Results 11,521-11,540 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: With reference to plans, we have put in place the necessary legislation to protect the rights of citizens and support businesses in the event that there is no deal. The legislation was signed by the President on St. Patrick's Day. I acknowledge the co-operation of this House and the Seanad in getting that important legislation through. I hope it will not be needed, but it is done and was...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy said he thought a no-deal Brexit should be avoided at all costs. They were his words.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I do not think it is petty to ask the Deputy to explain what he meant by it, but I will not pursue it. He is aware that I supported an extension and said so before the Council meeting yesterday. We have granted the United Kingdom an extension which was supported by President Macron and agreed to by all 27 member states.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There were differences of opinion on which date we should choose, but there was no push-back against there being an extension. As 27 member states, we stand behind the extension we agreed to last week. Nobody can say for sure what will happen in a no-deal scenario at the Border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. We will hold the United Kingdom Government to its existing commitments...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----and its commitment made in December 2017 to maintain full regulatory alignment. Talks with the Commission have been happening at official level on exploring contingencies. What they will be nobody can say for sure because a lot will depend on the approach the UK Government takes if it maintains full regulatory alignment-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There is nothing to share; they are preliminary discussions. There are no papers or documents.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: That is a conspiracy theory.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The ESRI report published this morning is a reminder of the very stark consequences that Brexit will have for Ireland and the Irish economy. It confirms many things that we knew already. Brexit will be bad for Ireland in any scenario. There is no such thing as a good Brexit for Ireland. While there may be opportunities, there will certainly be more downsides than upsides. It confirms...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Fianna Fáil's spokesperson on "Morning Ireland" refused to rule out or at least refused to answer a question about whether Fianna Fáil thinks we should be preparing for a physical border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, which we are not.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Citizens Assembly (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I have proposed that a Citizens' Assembly be established to consider the issues of gender equality and directly elected mayor for Dublin and the form that this should take. The function of a Citizens’ Assembly is to inform the public and increase overall awareness and comprehension of topics being examined. Consideration is being given to the parameters of these topics and how best to...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Brexit Issues (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I had a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister May on the margins of the European Council on 21 March where we discussed the current state of play with Brexit and the Prime Minister outlined the approach she planned to take at the European Council meeting. Prime Minister May explained that she was seeking an extension of the Article 50 deadline until 30 June, which she hoped would provide...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Undocumented Irish in the USA (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: On my recent visit to the United States, I had a series of political meetings, including with President Trump, Vice President Pence, Speaker Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Schumer, and Senator Patrick Leahy. In all these meetings, I expressed the Irish Government’s thanks for their support of the E3 Bill last year, and sought continued support as the Bill is reintroduced in the House...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: European Council Meetings (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 110 together. I attended a meeting of the European Council in Brussels on Thursday 21 and Friday 22 March 2019. The agenda for our discussions included Brexit; jobs, growth and competitiveness; relations with China ahead of the EU-China Summit on 9 April; climate change; and efforts to combat disinformation. We also met with the leaders of Iceland,...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Consultations (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There is only one public consultation currently planned by my Department in 2019. This relates to the Government’s annual National Risk Assessment. Given that my Department is largely concerned with coordination across Departments, it doesn’t generally hold a significant number of public consultations on specific policy issues. However, while no other public consultations...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Northern Ireland (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112, 117, 120 and 121 together. I travelled to Belfast on Friday 1 March to deliver the keynote speech at the Alliance Party Annual Conference dinner, a copy of which is available on the Government website - www.merrionstreet.ie. During the course of my speech I emphasised my Government's commitment to being fair and impartial in working with all parties in...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Legal Costs (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The amounts paid to barristers and solicitors engaged by the Office of the Chief State Solicitor and the Office of the Attorney General during 2018 and to date in 2019 are set out hereunder: 20182019 (to date) Barristers€13,996,357.66€3,501,783.41 Solicitors€220,436.02€8,192.34 In 2018 the Offices engaged the services of 32 solicitors and 302 barristers. In 2019,...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Interdepartmental Working Groups (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In answering this question, I am interpreting "working groups" as groups which are working towards completion of particular projects or tasks rather than groups which meet on an ongoing basis to provide strategic oversight on cross-cutting Government issues underpinning the work of the Cabinet Committees, including Brexit. Accordingly, the information sought by the Deputy is detailed in the...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Correspondence (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: My Department received five customer complaints in 2017 and four customer complaints in 2018. No complaints have been received in 2019 to date. No appeals were received in respect of complaints and no cases were referred to the Office of the Ombudsman during this time.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committee Meetings (26 Mar 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Cabinet Committee A covers issues relating to the Economy, Jobs including Future Jobs Ireland, the Labour Market, Competitiveness, Productivity, Trade, and the Action Plan on Rural Development, the Digital Economy and Pensions. These issues are also regularly discussed at full Government meetings. The Cabinet Committee last met on the 12th November. In recent months Cabinet Committee A...