Results 11,081-11,100 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: European Council Meetings (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 11, inclusive, together. I attended a special meeting of the European Council in Article 50 format in Brussels on 10 April. At the request of the UK Government and in light of the fact that the UK had not ratified the withdrawal agreement, we agreed to a further extension of Article 50, to last only as long as necessary and no longer than 31 October...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. Additional funding was provided in the budget this year for home help and home care packages. I am afraid I do not have details on how it is being distributed around the country or on individual cases. I understand, however, that there will be a Topical Issue debate on this issue later today. I imagine the Minister for Health or a Minister of...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: What was the question again?

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am sorry but the Government does not have any role in where post offices are located in a particular town.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: When it comes to where post offices are located I am afraid it does not.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: On Deputy Michael Moynihan's question, I am aware that the new air ambulance service for the south of the country is awaiting approval but I am not sure of the details as to why the Minister for Health is unable to approve it at this stage. I will certainly let him know that the Deputy has raised the matter and ask him to communicate with the Deputy directly. We are all keen to see that...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I understand that an additional 20 or 23 gardaí are being assigned to Drogheda and County Louth as a result of the crimes that have been committed there recently. I very much welcome this, and I know that Deputy Adams will too. Deputy O'Dowd has been very active on this issue as well. The way in which gardaí are deployed is very much a matter for the Garda Commissioner, as should...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I have requested a report on that through the office of the Minister of State, Deputy Paul Kehoe. I received it the other day and I would be happy to share it with the Deputy if it has been cleared. I recognise the efforts of the local community in Donegal, the local authority and the fire services, as they did phenomenal work to ensure the fires did not spread and more damage was not done....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We have already passed legislation on fracking, for example, and keeping the gas that may be underneath the land of Ireland in the ground. We take a separate and a different view when it comes to offshore natural gas because we appreciate that natural gas is a transition fuel. While we can go from 30% renewables to 70% renewables, and we will do that by 2030, we will still need natural gas...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We do not have a day yet but we are keen to work with the Deputy and get this legislation passed. We should set the objective to have it enacted before the summer recess and if we can work together on it, we would be happy to see that done. On a separate vein, I was able to sign the money message for the Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017 yesterday. I recognise the role of Deputies...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There is no worse crime than one against a child and there is no worse form of crime or a crime that is more unspeakable than child abuse. On this particular issue Mr. Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill is examining about 20 cases and the wider issue as to whether the interpretation of the Louise O'Keeffe judgment is too narrow. I do not have a date yet for that but I have requested one. I...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We will review the judgment.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I respect the Deputy a lot and I am sure she would not wish to misrepresent me in any way. However, I will say again what I said but this time in a way that is clearer. I welcome last week’s declaration of a climate emergency by the Dáil. It is symbolic in the sense that it does not in itself do anything to reduce emissions and does not give us any tools, powers or resources to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It would cost as much, if not more, and we would bear all the risk. In this case, MBI is-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----bearing the risk.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I welcome the fact Dáíl Éireann last week declared a climate action and biodiversity emergency in Ireland. I am also conscious of the fact that declaring an emergency for any other reason than a security reason does not give us any additional powers, tools or resources with which to deal with this problem. It is largely symbolic. It is a gesture, but symbols and gestures...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----through action, which is what is most important in this regard. We are taking measures in the areas of energy, transport, agriculture and heating. Taking energy as an example, we want to increase the amount of renewable energy we produce in Ireland from 30% to 70%. According to the European Commission our CO2levels went down by almost 7% last year; we were in the top three countries...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: If we were to replicate that, a State company would have to put up all its own poles and all its own ducts. The cost doing that would be phenomenal. Even if we did go down the State company model, it would still be relying on privately owned poles and privately owned ducts that they would have to rent from Eircom.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The only physical asset that MBI will own is the fibre and fibre has to be renewed after 20 or 30 years. The advantage of the gap funding model is such that because MBI owns the fibre it is much more likely it will continue to invest in it and renew it. That is one of the reasons the gap funding model was chosen over the State ownership model. In our deliberations over the past few...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 May 2019)

Leo Varadkar: That is the alternative. It is not a good one. We thought about it. We thought about all of the alternatives for months and months. This is the best option on the table. This is right for Ireland and right for rural Ireland.