Results 13,281-13,300 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I was not referring to the Deputy. I believe the comments in question should now be withdrawn from the record of the House. While the former Garda Commissioner, Nóirín O'Sullivan, did not do everything right, the tribunal has clearly found that she was not part of such a conspiracy. I believe that allegation should be withdrawn and the record should be corrected.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The central charge that was made against Deputy Fitzgerald - that she was aware of the alleged legal strategy of the former Garda Commissioner and that she failed to act on it - was also false. Mr. Justice Charleton has found in his report that Deputy Fitzgerald's response to that information was considered, appropriate and correct. He has found very much in her favour in that regard. He...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Community Development Initiatives (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 13, inclusive, together. The north east inner city programme implementation board, which is chaired by Mr. Michael Stone, continues to oversee the implementation of the 24 actions set out in the Mulvey report and to make progress with work on the Dublin north east inner city initiative. The Department of the Taoiseach is closely involved with the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Electoral Reform (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----ensuring no donation of more than €200 could be made to any political party. I note that Deputy Mary Lou McDonald has raised this question. It concerns me that Sinn Féin may be using partition as an advantage in that regard because, unlike other parties, Sinn Féin is established both in the United Kingdom and Ireland-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Electoral Reform (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----and the rules on corporate donations in Northern Ireland-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Electoral Reform (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----and the United States are very different-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Electoral Reform (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----and much looser than they are here.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Electoral Reform (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: That creates a murkiness surrounding Sinn Féin's finances and the way in which it engages in political fundraising. What I would like to know from it is whether it accepts corporate donations of more than €200, which would not be permitted in this state.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Electoral Reform (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I give way.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Electoral Reform (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I was more than happy to give way in the hope Deputy Mary Lou McDonald might answer my question.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Electoral Reform (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The defensiveness indicates that there is something to hide-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Electoral Reform (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The question I asked was whether Sinn Féin, as a political party, accepted donations of more than €200 from any corporation. All other parties represented in this House do not. In co-operation with the Labour Party, we passed a law to ensure no party could receive a corporate donation of more than €200 in order to break the link between business and politics.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Electoral Reform (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: What I want to know is whether Sinn Féin applies this rule to its fundraising by its UK arm, accepts the spirit of this law and does not accept corporate donations of more than €200. It would set it apart from the other parties represented in this House if it were the only party active in this state that continued to accept corporate donations of more than €200. It may do...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Electoral Reform (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Given that the Deputy asked a question about how my party raised funds, it is only legitimate for me to ask a similar question.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Electoral Reform (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I shall go back to answering.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Electoral Reform (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The public consultation process on the regulation of online advertising was launched on 21 September and views can be submitted up to 19 October. It is planned to hold the open policy forum at the end of November, after the presidential election and the inauguration of the President, to allow sufficient time for analysis of submissions. We do not think it would be appropriate to host the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 9 together. Cabinet committee G was established in January this year to provide for political oversight of developments in respect of justice and equality issues, including implementation of the Government's programme of reform for the justice sector. There have been two meetings of Cabinet committee G since: one on 18 January and one on 16 April....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Electoral Reform (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I will certainly raise with the Minister of State, Deputy John Paul Phelan, the issues Deputy Burton raises on the format of the electoral register. I will ask the Minister of State to provide the Deputy with a more detailed response. All of us as public representatives want to have the register in a format which is usable as we go door to door. Some people now bring electronic devices...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Electoral Reform (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: If that is not the case, we will be happy to do it on a voluntary basis. There is no difficulty doing that at all.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Electoral Reform (16 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Following a public consultation process, the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht published a report in January 2016 containing a series of recommendations for the establishment of an electoral commission. These were based largely on the joint committee's own recommendations. The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is currently preparing a regulatory...