Results 11,321-11,340 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

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

Leo Varadkar: The most important thing is that we deal with the backlog. There is a backlog of approximately 80,000 smear tests waiting to be examined. While the clinical risk is negligible, there are, of course, lots of women who are very concerned about their test result and have been waiting a long time for it. We need to deal with that issue. Some women are getting their result back within four...

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

Leo Varadkar: It was sent after the announcement had been made, not prior to it, and it was sent by a staff member in CervicalCheck to an official in the Department. It did not go, as the Deputy claims, to the Minister for Health. The advice from the Chief Medical Officer, CMO, was reflected in the decision made by the Minister for Health which was subsequently endorsed by the Government. If the...

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

Leo Varadkar: It was very much in line with the advice from the CMO, that if a repeat smear test was to be done out of cycle, it should be done after consultation with and on the advice of a GP.

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

Leo Varadkar: That is the statement that was issued publicly.

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

Leo Varadkar: I can inform the House that between 1 May and 31 December last year, when the free out-of-cycle smear test was on offer, there were 112,000 consultations with GPs but only 57,800 repeat smear tests. That proves that the CMO's advice was followed because 100,000 women attended their GPs and in about half the number of cases a repeat smear test was done.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 33 together. In Washington D.C. I had a series of political discussions and meetings, including with President Trump, Vice President Pence, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Patrick Leahy and Congressmen Richie Neal and Peter King. In each meeting, we discussed the Ireland - US bilateral relationship, including the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committee Meetings (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Cabinet Committee E last met on 22 November 2018. A date for the next meeting is being scheduled. In addition to the meetings of the full Cabinet and of Cabinet Committees, I often meet with Ministers on an individual basis to focus on particular issues. In this regard, I meet regularly with Minister Harris to discuss issues relating to our health service. The Government’s continuing...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Functions (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 126 and 127 together. The EU Policy Coherence Unit in my Department works to ensure whole-of-government coherence in cross-cutting EU policies, providing overview and strategic focus in areas including the Union’s budget (MFF), eurozone matters, the internal market, trade and the European Semester. It is part of the EU Section which assists me in my...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Appointments to State Boards (9 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I appoint members to two State Boards under the remit of my Department - the NESC and the National Statistics Board (NSB). I have limited discretion in these appointments as in certain cases, per the relevant legislation, members are nominated by other bodies. Of the appointments that I have made since I became Taoiseach and have had discretion over, three of the five were female (60%). On 8...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (3 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is entirely reasonable that questions should be asked as to what we are going to do-----

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (3 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----to prevent that.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (3 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I genuinely thank Deputy Howlin for acknowledging that I do not have a crystal ball, cannot predict the future and do not have an answer to every hypothetical question. I have learned from experience over the past year or so that it can be dangerous to look into the crystal ball and make predictions about the future or to answer hypothetical questions because when it turns out that one...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (3 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: A counter-smuggling operation, indeed. This will have to be stepped up, and Deputy Burton is absolutely right about that. We know how to counteract smuggling. Animal checks are much more difficult. They can only possibly be done physically by vets. It is our view that those checks should take place at ports and that the island of Ireland should be treated as a whole when it comes to...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Citizens Assembly (3 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Work is under way to finalise the terms of reference for the Citizens' Assembly. I hope to bring proposals to the Government on this shortly. I had hoped to have them for International Women's Day but we have not yet finalised them. There is a discussion within the Government as to whether it should examine constitutional issues that have already been examined by the Constitutional...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (3 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 11, inclusive, and 13 together. I attended the European Council in Brussels on Thursday, 21 March, and Friday, 22 March. As I outlined in my statement to the House on 27 March, the agenda included: Brexit; jobs, growth and competitiveness; external relations; climate change; and efforts to combat disinformation. European Union reform was not an item for...

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

Leo Varadkar: That is very much a constituency question but an important one nonetheless. I visited Ladyswell national school last week and met with the principal and the board of management. We discussed issues around its counselling service, which I understood had been shared between Ladyswell and Corduff, but was being funded out of the school completion programme. There seemed to be an issue with...

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

Leo Varadkar: It is a matter for the Commissioner to decide how those 14,000 are best deployed.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Citizens Assembly (3 Apr 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. Work is under way in my Department on proposals for the establishment of proposals for the establishment of a new Citizens' Assembly to consider gender equality. I am also proposing a Citizens' Assembly on a directly elected mayor for Dublin and the form that this should take. The function of a Citizens' Assembly is to...

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

Leo Varadkar: Again, I am familiar with the legislation, the purpose of which is to restore the voisinagearrangement which existed prior to 2016. I am not sure, however, that I am in a position to give any of the specific guarantees requested by the Deputy. I will certainly advise the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, that this matter was raised. I am sure he will want to...

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

Leo Varadkar: The Government does not have any role in setting fares for public transport. That is covered under the Dublin Transport Authority Act and the National Transport Authority. On additional carriages and capacity for the rail network, I have been advised by Irish Rail from my own queries that additional carriages are being renovated and others are on order. That will improve capacity on our...