Results 11,941-11,960 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Having denied Northern Ireland a health minister, Sinn Féin now wants to take away ours. We are not going to let that happen.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In the first instance, we should recall that cervical screening works. It saves lives. As a result of cervical screening, the incidence of cervical cancer in Ireland has fallen considerably in recent years. Fewer women die from cervical cancer and fewer women face life-changing operations or treatment. It is encouraging and welcome that the number of women attending for smear tests has...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy has mixed up the vaccine and the test.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (13 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I met with the Prime Minister when she visited Dublin on 8 February and we briefed each other on our respective engagements in Belfast and Brussels that week. We discussed developments in Northern Ireland and our shared interest in seeing the devolved institutions restored as soon as possible. On Brexit, I re-stated the EU position that the backstop is an integral part of the Withdrawal...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Consultancy Contracts Data (13 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 68 together. My Department has not commissioned any reports nor incurred any expenditure on consultancy, from the companies in question during 2018.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In relation to haulage, I and the Government are very aware of the extent to which the United Kingdom is used as a landbridge to get our product to mainland Europe and to get product from mainland Europe to Ireland. There is of course the option of going by sea and there is a lot of capacity on existing vessels going directly from Ireland to continental Europe, but that takes much longer and...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: If there is a deal, there will be no change in haulage arrangements until 2021, but if there is no deal it is anticipated that the UK will join the common transit convention. However, at Dover that would leave Irish hauliers joining the EU queue and delays could occur there. It is anticipated that there will be transitional arrangements to limit the delays at ports and that haulage...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: On the question in relation to the land border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, we have not made any preparations for physical infrastructure on 29 March.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: If we face a no-deal scenario, obviously we have a dilemma. The United Kingdom will be bound by WTO rules and we will have EU laws around the protection of the Single Market and the customs union, and we have the Good Friday Agreement, which I believe is paramount. Part of the Good Friday Agreement is that we keep the Border open and invisible between the two islands. It may not be written...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: To answer the Deputy's question, "No".

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There is no written or formal agreement but if an informal agreement means that Independent Deputies are welcome to contact my Department for assistance then there is such an informal agreement. That does not mean that they always vote with the Government. Many of them usually do not vote with it, as Deputies would acknowledge. There is no formal voting arrangement with Deputy Naughten....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I can promise the Deputy that he will get a better answer.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The role of Mr. Geoghegan is to assist the two Independent Ministers who are not members of the Independent Alliance, namely, the Minister, Deputy Zappone, and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, although I understand he mainly assists the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. It is useful to have him in the Department because it helps to ensure that Independents are fully aware of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 22, inclusive, together. I meet and speak regularly with my EU counterparts bilaterally and at formal and informal meetings of the European Council. I had the opportunity to meet with several of my counterparts at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, including the Prime Ministers of Poland, Austria, Luxembourg, Croatia and the Netherlands....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Urban Renewal Schemes (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----their role in holding the city council to account, especially if they are in the majority on that council.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Urban Renewal Schemes (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: On Aldborough House, the last I heard was that the plans for Aldborough House were to develop it for offices as a company headquarters, thus bringing employment into the area. On the funding, I am advised that for 2019, €6.5 million has been funded through the community enhancement programme, formerly RAPID, and the community facilities scheme. In terms of the ambition for 2019,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 6 together. There are no arrangements of the nature suggested by the question with members of the Independent Alliance. The Programme for a Partnership Government sets out the agreement between the party groups and Deputies who are participating in, or supporting, Government. My Department, as outlined in the strategy statement, provides...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I do not believe there is a list of Independent Deputies supported by the Department. However, Independent Deputies of all hues are welcome to contact my Department and we are happy to assist them on request if we can.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: This includes Independent Deputies who do not regularly vote with the Government, including, for example, Deputies Harty and Michael and Danny Healy-Rae. If they contact the Department, we of course try to assist them as best we can even though they more often than not vote against the Government.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know what that means. We assist them as best we can. Whether they vote with Government or not we assist them as best we can.