Results 1,341-1,360 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am very aware of the situation around the country and that is why we are investing so much in new social housing. More social housing was built last year than in any year since the 1970s. That takes people off the housing list and also frees up other properties for people to rent often using HAP or homeless HAP.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: We had a report on capital spending at Cabinet today. The amount of money the Government invested in public infrastructure is 30% higher than it was this time last year. The spend in the first six months of this year is 30% higher than the first six months of last year which shows we are ramping up investment in transport, schools, hospitals, broadband and all the key things we need to make...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising the question. I do not have an update to hand, but I will speak to the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, later today and I will ask her to come back to the Deputy directly.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: When the State, through a local authority, buys a property from a landlord, we need to ensure that the building is up to code because ultimately this is taxpayers' money. As the Deputy mentioned, there may be some circumstances where the defects are so minor, they could be repaired and some flexibility should be shown. I am happy to raise it with the Department of Housing, Local Government...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: The first refusal law, which is a new right for renters, the right essentially to buy a property from the landlord if you can afford to buy it, is an additional right which will be given to renters. As with any primary legislation, it can take time. This was only announced towards the end of March. As is often the case, it can take a number of months to do primary legislation but we...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----such as the rent pressure zones, where rents go up by less than 2% every year for most renters; the rent tax credit, which is €500 per renter and €1,000 for a couple; tenancies of indefinite duration; and extended notice periods. A great amount has been done with this Government to enhance the right of renters.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: There are a number of safety nets for renters. The longer notice periods give people more time to find alternative accommodation, and the tenant in situscheme is very much happening now at scale, where we buy the property off the landlord so that the person can then become a regular social housing tenant. About 2,000 of those are in process at the moment. What I said, I stand over. I said...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: There is much more to the Sinn Féin motion than that. Some of it just involves opposition for the sake of opposition and political criticism, so we will be proposing an amendment to the Sinn Féin motion, which I hope the party will be able to support. This Government has acted to help renters. The rent pressure zones, RPZs, ensure rents, for the vast majority of renters, can only...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I am sure the Whip will agree to changes. The Government has a legislative programme. We have important legislation we want to get through and get done this week. Every week, the Opposition is given three issues to prioritise. I am sure if Deputies are willing to withdraw one of the Private Members' Bills, or two, we could make the time for one of these issues.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank all the Deputies for raising these very important issues. To respond to Deputy Carthy's query, it is a fact that there are thousands of people out on bail today. Some people on bail commit crimes. Sadly, it is not that uncommon. It would not be possible or right for us to jail everyone who is on bail. It would not be practical or just. It is ultimately for the courts, not us in...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I will come to that.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Paul Murphy and Deputy Bacik sought a debate on animal welfare and Deputy Mattie McGrath sought one on excess deaths. The number of excess deaths varies from year to year. In the past couple of years, there has not been an increase. It may be of interest to the Deputy to know that hospital overcrowding is 20% lower this year than last year. That is a fact. Deputy Whitmore again...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for his question. What I meant to say earlier is that, as Taoiseach and as a former Minister for Health, I have had the benefit of visiting hospitals regularly. It is something I make a point of doing. I visited Castlebar recently and Waterford not too long ago. I have been to Limerick many times. Almost every hospital or region makes the case that they are the most...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is often about the way it is calculated. People will calculate things in a different and particular way. As I said earlier, under this Government €91 million has been invested in the hospital so far. That includes the construction of the new outpatient department, OPD, with 16 consulting rooms, four virtual consulting rooms and two minor procedure rooms. That was completed in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: Very briefly, I wanted to note on the record of the House the sad passing of a former Deputy, Mr. Ben Briscoe. He was somebody who would have been known to many of us down the years. He served as a Deputy for Dublin. He was also Lord Mayor in 1988 for the wonderful Dublin millennium year. He will be sadly missed by his friends, colleagues and, of course, by the wider Fianna Fáil...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: That might not be the case in the context of the matter the Deputy raised, but it is the case. We should factor it into our statistics-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: -----because it is not the case that all those 12,000 people have not been offered permanent accommodation; very many have. In terms of the options for people who do not qualify for social housing, we have an option. It is cost rental, which is a new form of public housing created by the previous Government and being realised by this Government.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: It is being scaled up every day.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: If the Deputy looks back over the past ten or 20 years, there has been very considerable public and Government investment in the south east. There is the motorway to Waterford, the New Ross road, the Enniscorthy bypass, the Viking Triangle and the Waterford greenway, also know as the Déise greenway. The long-promised South East Technological University is now a reality. There have...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Jul 2023)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. Anybody having to spend a prolonged period in emergency accommodation is unacceptable and undesirable. The vast majority of people who are provided with emergency accommodation by the State are there for less than the year. For very many it is for in and around six or seven months.