Results 12,141-12,160 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I will certainly ask the Minister, Deputy Regina Doherty, to examine whether a paper option can be provided. I am sure that can be done although I recall that when we brought in free GP care for over 70s that 97% of people over 70 were able to apply online. When people are getting a benefit or an increase in their pension they are generally able to apply online but perhaps a paper option...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I am really not sure who is misrepresenting the facts here. I heard the Deputy state that there is no cost-increasing claim.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Pay parity is, by definition, a cost-increasing claim by and it is one that is not accepted by other unions. They have indicated that in writing to their members and also to Government. It has never been the case that all of those who have four-year degrees are paid the same. Many people in various professions - accounting, teaching, etc. - have such degrees. It has never been the case...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: As stated earlier - I appreciate that I am repeating myself but the questions are the same so it is only reasonable that I be allowed do so - those of us on the Government benches have no doubt about the strength of feeling among nurses and midwives regarding their terms and conditions. We have no doubt at all about their resolve and their willingness to strike and strike again. We also...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I have met Patricia King and I have spoken to her about this issue. I would have no difficulty meeting or speaking to her again. That is the way we engage with the trade unions. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, and I, as Head of Government, engage regularly with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, on issues such as this. Such engagement will continue.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Yes.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: It is not my practice to organise meetings in the Chamber and I do not think the Deputy-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----should be organising meetings for third-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The timeline we discussed last week when I convened a meeting of the party leaders stands. We expect to have that legislation ready for publication on 22 February, which will give us more than a month to bring it through these Houses.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: This afternoon.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: A very brief one.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. When we talk about road traffic legislation we should never forget why we have those laws. It is because of road safety. Thousands if not tens of thousands of Irish people in urban and rural Ireland have lost their lives on the road or become disabled for life as a result of road traffic collisions. Many of us have been affected by deaths on the road in our own...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In some cases, the uptake and the demand for these services has been very poor. We need to look at other solutions and we are doing that, particularly around rural taxis and hackney licences. We are trying to liberalise that system and make them more available, particularly at night-time and on weekends. There are more Garda checks because there are more gardaí. We now have 14,000...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: People who abide by the laws passed by this Oireachtas have nothing at all to fear from the Garda. People who take alcohol or drugs and then drive are a threat to themselves and others. People who drink several drinks, get a few hours' sleep and then drive in the morning are impaired. They do cause accidents, they do kill people and they do cause injuries. That is a law that should be...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I cannot help the Deputy with his senses. I outlined in my previous answer where I believe the parameters are for a solution to the dispute. I explained that very clearly. In relation to tax, I have always said that any tax cuts have to be affordable. I would not borrow money to fund tax cuts and have not done so in the past two years.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: What we propose is that if the economy continues to grow-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: What I propose if the economy continues to grow the way it has been growing in recent years, because there are more people working, people are earning more, the amount income tax we have taken has gone up by approximately €1.2 billion a year, if we can afford it, is to give about half of that back to 900,000 taxpayers.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The vast majority of nurses and midwives would benefit from that as well-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----but it would not just be one group who would benefit; nearly 900,000 taxpayers would.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (30 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am not entirely sure there were any questions there or solutions, just commentary. We have a mechanism by which industrial relations disputes are resolved - and all industrial relations disputes are resolved - namely, the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court. They are State bodies and that is the mechanism through which we will engage and, I have no doubt, in due course...