Results 13,821-13,840 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: If the Ceann Comhairle can give me another few minutes, I will go through them.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: On the budget, the total budget package for 2019 will be in the region of €3.5 billion. The vast of majority of that is committed but it is important to remember how it is committed. There is €1.5 billion in additional capital spending for public infrastructure, housing, broadband, healthcare, climate action and all those areas. There is additional funding for health and...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----in that we have announced measures in advance, for example, particularly on capital spending so that there can be proper planning.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: On the tax package, the focus will be on income taxes. Last year, we paid for the reduction in the USC and the reduction in income through tax increases elsewhere. It was paid for through measures such as the sugar tax, for example, and the increase in stamp duty on commercial property. We paid for the tax package last year through tax increases in other areas. I imagine, although it is...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: It is a different proposition to raise it through additional taxation but others, not Deputy Boyd Barrett, in fairness, are arguing that we should borrow more. More borrowing is the wrong policy at the moment. The economy is growing fast, tax revenues are very buoyant and we are approaching full employment. Now is not the time to increase borrowing. Now is the time to balance the books and...

Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am not aware of the detail of any individual case before the courts and it would be inappropriate for me to comment on it. What I do know is that people who were victims of thalidomide received compensation from the German manufacturing company that produced it. One of the difficulties that arises is that any compensation that would come from Irish authorities would be placed against the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. Cabinet committee A held its first meeting on 12 September 2017. The committee covers issues related to the economy, jobs, the labour market, competitiveness, productivity, trade, the action plan for rural development and the digital economy and pensions. There has been significant progress on these issues this year to date,...

Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Insurance (Amendment) Bill will be before the House next week. That will be an opportunity to debate this issue and propose solutions. I do not know why the insurance industry adds premiums to older cars. I am sure it has a reason but it is important that it explains-----

Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----why that is done and if it is based on a genuine risk assessment or not. While there has been a significant increase in motor insurance premiums in recent years, some of the actions taken on foot of the report to the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, which are being followed through by the Minister of State, Deputy D'Arcy, have seen motor...

Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I will have to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide the Deputy with a more detailed reply. I am sure there are procedures in place to make sure that products are approved before they enter the EU market. In our discussions on Mercosur at a European level, the Government is strongly making the case that we should not allow significant increases in beef...

Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I am not familiar with that tender. I will have to ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, to give a more detailed reply.

Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: We put people before profit when it comes to a tender such as this or any tender. We need to make sure the contract goes to the companies or organisations that will give the public the best service possible for the lowest cost to the taxpayer. That is how any tender should be approached. It should be the best service for the public at the lowest cost for the taxpayer.

Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this. If he wants to pass on some more information about that, I will certainly raise it with the Minister, Deputy Creed, but without knowing the detail, I cannot be more helpful. If I can, I will be.

Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: First of all, I did not say it. Reporters Without Borders said it in its 2018 World Press Freedom Index, in which it raised concerns about the high concentration of media ownership - the Independent group in print and RTÉ in broadcasting. It is not my opinion, but a report from Reporters Without Borders, an organisation with which the Deputy will be familiar.

Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I have given examples already of how Government is funding media: a significant reduction in VAT, worth about €100 million to the print industry over the past couple of years; and the licence fee. Only last year, the Government increased its contribution to the licence fee in respect of older persons, who do not have to pay it. Those are two examples-----

Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----probably hitting about €200 million plus, which is a lot of money. Quite frankly, I would have reservations about using more taxpayers' money to fund the media, particularly the private sector media. I think that could potentially damage their independence. One would have to think very carefully about how one would do that-----

Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: -----to make sure it was done properly.

Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy is right to raise the issue of pensions in the media sector. She knows the position that I took on that particular issue and legislation that the Government is preparing on that more broadly. We do have media ownership laws in Ireland. We have the Broadcast Authority of Ireland and the former Competition Authority, which is now called the Competition and Consumer Protection...

Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I will ask the Minister of State to respond.

Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2018)

Leo Varadkar: I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, to give Deputy Curran a more comprehensive reply on this, but in principle I accept his analysis. It is much better to offer organisations multi-annual funding, probably on a three-year rolling basis, so that they can plan their programmes and not be waiting until November or December to find out what their budgets will be for the...