Results 1,221-1,240 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: That is a cheap shot. Just like him, we live in our communities and just like him we are of our communities and we know what is happening on the ground. Our constituents talk to us as much as they talk to him and none of us would be here and we would not have an elected mandate if we were not in touch with our constituents and with the people who vote for us. As is always the case in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. We agree on one point, which is that we need more supply. We need more homes and social housing, and we need more homes that are affordable for people to buy. It is encouraging to see that every week, 700 mortgages are issued to first-time buyers, the highest number since the Celtic tiger period. Perhaps 400 or 500 couples and individuals are now buying their first...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The answer to his question is that I will. Helping middle Ireland and middle-income people has always been a priority for me and is a priority for this Government. We have done a lot already in recent years but there is always more to do and I acknowledge that. One of our major priorities in the forthcoming budget is to help middle income people and middle Ireland with...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I can assure the Deputy, the families and the advocacy groups that the HSE and CHI will not be writing the terms of reference for this review. It will be independent. Of course, they will have to be consulted at some level about what is going to be in the terms of reference. It would be improper not to do so, and absolutely, the advocacy groups and the parents will need to be consulted...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: First of all, no decisions have yet been made on the budget, either on the tax or welfare packages - but there will be tax and welfare packages - or the general spending package. Those decisions are still being discussed at Government level. A proposal will be put to Cabinet on budget day and then subsequently to the House. That is the procedure and the process that we follow. What the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Yes but there is a lot of detail in the census. I will give the Deputy some figures from the census.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The number of people in social housing, and the number of families who benefit from social housing - and I do not mean HAP or RAS - has gone up by 40,000 in the past ten years. That is 40,000 more families who benefit from social housing than was the case ten years ago. I know the population has gone up. The percentage has also gone up to about 10%. Deputy O'Callaghan's party has...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I acknowledge once again that this matter is a cause of great anxiety to many patients and many families attending these services, and I am determined that we will get to the bottom of it. As the Deputy knows, an Irish Medical Council complaint is being considered at the moment and an independent review is being established under the guidance of UK expert Mr. Selvadurai Nayagam. The terms...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Projects (27 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The State is providing emergency humanitarian assistance to the more than 110,000 people from Ukraine and asylum seekers from elsewhere who have arrived here. Thanks to the incredible generosity of communities across Ireland, over 94,000 persons seeking refuge have been successfully accommodated, and that number continues to increase. We are focusing on more effective ways to improve...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies and I will be as quick as I can. Certainly, when it comes to multi-unit developments, all should have a sinking fund. A portion of the management fee should go into that every year so it builds up over 20 or 30 years and there is a pool of money then to carry out any works that need to be done. Whether you live in an apartment or a house, every 30 years or so you need...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. As Deputy Dillon mentioned earlier, Cabinet today signed off on the tender and gave approval for the N5 Scramogue to Ballaghaderreen road project to go ahead. It is an investment of about €450 million and will dramatically improve access to and from County Mayo in particular. It will also have huge benefits for towns like Strokestown,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I agree and like I said, I will make sure that the Minister, Deputy Martin, is aware of the view that we both hold. On Deputy Ó Murchú's question regarding the new policing model, my understanding is that it is being piloted in a number of areas. Once that is done, there will be a review. The Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, might be able to inform the Deputy a bit more...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 10, inclusive, together. The next meeting of the Cabinet committee on housing will take place in October. The committee works to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the implementation of Housing for All and the delivery of programme for Government commitments regarding housing and related matters. We are now entering the third year of the implementation...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. As Deputies will be aware, we have a set of minimum terms and conditions that apply to all employees. They have been improved in recent years, with, for example, the move to the living wage, more employment regulation orders, particularly in the private sector, the introduction of sick pay, which I was please to be involved in as Minister for...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Programme for Government (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 6 together. The Government has been working to implement the commitments in the Programme for Government which are advanced through the co-ordinating mechanisms of the cabinet committee structure. The ten cabinet committees established by the Government reflect the core policy areas set out in the programme for Government. The strategy statements...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I gave a comprehensive reply on some of these issues earlier. However, with regard to services closing, it might be worth putting on the record of the House that data from Tusla show the number of services that have closed so far in 2023 is substantially lower than in previous years. Therefore, while there are some services closing, the number is fewer than in previous...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: That is unfair and inaccurate. Under the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, the budget for childcare and early years education has increased dramatically. It is in excess of €1 billion now. Fees have come down for parents this year and they will come down again. Pay and terms and conditions have improved for the staff in the sector and will improve again. As the Deputy knows, the vast...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: On Deputy Wynne's question, I do not have all the details on the gentleman in Kilkee. If the Deputy wants to pass them on to me, I will have them checked out. When it comes to any scheme, we all understand there have to be terms and conditions and rules and controls. However, if I picked up the Deputy correctly, the individuals are perhaps living in the same house. I can understand why it...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4 together. The Cabinet committee on social affairs and public services oversees the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the areas of social policy and public services. The committee covers a range of topics, including immigration and integration, with a particular focus on equality and public service reform. Other topics...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will certainly make inquiries with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and come back to the Deputy directly on that. It is a very good scheme. We want all of our villages and small towns to be able to expand and to have some room for natural increase not in a way that causes sprawl, but in a way that allows more building close to the village and town centres. That requires some investment. I...