Results 11,961-11,980 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

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

Leo Varadkar: I will pick up on a few of the questions that were asked by Deputies. I note the Deputies' comments and will respond to their direct questions. Deputy Ellis asked about the Magdalen laundry site. As Deputies will be aware, Dublin City Council voted against the sale of the former convent and laundry on Sean MacDermott Street. The proposed plans were for the development of a hotel and...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I do not know the details of that particular project, but I will ask the Minister for Health to provide the Deputy with a reply by correspondence. I will say this again. There are projects throughout the country, including in my constituency, that will be and are delayed for all sorts of reasons. It might be that they do not yet have planning permission or that somebody has...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----project is delayed as a result of the national children's hospital.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I want Deputy to know here today that by doing so she is being dishonest and deliberately misleading her constituents.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: On support for beef farmers, Deputies will be aware in the next few weeks that we should be in a position to launch the beef environmental efficiency pilot, BEEP, which will provide some additional grants to farmers who are beef producers but who provide necessary environmental information that we request from them. We always try to de-bureaucratise the CAP and the rules and regulations...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: If I may, I would like to withdraw the term dishonest in favour of the term untrue.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Not true.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Not factually correct. Will that do?

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

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. The Mulvey report, Dublin North East Inner City - Creating a Brighter Future, which was commissioned by Government was published in February 2017 and contained an outline plan for the social and economic regeneration of Dublin's north inner city area. In June 2017, Michael Stone was appointed by Government as independent...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will provide the Deputy with a proper reply in correspondence.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: On the alleged conflict of interest, I answered that question when responding to Deputy Lowry earlier, namely, PwC ceased to be auditors in 2005.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: My apologies. It was 2015, four years ago. This emphasises my advice to Deputies. Rather than asking the same questions again and again, perhaps they would familiarise themselves with the questions which already have been asked and the answers already given.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: On the contract and hyperinflation clause, the Deputy is well aware that no Minister or no Government has the authority to change a contract already signed. Politicians and Ministers are no longer involved in contracts. That practice ended in tribunals many decades ago.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I believe the question the Deputy initially asked was about financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, legislation and this House has passed-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: At least the Deputy is honest. It is a rhetorical question. The Deputy knows full well how this works. There was a hearing in the Labour Court and it heard all sides and came to a recommendation. It will be up to the members of the two particular unions, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, and the Psychiatric Nurses Association of Ireland, PNA, as to whether they want to...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is fair to say the Labour Court recommendation is that. To answer Deputy Coppinger's final question, and I have said this before, there are many countries that pay less than Ireland does to its nurses and midwives, including most of Europe and most of the United Kingdom. There are many countries that pay more than we do, including Canada, Australia and countries in the Middle East....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Yes, I can. The only funds that have been transferred from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport relate to the A5 project which has been deferred because there is no Executive in Northern Ireland. I will be turning the sod for a new runway for Dublin Airport with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, on Thursday. We will be turning the sod for the N4 project...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It may well be the case that projects around the country are held up for lots of different reasons, whether planning permission delays, tender delays, or sometimes because the project itself is over budget, but it will not be because of the national children's hospital.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid that I do not but I will ask the Minister, Deputy Bruton, to provide Deputy Ryan with more information if he can. My understanding is that the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2018 gives senior civil servants the power to make certain decisions without a Minister for the period up to March 2019 with the possible extension for a further five...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I do not have any information on that. It is an independent process, as the House will be aware. I am aware that last year 29 new medicines were approved using this process. Obviously, what has to be considered in all cases is the efficacy of the medicine and whether the price being charged by the company is fair given all the other demands for funding in the health service....