Results 11,281-11,300 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The PwC report on the cost escalation at the national children's hospital will be published today. Indeed, it may have been published already. I think it probably has been published in the past hour. Any decision to debate the report in the House will be a matter for the Business Committee. I am sure it would be appropriate to do so although I imagine the best step would be for the Joint...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Neville for raising this important issue. I know the cost of insurance is of great concern to people. We have made some progress in bringing down motor insurance premiums and stabilising health insurance premiums, but there is more to be done for public liability and business insurance. I am unsure exactly where we are on the claims database. I met the Minister of State at...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy and as I may be out of date on this issue, I will ask the Minister, Deputy Ross, to provide him with a more detailed reply. My recollection from my time in that Department is that there is a procurement process that goes out to tender. Different people tender and only one person can win the tender and the contract. I will check into it to ensure that the Deputy gets a...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy and I acknowledge his long-standing interest in issues affecting the Traveller community ranging from housing to healthcare. I do not have an update on that to hand but I will mention the Deputy's raising of the issue to both the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, and the Minister, Deputy Harris, and will try to get the Deputy a better reply.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy and I believe the credit for the consolidation of the accident and emergency departments in Cork belongs to the Deputies to his right, not to any Government led by my party. When it was done, however, I am sure it was done for the right reasons.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We increase the budget for ambulance services every year as the Deputy is aware, which has occurred for the past four years. That provides for additional pay for staff, additional staff, new ambulances and ambulance spaces. I do not have any information specifically on west Cork but I will mention to the Minister for Health that this issue was raised here today.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. While I appreciate that this is an important local issue, it is a local issue and I am dealing with questions on promised legislation. No legislation is promised on this matter.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: None of the four members of the ministerial team in the Department of Health is present, but I understand an additional €10 million has been allocated-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----to provide an additional respite care centre in each community healthcare area. However, I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, to give the Deputy a more detailed reply.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In Ireland the minimum wage is set by the Government on the advice of the Low Pay Commission. It takes into account many factors, ranging from the cost of living to risks to employment, particularly in Border areas, should the minimum wage be increased too rapidly. We take the advice of the Low Pay Commission and the minimum wage has been increased by approximately 25% in the last couple of...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. A large number of Defence Forces personnel live in County Kildare. The Government is working on the issue. We have asked the Public Service Pay Commission to examine the allowances paid to Defence Forces personnel, specifically to see if there are targeted measures we could apply to the Defence Forces that would improve pay and...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I answered questions on this earlier-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----on Leaders' Questions, so I do not want to repeat the answers I gave earlier. I was on my phone to check out the HSE app, which indicates that overcrowding has been easing throughout the day, as it does, and that the number of patients on trolleys now is down to around 350.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: However, that is still far too many. With regard to Clonmel, as the Deputy acknowledged, a 40-bed ward block is now under construction.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I went to see it when I visited Clonmel a few weeks ago. When it is completed it will be staffed but we know from bitter experience throughout the country that merely providing additional beds and additional staff does not solve the problem. We need extra beds. We need to make sure that beds are used efficiently, that the length of stay is reduced and that patients are not waiting days for...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to look into the issue. The email is from over a year ago and I do not know why it has not been released. Usually such documentation is released under freedom of information legislation within months, rather than years-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----unless there is a particular reason it has not been released. I cannot commit to the email's publication as there may well be a reason it has not been released. It was sent after the announcement and was not to the Minister. The content may have been shared with the Deputy, perhaps through a reply to a parliamentary question.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We are giving the matter some consideration, but we will only bid if we think we have a realistic prospect of attaining it. As the Deputy said, we did bid to have the EBA relocated here but, unfortunately, we lost out-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----in a tied vote. We already have Eurofound based in Ireland. It is an agency that deals with the matter of a work-life balance and labour rights, but we are also conscious that Cyprus, Slovakia and Latvia have already put in a bid. We also have to bear in mind the politics of the matter.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I am delighted that Cork is getting so much attention on Leaders' Questions today. We have great ambitions for the beautiful second city. As the Deputy knows, our ambition is that the population of Cork will increase by 50% between now and 2040 and that Cork will grow at double the rate of Dublin between now and then.