Results 13,421-13,440 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna (Atógáíl) - Questions (Resumed): Northern Ireland (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I can. As I said, we have each other's mobile number. I do not have the exact date, but it was within the last couple of weeks. We were counterparts before, have each other's mobile number and can be in touch. We have been trying to organise a formal meeting for quite some time. We had a date which fell through and are trying to organise a new one. The truth is that the environment is...

Ceisteanna (Atógáíl) - Questions (Resumed): Northern Ireland (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The same applies to the DUP, Sinn Féin or any other political party. We are not negotiating on Brexit with a UK or Northern Ireland political party; rather, we are negotiating with the United Kingdom in Salzburg.

Ceisteanna (Atógáíl) - Questions (Resumed): Northern Ireland (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am confused. The constant interruptions make it difficult to remember what the question was.

Ceisteanna (Atógáíl) - Questions (Resumed): Northern Ireland (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The last contact on Northern Ireland between the British Prime Minister, Mrs. Theresa May, and I was in Salzburg a week or so ago. All of our officials and senior advisers were there. As to what is being said in general about Brexit in the media, we need to understand there is a British Conservative-----

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy knows, this is an ongoing issue that has been running for a few years now. It relates to the professional qualifications of pharmacy assistants who are not pharmacists but who have played a very valuable role down the years in filling in for pharmacists during their absence. Ultimately, however, it is a matter for the professional regulatory body rather than the Government....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: There have been some delays in processing smear tests, given the very large number of women who went for a repeat test after the CervicalCheck controversy back in May and June. I understand those delays are now largely resolved. I do not see why the patient mentioned cannot have that retest done soon, unless there is perhaps some medical reason.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know the details of any individual case, but if the Deputy gives the details to me or the Minister for Health, we can check up on it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is fair to say this whole process is novel and has not been done before. We will become one of the first countries in the world to provide high-speed broadband to every premises - every house, every business and every farm - in the entire country. This is a big undertaking, potentially the biggest investment in rural Ireland in the history of the State and perhaps the most important one...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I read that, yes.

Ceisteanna (Atógáíl) - Questions (Resumed): Northern Ireland (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3 together. The devolved, power-sharing institutions are at the heart of the Good Friday Agreement and are the best means for achieving accountable, representative decision-making for all the people of Northern Ireland, and I am deeply concerned at the ongoing impasse in regard to their restoration. In my recent conversations with Prime Minister...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I apologise to Deputy Cahill; I do not have up-to-date note on that particular matter. I will ask the Minister to provide him with a detailed reply.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is examining the matter. I had the opportunity to meet the chairperson and director general of RTÉ only in the last couple of days. Ultimately, any money provided is public and taxpayers' money and we have to make sure it is used to best effect. There is a lot of public service broadcasting beyond RTÉ. There is also TG4 and many other news and media organisations...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: Anyone who is entitled to receive illness benefit and does not will have his or her payments backdated to the point at which they were entitled to receive it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is a simplification process. The process is being moved online. As happened with maternity and paternity benefit payments in the past, it does appear that there are some problems in making the transition. I stand to be corrected, but I understand there were consultations with doctors through the Irish Medical Organisation, IMO, but not the National Association of General Practitioners,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy is, of course, correct on one point - there will be a further substantial increase in funding for health service and the HSE in the forthcoming budget. We are already spending record amounts of money on health services and will break a new record in the provision of funding and resourcess again next year. The important point, the thing that can be very difficult to do, is...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputies will appreciate, section 39 organisations are all very different. They range from what are, effectively, very large corporate service providers to very small charitable organisations and their financial position differs from one another. There are discussions taking place at the Workplace Relations Commission about the provision of additional funding. The Deputies may be...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The answer to the Deputy's question is "Yes". It is intended to hold that referendum in May, at the same time as the local and European elections, on the issue of extending voting rights in presidential elections to Irish citizens no matter where they live. It is quite complicated because issues like postal votes, polling stations and so on have to be worked out but, given that the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I understand this is a very unfortunate situation and I extend my apologies to those members of the Defence Forces who have been affected. They will now rotate. It seems they will come home on 16 October, so it will be a two-week extension to the deployment. The Defence Forces are providing a €1,000 ex gratia gratuity to each member affected to defray any costs that may arise....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----and the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, has been in direct contact with our honorary consul in Beirut, Georges Siam. It happened because military flights require specific diplomatic clearance from all countries through whose airspace they fly. These clearances require prior notification, are time limited and must all be aligned to allow the flight to proceed. In the case of UNDOF,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Oct 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The programme for Government commits to increasing resources for mental health. That is being done. We had spending at approximately €700 million in 2011. It is well in excess of €900 million now, and will approach €1 billion next year. There has been a 67% increase in clinical CAMHS staff since 2008. Twenty more teams have been put in place, an increase of 40%....