Results 12,421-12,440 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Budgets (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Micheál Martin asked about the public attitudes survey. I do not believe it was ever carried out. I will have to double check, but I think because of everything else that was going on, it was de-prioritised and never carried out. I had forgotten about it until the Deputy reminded me of it.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Budgets (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Forgotten about, rather than done away with, is the answer to the question. On the national co-ordinator, we have not decided yet whether it will be an internal appointment or whether the post will be advertised. It is to be determined in the first quarter of next year. Regarding the new Brexit contingency unit, it is being set up to augment the work of my Department's international, EU...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I have not yet had a chance to see the European Commission's guidance and documents on a no-deal Brexit. They were published only in the past couple of hours. Once I get out of the Chamber I will have a chance to study them.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I did not have prior sight of them-----

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----but I have had some verbal briefings. I would like to see the documents for myself. Other Ministers and officials might have seen them where it was relevant to their line Department. The common travel area is protected in the EU treaties and also in the withdrawal agreement. In the absence of those, it is a mix of national law, European law and conventions. There has been some...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Howlin asked me on a number of occasions to explain what other people mean. I am afraid I cannot do that. I can explain to him only what I mean.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Many people are telling me what I mean but I have never had the ability to tell other people what others mean.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Among the UK requests was one that the joint political declaration on the future relationship be attached to the withdrawal agreement. The advice from the EU legal services is that this would not be possible and that the withdrawal agreement and protocols attached to it are legal documents in our treaties whereas the joint political declaration is a political declaration. To be called a...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): European Council Meetings (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 17, inclusive, together. I attended meetings of the European Council in three formats in Brussels on Thursday, 13 December and Friday, 14 December. In advance of the European Council, I spoke by telephone to the President of the Council, Mr. Tusk, on Monday, 10 December and the President of the Commission, Mr. Juncker, on Wednesday, 12 December. In...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí as a gcuid ceisteanna. On the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, there is an implementation plan with a timescale, as it should have, in terms of funding and resourcing. That is something that has to be dealt with during the annual Estimates round but there certainly is funding in place for 2019 to do that. I note that the Garda...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am conscious of the experience and expertise of those who serve on the existing oversight bodies and the Department of Justice and Equality. We will consult them as we develop the new legislation and we will listen to the views of others in the Oireachtas and what people have to say. It is not anticipated that the new framework would be in place until 1 January 2021 and we will use the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I cannot give the Deputy any information on the approval of that particular drug. As Members know, which drugs are licensed, which drugs are prescribed and which drugs are reimbursed are not political decisions, nor should they be. For very good reasons they have been taken out of the political process. So far this year the HSE has approved 23 new medicines. That is done based...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: We do not have a date for the publication of the heads of the road traffic consolidation Bill. I agree that it is necessary. We have consolidated company law, tax law and social welfare legislation. Road traffic legislation is among the most highly litigated in Ireland and it would make sense and eliminate a lot of loopholes if we were to consolidate it. I understand that very little...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Cabinet yesterday endorsed the Meenan report and approved the establishment of a tribunal. The Minister for Health hopes to be able to appoint the judge who will chair that tribunal very soon. It seems that because primary legislation will be required to set up the tribunal it will take a number of months before it is actually established on a statutory basis and is able to operate. We...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister for Health is probably best placed to answer that, but we will do everything we can on a non-statutory basis while the statutory work is being done. The Attorney General informs me based on previous experience in establishing tribunals that it can take many months to get it done. I am concerned that this is the case.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. The committee last met on 8 February this year. The meeting was attended by Ministers and senior officials from the Departments of Finance; Public Expenditure and Reform; Foreign Affairs and Trade; Justice and Equality; Health; Communications, Climate Action and Environment; Transport, Tourism and Sport; Housing, Planning and...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: As I outlined earlier, we have a pay deal with all public servants, not just teachers and nurses, which runs to 2020 and provides for pay increases next year, including across the board pay increases, a special pay increase for those earning less than €30,000, and we have negotiated with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions a further special pay increase for those recruited after 2012....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I think the Deputy is entirely right to call for upgrades to the N24 but the Atlantic corridor is not built yet, and we can only do so many roads at a time. Tipperary already has reasonably good motorway access, whereas other parts of the country do not have motorway access at all. The priority has to be the Atlantic corridor first. It will run from Cork to Limerick and connect Sligo and...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am very sorry to hear that Deputy Brady's constituent had to wait 56 minutes for an ambulance but, as I am sure Deputy Brady will appreciate, the national ambulance service has to prioritise calls. Perhaps the paramedics were out taking another call from someone who was at risk of dying or someone who had cardiac arrest or a stroke. The service has to prioritise. No matter how many...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (19 Dec 2018)

Leo Varadkar: My understanding was the same as that of Deputy Moynihan. I understood that the service was to be upgraded before Christmas. I know there have been some improvements in the evening service but not the main improvements that we had anticipated. I will certainly follow up on the matter. I hope it will be January and not any later.