Results 12,181-12,200 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We raised some taxes as well, as the Deputy knows.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Quite a lot of money will come in from the VAT increases, as the Deputy knows.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: What we saw in the past, during times of economic growth and times of boom, was that Governments fuelled that and cut taxes and increased spending at unsustainable levels and when we ended up in a financial crisis, there was no headroom and no money and austerity was imposed on people. We will make sure that does not happen no matter what happens with Brexit and because we have managed the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I can.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There are seven more specific questions. I am happy to answer them.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 12, inclusive, together. Cabinet committee D works to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the delivery and ongoing development of policy on infrastructure investment and delivery, housing and climate action. The committee last met on 1 February last and the next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 31 January. Although issues relevant to climate...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Legislative Programme (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. The Government legislation programme was published on 15 January and sets out our legislative priorities until March 2019. There are six Bills on the priority list for publication this session. Three are Brexit-related; the miscellaneous provisions (withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019)...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: First, I cannot confirm the figure. Second, the Minister is before the Joint Committee on Health taking questions on the matter. That is where Deputies will find him if they are looking for him.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I do not have any evidence of a cartel. If Deputy Fitzpatrick is aware of any evidence which indicates-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----that a crime has occurred, it should be furnished to the National Consumer and Competition Authority.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I have not seen the report. Perhaps the Minister for Finance has seen it but I have not. Until he or I have seen it, I cannot comment on the contents.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Decisions on the VAT rate are made by Revenue, they are not the responsibility of Government. We need to make a distinction between food supplements in respect of which health claims that are backed up by science are made and those that are backed up by pseudoscience. This is an issue we will be discussing a great deal more.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Pregnant women require folic acid. I am not sure that will be affected by the increase.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Never, a Cheann Comhairle. They are not interested in the answers. The Ceann Comhairle knows that as well as I do. I will check out the situation with folic acid but I repeat that the decision is made by Revenue, not the Government. On cataracts-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: In that case, the State is not the employer. The employers of these supervisors are charities, NGOs and private bodies. It is, unfortunately, one of those areas - there are quite a number across the public service - in which the Government is not the employer but instead funds, or is the major funder of, the body that employs the people.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I read that because I was Minister for Social Protection for a while. The State is not the employer in that case.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I understand, from the previous Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton, that the hours were increased but that it has not yet reached that threshold. I will ask the current Minister, Deputy McHugh, to provide a more detailed response.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I understand the legislation to which Deputy Catherine Murphy referred is awaiting Second Stage. For reasons of which the House will be aware, we have only been able to prioritise six items of legislation for this session through to the end of March. The decision in the Department of Health, which I believe was the right one, was to prioritise the legislation on CervicalCheck and...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy McLoughlin for raising this important issue and recognise his advocacy down through the years in campaigning for this important road project to go ahead. The N4, from Castlebaldwin to Colooney, is one of the most dangerous roads in Ireland and a road on which many people have lost their lives. This is about road safety but also about economic development and bringing more...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jan 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am not sure if this relates to Questions on Promised Legislation. We had an opportunity on Leaders' Questions already to discuss the impending nurses' strike and I am sure we will have other opportunities to do so in the future. The Deputy is correct that appointments are cancelled for any number of reasons but 10,000 specialist appointments and 1,000 operations cancelled for tomorrow is...