three years ago.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The recruitment restrictions do not apply to nursing and midwifery, GPs, GPs in training, consultants and doctors who are on specialist training.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: They only apply to service posts. These are not doctors in training. The HSE had authorisation to hire 500, and it hired 770. No public body should hire staff it does not have the authority or the budget to fund. It does not happen in schools, it does not happen in Garda stations, it does not happen in Departments and it should not happen in the health service.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will check with the Tánaiste. I am sure there can be some engagement throughout the course of the day on the text of the motion and hopefully we can agree a motion that we can all support.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is all these things. We know from the success we had a few years ago in bringing down the number of road fatalities - and we should not forget all the injuries either, many of which are life-changing - that it is never one thing. It is about approaching the issue from five or six different aspects. I agree that road maintenance and improvements are part of that picture but they are only...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: In terms of our accounts, when it comes to early years childcare and early education, the budget for next year for the first time will exceed €1.1 billion. When this Government came to office, it was €0.63 billion. There has been a 70% increase in investment in just over three years. That is really considerable. What does that mean for parents? It means by next September...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I want to recognise Deputy Michael Healy-Rae for raising the very serious issue of road safety. Like everyone, I was shocked to see the headlines over the weekend. Five more people died on our roads in different incidents around the country. With the Deputy, I would like to extend my deep sympathies to the families affected and the friends of those who were lost on our roads. It is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I hope that when this period is looked back on there will be what might yet be seen as a number of Donogh O'Malley moments. What we have done, particularly as regard to employment rights, such as the move to a living wage, is hugely significant. There is the introduction of statutory sick pay and all the different forms of parental leave, which did not exist before, as...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Oct 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I hope that we can all agree a few things in the House. First, that we condemn without reservation Hamas's actions in Israel and that we call for the release of the hostages immediately and without any preconditions. I hope we will all agree, just as is the case for any sovereign state, including ours, that Israel has the right to defend itself and has the right to pursue the terrorists...